Aerial and satellite images allow one to create images from varying altitudes above the Earth. The images allow researchers to see and accurately portray patterns of land use on a local, regional, continental, or global scale. Collectively they are referred to as remotely sensed images and the process is called remote sensing.

What are aerial photographs?

Aerial photographs are taken from an airplane flying at various altitudes. Common altitudes are 5,000 to 60,000 feet, and generally the lower the altitude the greater the detail. Photographs taken from airplanes began with Wilbur Wright’s 1909 flight over Centonelli, Italy. World War I and World War II stimulated the greatest advances in the technology of creating and using aerial photography. Beginning in the 1930’s, the United States Geological Survey (USGA) and Tennessee Valley Authority began using aerial photography to help create topographic maps.

The three standard paper print sizes for aerial photographs are:

• 9 inches by 9 inches, called standard contact size (Scale 1:40,000)
• 18 inches by 18 inches (2X enlargements) (Scale 1:20,000)
• 36 inches by 36 inches (4X enlargements) (Scale 1:10,000)

Successive aerial photographs can be overlapped and using a stereoscope, seen as 3-D images. The images can be either black and white or color depending upon the use for which the images were created.

Who produced aerial photographs?

Government agencies have produced the largest number of aerial photographs although there are commercial services such as Tobin. The Federal government’s aerial photograph program began as a direction from the Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal administration in the 1930s. The photos were to provide a natural baseline for scientific planning for land use and soil conservation, with soil erosion from wind and water being a primary federal concern.

Aerial photographs have been flown for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conversation Service (ASCS), the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), the USGS, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Highway Commission (FHC), and the Defense Mapping Agency (now called National Imagery and Mapping Agency).

What is the value of aerial photographs?

The value of aerial photography is that they provide a record of land use and have been used in courts-of-law as a record of the position of a river at a given date (to help determine land ownership as the river shifts its course), use of the land before the flooding behind a newly created dam, location of buildings, change in land use from forest to a cultivated area and to urban sprawl, etc. ASCS and SCS used aerial photos as the base upon which soil type boundaries are compiled, yielding soil surveys.

Who uses aerial photographs?

Geographers, geologists, urban planners, farmers, agricultural land planners, land owners, lawyers, fishers, soil scientists, architects, anthropologists, and others.
 

Where are copies of Oklahoma aerial photographs located?

Collections of Oklahoma aerial photographs can be found in a number of different locations around the state:

Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL)
200 N.E. 18th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405)521-2502 or (800)522-8116  

Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS)
Oklahoma Petroleum Information Center
2020 Industrial Blvd. Norman, OK 73069
(405)325-1299 or (800)330-3996 

Oklahoma State University (OSU)
Edmon Low Library
Stillwater, OK 74078
(405)744-5000 

The University of Oklahoma (OU)
Bizzell Memorial Library
401 West Brooks Norman, OK 73019
(405)325-3141 

The holdings for the statewide aerial photographs date back to the 1930s, with the OGS and OSU having more current sets. There is much overlap of holdings, but some holdings are unique. The negatives (in various physical condition) are legally held at the National Archives.

A previous statewide inventory of the aerial photographs was done by Steve L. Hiller, OSU Documents Librarian, in 1979.

