<p>the <a href="http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digital-scholarship/2013/12/a-million-first-steps.html#sthash.3kaubTLH.dpuf" sl-processed="1">British Library came out with its own announcement on Thursday</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary" sl-processed="1">We have released over a million images</a> onto Flickr Commons for anyone to use, remix and repurpose. These images were taken from the pages of 17th, 18th and 19th century books <a href="http://pressandpolicy.bl.uk/Press-Releases/The-British-Library-19th-Century-Book-Digitisation-Project-343.aspx" sl-processed="1">digitised by Microsoft</a> who then generously gifted the scanned images to us, allowing us to release them back into the Public Domain. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/sets/72157638544764936/with/11216689325/" sl-processed="1">The images</a> themselves cover a startling mix of subjects: There are maps, geological diagrams, beautiful illustrations, comical satire, illuminated and decorative letters, colourful illustrations, landscapes, wall-paintings and so much more that even we are not aware of.</p></blockquote>
