Welcome to the Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA), a digital repository of Tennessee history and culture. Our mission is to bring digital versions of the state's rich historical records to a wider audience. New items are added on a regular basis, including photographs, documents, maps, postcards, moving images, audio and more.
TeVA includes historical materials that reflect the beliefs and perspectives of their times, some of which may be offensive to users. The Library & Archives does not endorse the views expressed in these materials.
All images on TeVA are available to download as lower-resolution JPEG files. High-resolution scans and/or prints of images are available for a fee. Use the Imaging Services Order page, and refer to the Imaging Services fee schedule for pricing information. Contact ask@tsla.libanswers.com for more information or to begin an order.
The Library & Archives requires that the following credit line accompany all reproductions of our items used in publications, productions, and websites: "Courtesy Tennessee State Library & Archives." If space is available, the following data should be included before the courtesy line: Item Title, Collection Name, Accession Number, Storage Location, ID# and Owning Institution. This information can be found in TeVA in the metadata below the item. For further citation guidelines for papers and articles, see Citing Electronic Primary Sources on Purdue's LibGuide.
If using items from TeVA on your social media, the Library & Archives requires the following credit lines:
If space is available, you can also include the Item Title, Collection Name, Accession Number, Storage Location, ID#, and Owning Institution, which can be found in the metadata accompanying the image or images.
Materials in TeVA are available for purposes of education, personal use, historical research, and other "fair use" as defined by U.S. Copyright Law. While the Library & Archives houses an item, it does not necessarily hold the copyright on the item, nor may it be able to determine if the item is still protected under current copyright law. We assign one of two copyright statements from RightsStatements.org in the Rights section of each item to indicate which items may be in the public domain and which may not. The Library & Archives does not assign rights or license materials. Users are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of items, for obtaining necessary permissions and paying associated fees that may be necessary for the intended use.
If you still have questions or need assistance locating an item, please contact us through the Ask Us a Question feature on our website.