Image Viewer

Many of the images found on Trove can be previewed entirely online through the Trove Image Viewer. The viewer can allow you to navigate digitised images such as artwork and photography, and photographs of objects held at the National Library of Australia.

Select 'View' in the Trove record, then the 'National Library of Australia' access link to open it in the image viewer.


Viewer controls

The Trove viewer controls allow you to zoom, rotate and navigate your search result.

Located in the left and right-hand sides of the viewer, the controls include –

  Reset Zoom: Reset the zoom level to the original size

Zoom in    or out  : Zoom in and out of the image

Rotate image right    or left   : Rotate the image 90 degrees

Contrast up or down   : Move the slider right or left to increase or decrease contrast

  Maximise viewer size: View the image in full screen mode. Select again to return to viewer mode

Panning (moving the image around the screen):

  • Click and hold anywhere on the image to drag it around
  • Double-click on the image to centre on that point and zoom in
  • Use the navigator in the bottom right corner of the viewer by dragging the yellow box around on the image

Use the sidebar tools to find out more information on your Trove search result in addition to various options and functions for accessing it.  

  Details 

Get information about the item you are viewing. You can find information such as title, creator and the location of the physical copy at the National Library of Australia.

  Copyright 

View the copyright status of the item, including an explanation of this status. Many images in the Trove Digital Library collection are still in copyright. This information is a guide only; the item you are viewing may be subject to additional agreements relating to use and reproduction. More specific information regarding copyright can be found on Trove’s Copyright and Re-use page.

  Cite 

View citations in a number of standard styles. You can copy and paste the citation that best suits your needs. Note: Citations are automatically generated and may require some modification.

Learn more about citing sources found on Trove

  Download

Download digital copies in available formats. Check copyright status.

Learn more about downloading

  Buy 

Order a copy of the image. You can order standard or higher resolution images. All copy orders are referred to the National Library’s Copies Direct service. If an item is in copyright you may require permission from the copyright holder to obtain a copy.

Learn more about getting copies

  Toggle Layout 

Display or hide the sidebar information pane.


The navigation options for collections of images are located above the viewing pane just below the breadcrumb trail. 

 Previous and Next  :  Browse between images in the same collection

Up a Level   and Down a Level  Navigate between parent and child records in a collection


In order to protect those who may find some items in Trove sensitive, the display of these items has been suppressed.

Example of suppressed image
Example of a suppressed/blurred image

To view an image that is deemed sensitive: 

  1. Select the Details  button in the sidebar and scroll to the bottom of the information listing for that item.

  1. Check the 'Display Sensitive Material' checkbox.

  1. Select 'Proceed' in the confirmation window. The image will be displayed.

  2. To suppress the image, uncheck the 'Display Sensitive Material' checkbox. The image will be concealed.