Inventory of Aerial Photographs in Oklahoma Libraries

COUNTY	YEAR	ODL	OGS	OSU	OU
Adair	1939/1940	X	X	X	X
	1952	X
	1964		X	X
Alfalfa	1941/42	X	X	X
	1954		X
	1961	X			X
	1966		X	X
	1973			X
Atoka	1934		X
	1935		X
	1939/40	X	X
	1949		X
	1955		X
	1962	X	X	X
	1968		X
	1977		X
Beaver	1936		X
	1941	X	X	X
	1966			X
Beckham	1937			X (misc.)
	1941	X	X
	1950		X		X
	1955		X
	1966			X
	1974			X
Blaine	1941	X	X		X
	1951	X	X	X
	1957		X	X
	1964		X	X
	1970			X
Bryan	1940	X
	1947/48		X		X
	1953		X
	1962		X	X
	1969		X	X
	1974		X
	1977		X
Caddo	1937		X	X
	1940	X	X	X	X
	1941	X			X
	1948		X
	1955		X
	1956		X
	1961		X
	1966		X	X
	1982		X
Canadian	1937		X
	1941	X	X	X	X
	1951		X
	1957			X
	1964			X
	1970			X
Carter	1935		X
	1936		X
	1937		X		X
	1939				X
	1940		X		X
	1949	X	X	X
	1954		X
	1956		X
	1963			X
	1969		X
Cherokee	1938	X	X
	1958	X
	1964		X	X
	1974			X (misc.)
Choctaw	1942	X
	1949		X
	1955	X
	1962		X	X
	1969		X	X
	1977		X
Cimarron	1942	X		X	X
	1959		X
	1960		X
	1966			X
Cleveland	1937		X	X	X
	1940		X
	1943	X
	1949		X
	1951	X	X		X
	1957		X
	1963		X	X
	1969		X	X
	1975			X
Coal	1940	X
	1949		X		X
	1955		X	X
	1956		X
	1962		X	X
	1968		X
	1977		X
Comanche	1942	X	X
	1950		X
	1957	X (west only)
	1961		X	X
	1966			X
Cotton	1942	X
	1950		X
	1957		X
	1964			X
	1971			X
Craig	1935		X
	1938			X
	1941	X	X	X	X
	1952		X
	1958	X	X	X
	1964		X	X
	1972		X
Creek	1937			X	X
	1937/38				X
	1941	X	X
	1956	X	X	X
	1958			X
	1969			X
Custer	1936				X
	1938			X
	1940	X	X
	1955	X	X
	1966			X
Delaware	1936			X
	1939	X		X	X
	1958		X
	1964			X
Dewey	1938			X
	1941	X	X		X
	1951		X		X
	1957		X
	1964			X
	1970			X
Ellis	1937	X		X
	1951	X	X
	1959		X
	1965		X	X
	1973		X	X
	1981		X
Garfield	1937	X	X
	1954		X		X
	1966			X
	1973			X
Garvin	1937		X
	1940	X	X
	1949		X		X
	1956		X
	1963		X	X
	1969		X	X
Grady	1935		X
	1937			X
	1940	X	X	X
	1948		X		X
	1955		X	X
	1962		X
	1968		X	X
Grant	1937			X
	1938			X
	1941	X	X	X	X
	1954	X	X
	1966		X	X
	1973			X
Greer	1941	X
	1950		X
	1957	X	X	X
	1964			X
	1970			X
Harmon	1937				X
	1943	X	X
	1950		X
	1957	X	X	X
	1964			X
	1970			X
Harper	1937			X	X
	1942	X
	1951	X	X
	1965			X
	1973			X
Haskell	1939	X		X
	1952	X	X
	1964			X
	1973		X
	1977		X
Hughes	1938	X	X		X
	1939	X
	1940	X	X		X
	1948				X
	1955		X
	1956		X
	1962		X	X
	1968		X	X
	1977		X
Jackson	1941	X	X		X
	1950		X
	1957	X	X	X
	1964		X	X
	1970			X
Jefferson	1937			X (misc.)
	1939/40	X	X
	1950		X
	1957		X	X
	1964			X
	1971		X	X
Johnston	1937		X
	1940	X	X
	1949		X
	1954		X
	1963		X	X
	1968		X
	1977		X
Kay	1937	X			X
	1938	X	X		X
	1966		X	X
	1973			X
	1976			X
Kingfisher	1937	X
	1951		X
	1957		X
	1964			X
	1970			X
Kiowa	1937			X (misc.)
	1940				X
	1942	X	X	X	X
	1957	X		X
	1964		X	X
	1970			X
	1980		X
	1982		X
Latimer	1940	X	X
	1955		X	X
	1967		X	X
	1977		X
Leflore	1938	X	X
	1952	X	X
	1955		X
	1963		X	X
	1964		X
	1967		X	X
	1968		X
	1969			X
	1977		X
Lincoln	1937		X	X
	1943	X	X	X
	1951		X
	1954		X
	1961		X	X
	1968			X
Logan	1937	X	X	X	X
	1951	X	X		X
	1957		X
	1964			X
	1970			X
Love	1940		X
	1949	X	X
	1954		X
	1956		X
	1963			X
	1968		X	X
McClain	1937			X
	1940	X	X
	1949		X		X
	1955		X
	1956		X
	1963		X	X
	1969			X
McCurtain	1938	X	X		X
	1939	X
	1940	X	X
	1955		X
	1961		X
	1963		X
	1967		X	X
	1969		X	X
	1970		X
	1977		X
McIntosh	1938	X	X
	1939	X	X
	1940	X
	1941
