How do I cite an image in Chicago Style?
Answer
This question reflects guidance provided in both the 17th and 18th editions of Chicago Style as no changes were made in the new edition.
To cite an image in Chicago, identify the key elements needed:
- Creator (If there is no creator name available, leave it off and start with the title.)
- Title of Image (can be the official title of a work of art, name of the image online, name of the file if downloaded. If there isn’t a title, create a descriptive title and place it in brackets.) If it has an official title, then italicize it, if it does not, leave it in plain text. See this FAQ from Chicago as an example of an image without an official title. The images in our examples below have official titles so they are italicized.
- Date Created
- Medium (painting, photograph, etc.)
- Dimensions (for artwork only)
- Source for image (museum where piece is housed (include location of museum), publication where it appears (page number of publication should also be included), website it came from)
- URL (if online)
Image from a website:
Footnote:
1. Creator Name, Title of Image (italicized if the image has an official title and not if it is just a descriptive title), Date Created, Medium, Dimensions, Source, URL.
1. Cecil W. Stoughton, President Kennedy, portrait photo, 1963, photograph, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKWHP/1963/Month%2007/Day%2011/JFKWHP-1963-07-11-D.
Bibliography:
Creator Last Name, Creator First Name. Title of Image (italicized if the image has an official title and not if it is just a descriptive title). Date Created. Medium, Dimensions. Source. URL.
Stoughton, Cecil. President Kennedy, portrait photo. 1963. photograph. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKWHP/1963/Month%2007/Day%2011/JFKWHP-1963-07-11-D.
Image from a book, magazine, journal, etc.,
Footnote:
1. Creator Name, Title of Image (italicized if the image has an official title and not if it is just a descriptive title), Date Created, Medium, Dimensions, Source, page number, date of source, URL.
1. Adams, Ansel, Geology Field Trip in Joshua National Monument, ca 1966, The Chronicle of Higher Education, B7, June 12, 1991, https://www.proquest.com/docview/214663320?pq-origsite=primo&accountid=28549.
Bibliography:
Creator Last Name, Creator First Name. Title of Image (italicized if the image has an official title and not if it is just a descriptive title). Date Created. Medium, Dimensions. Source, page number, date of source. URL.
Adams, Ansel, Geology Field Trip in Joshua National Monument, ca 1966, photograph, The Chronicle of Higher Education, B7, June 12, 1991, https://www.proquest.com/docview/214663320?pq-origsite=primo&accountid=28549.
If you are citing social media images, cite them as social media. See “How do I cite Instagram in Chicago Style?”, “How do I cite Twitter in Chicago Style?”, and “How do I cite Facebook in Chicago Style?” for further information.
This is just the basics of Chicago citation for images, for further detail, check out the Chicago Manual of Style available in the library or the Chicago Manual of Style Shop Talk (blog).
If you need further help, contact a librarian or check out the resources on the Citation Help page.