Who We Are

Developed and managed by Maine Historical Society (MHS), Vintage Maine Images (VMI) is an online shopping source for historical images. Images are from the collections of the MHS as well as from hundreds of Contributing Partners across Maine and New England. This website offers thousands of historical images for sale. Your VMI purchases help support collections and preserve local history. VMI was developed as a way to increase revenue for the region's historical societies, libraries, archives, and museums—our contributing partners.

The mission of the Maine Historical Society is to preserve and share Maine's story to enrich life in contemporary Maine.

MHS is located on a one-acre campus in downtown Portland, Maine, and is comprised of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Garden, Brown Research Library MHS Museum and Store. Visit us online at www.mainehistory.org.

What's on the site?

VMI has over 11,000 historical images, with new items added daily. Our images are high-resolution scans and photographs of original material within the collections of Maine Historical Society, and from the archives of our Contributing Partners.

We have images which range in topic from art and architecture, to travel and transportation. Our images span across eras, from the Age of Exploration to the present. Our historical materials include photographs, paintings, maps, postcards, artifacts, architectural drawings, manuscripts, and much more.

We sell reproductions as digital files and prints through our secure online shopping system.

What's the difference between Vintage Maine Images and Maine Memory Network?

Like VMI, Maine Memory Network (MMN) is a project of Maine Historical Society. MMN is Maine's statewide digital museum, with over 35,000 images and hundreds of online exhibits. Our Contributing Partners are an integral part of MMN, as thousands of our images come from their archives. But not everything you see on MMN is available for sale on VMI. MMN images for sale have a link beneath the image directing you to purchase a copy on VMI.

Here's a simple way to remember the difference: Think of MMN as the museum, and VMI as the museum store. Research and view images on MMN, and buy copies on VMI.

Did you see an image that is on Maine Memory Network but not Vintage Maine Images? Find out why.