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Leopold Week  •  Programs and Events

The Aldo Leopold Foundation will be closed to the public for a private event on Saturday, September 30.

Leopold Archives FAQs

What kinds of materials are found in the Leopold Archives?

The Aldo Leopold Archives, physically housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where Leopold was a professor, include Leopold’s unpublished writings, correspondence, sketches, photographs, class materials, and the implements he used on the land.

Read more about the archives.

Do the archives contain any recordings of Leopold’s talks?

No, but we’re searching for them.

How do I acquire permission to reproduce material from the Leopold Archives?

The Aldo Leopold Foundation holds the rights to all materials in the archives. To use, publish, or reprint any of these materials (e.g., photographs, journals, correspondence), you must seek permission from us by filling out our permissions request form.

Please note that we are able to grant permission to publish archival material only, not to reprint excerpts from certain published works (see below).

How do I get permission to reprint a passage from A Sand County Almanac?

Permissions requests related to A Sand County Almanac are handled by its publisher, Oxford University Press. You can submit a permissions request via their website: http://global.oup.com/uk/academic/rights/permissions/.

I’m interested in a specific photograph from the photo archives. How do I find it?

First, browse our sample photo collection, which contains the most frequently requested photos from the archives.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, visit the online Aldo Leopold Archives on the UW-Madison website, and click “Search the Collection.” There, you can search the entire collection by keyword, such as “Albuquerque” or “canoe.”

How do I obtain permission to use a photograph?

When you find the photo you’re looking for, either in our sample collection or the full archives, make note of the four-digit image number (e.g., 0193) in the caption information. On the UW-Madison site, please note the “local identifier” number.

This number should be entered into our permissions request form when you submit your request to use the photo.

How do I find a specific piece of writing in the Leopold Archives?

To search the Leopold Papers, visit the online Aldo Leopold Archives, click “Search the Full Text,” and enter your search terms into the box provided. You may also click “Browse” at the top of the page to explore the written works more generally.

Once you’ve identified the document you would like to use, please fill out our permissions request form.

Do you charge a fee for use of archival images?

Yes, to recoup some of our investment in digitizing the Leopold materials and cover our staff time in processing these requests, we do typically charge for the use of archival images. Standard rates are $25 per image for non-profit use and $50 per image for commercial use.

Who can I contact for help?

Don’t see the answer to your question here? Please contact Steve Swenson at steve@aldoleopold.org or 608-355-0279, ext. 29.