	1949	X	X		X
	1956		X		X
	1967			X
	1972			X (misc.)
	1978		X
Major	1937		X	X
	1942	X	X	X	X
	1954		X
	1966		X	X
	1973			X
Marshall	1937	X	X
	1942	X	X		X
	1949	X	X
	1953		X
	1956	X	X
	1968		X	X
	1972		X
Mayes	1935	X	X
	1938			X
	1940	X			X
	1952		X		X
	1958	X	X
	1964			X
	1972			X (misc.)
	1973		X
Murray	1937		X
	1940	X
	1949				X
	1956	X
	1963		X	X
	1969		X	X
Muskogee	1938			X	X
	1941	X	X	X
	1952	X	X		X
	1964		X	X
	1972			X
Noble	1937	X	X	X
	1943		X
	1954		X
	1961	X	X
	1966		X	X
	1973			X
Nowata	1937		X
	1941	X	X	X	X
	1952		X	X
	1958			X
	1964			X
	1972			X
Okfuskee	1937			X	X
	1943		X	X
	1954		X		X
	1961	X	X
	1968			X
Oklahoma	1937			X
	1941	X	X	X	X
	1951	X	X		X
	1957		X
	1963			X
	1970			X
Okmulgee	1938			X
	1941	X		X
	1949		X		X
	1956		X
	1963	X	X
	1970			X
Osage	1936/37		X		X
	1937/38	X		X
	1954	X	X	X
	1961		X
	1966		X	X
Ottawa	1939	X	X	X	X
	1941			X
	1964			X
	1972			X
Pawnee	1938	X	X		X
	1954		X
	1958			X
	1961		X
	1966		X	X
Payne	1938	X		X
	1949		X	X
	1956	X		X
	1963			X
	1969		X	X
	1979			X
Pittsburg	1935		X
	1939	X
	1948		X
	1955		X
	1962	X	X
	1963		X
	1967			X
	1977		X
	1978		X
Pontotoc	1938	X		X
	1940			X
	1949		X		X
	1956		X
	1967		X
	1969		X	X
	1977		X
Pottawatomie	1937			X	X
	1940	X
	1941	X
	1942	X
	1943	X	X	X
	1954		X
	1956		X
	1961			X
	1968		X	X
Pushmataha	1935		X
	1940		X
	1942		X
	1943	X
	1955		X	X
	1961		X
	1967		X	X
	1977		X
Red Oak	1940			X
Roger Mills	1937				X
	1940	X
	1955	X	X
	1966			X
	1974			X
Rogers	1935		X
	1936		X
	1941/42	X	X	X
	1952	X	X
	1958		X
	1964		X	X
	1972		X
Seminole	1938	X	X		X
	1948				X
	1956	X
	1963		X	X
	1969		X	X
Sequoyah	1938	X	X		X
	1952		X
	1958		X
	1964		X	X
	1972			X
Stephens	1935		X
	1936		X
	1937			X
	1940/41	X	X
	1949		X		X
	1956	X	X		X
	1963		X	X
	1969		X
Texas	1941/42	X		X
	1959		X
	1966			X
Tillman	1937		X		X
	1942	X		X
	1950		X
	1957	X	X	X
	1964		X	X
	1971			X
Tulsa	1938			X
	1943	X
	1958			X
	1964		X	X
Wagoner	1936		X
	1937		X
	1940	X	X	X
	1952	X	X		X
	1958		X		X
	1964		X	X
Washington	1937			X
	1941	X		X	X
	1954	X
	1961		X
	1966		X	X
	1973			X
Washita	1937		X	X
	1940	X	X
	1950		X
	1955		X
	1966			X
Woods	1937	X		X
	1942	X	X		X
	1951	X	X
	1959		X
	1965			X
	1973			X
	1979			X
Woodward	1937	X		X	X
	1951	X	X
	1965			X
	1973			X
	1981			X

Special studies also available at OU:

• Arkansas River
• Chickasha River
• Grand River
• Verdigris River (also at OGS)
• Canadian River & North Canadian River
• Cimarron River
• Red River
• Washita River Watershed (also at OGS)

Use of the aerial photographs:

• The photos are usually arranged by county, then year. The photos are marked with a flight and frame number at the top of the photos, e.g., AQS-219. The date of the flight is then printed in the opposite corner.
• The individual photos of each country were compiled into a composite mosaic photo that shows the whole country and serves as an index for the individual photo sheets.
• One can use another map, such as a road map for orientation, to locate a specific point of interest on the index, and then identify and find the corresponding photo sheet.
• Without the mosaic, finding a particular geographic area is difficult, but not impossible.

Created by: 
Jeffrey Wilhite
Government Documents Librarian
The University of Oklahoma Libraries

Updated February 2012