Original post on mastodon.social

In celebration of Public Domain Day 2026, I've posted a coda to my #PublicDomainDayCountdown, appreciating not just the people who created the works now free for all in the public domain, but the people who share their responses to the works online […]

RE: https://indieweb.social/@akamran/115814535298606919

A verse for tonight, by one of the authors in the #PublicDomainDayCountdown I just completed ( everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/03/ogden-nash-ma... )

“Last…” will be first Ninety-five (or 100) years is a very long time for copyrights to last. But Olaf Stapledon saw a much longer future for us in Last and First Men (reviewed here and here). His book tells a story of successive human … Continue reading →

English composer Edward Elgar, likely in the early 1900s. Elgar is photographed outdoors in a three-quarter profile view, turned to his right and gazing into the distance with a thoughtful expression. He is dressed as a proper Edwardian gentleman in formal country wear: A textured tweed or wool suit jacket with visible weave pattern A white high-collared dress shirt with starched collar A patterned tie or cravat What appears to be a waistcoat (vest) visible beneath the jacket https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Elgar#/media/File:Edward_Elgar.jpg

Soon graduating into the public domain

Yale's 1905 commencement ceremonies included a honorary doctorate for British composer Edward Elgar, and a portion of his first "Pomp and Circumstance" march.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/30/s...

#music #publicDomainDayCountdown

So very cool! 😎 🎷🎶

#PublicDomainDayCountdown

Soon graduating into the public domain Yale’s 1905 commencement ceremonies included a honorary doctorate for British composer Edward Elgar, and a portion of his first “Pomp and Circumstance” march. It’s been a staple of graduation processions ever since. The full suite of five marches that Elgar … Continue reading →

12th Street Rag by Euday L. Bowman. Sheet music, early (first?) edition, 1915, published by J.W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co. The central image depicts a bustling urban street scene, likely representing 12th Street itself.It shows: A crowded sidewalk filled with people in early 1900s attire Men wearing bowler hats, straw boaters, and other period headwear Women in long dresses and elaborate hats typical of the 1910s A figure on the right wearing what appears to be striped pants or trousers Buildings with awnings and storefronts lining the street in the background The scene captures the energy and social atmosphere of a busy commercial district https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Street_Rag#/media/File:12thStreetRag1915.jpg

Two great blues musicians, and 2000 more records

By John Mark Ockerbloom

More than 2500 records from 1925 digitized by the UC Santa Barbara Library will soon be freely downloadable there.

Full list is available online:
www.library.ucsb.edu/1925-recordi...

#music #publicDomainDayCountdown

Original post on mastodon.social

Tintin's premiere was in my #PublicDomainDayCountdown last year, and while my blog series this year focuses on different series and artists, Sterling Dudley's account of how he found scans of the actual strips via the Wayback Machine is worth reading […]

Two great blues musicians, and 2000 more records David Seubert writes that more than 2500 records from 1925 digitized by the UC Santa Barbara Library will soon be freely downloadable there. A full listing of these recordings is online (though note that recordings made in 1925 but not … Continue reading →

Poster for the 1930 film Morocco. At bottom left is the Paramount logo, 1-B, 3050, and Country of origin USA. At bottom right is This poster leased from Paramount Publix Corp. and 44732. The poster features a beautifully rendered illustration in a painterly style showing two figures in an intimate, romantic composition. A man wearing a distinctive white kepi (French Foreign Legion cap) with a dark band and military uniform leans protectively over a woman with striking red/auburn wavy hair. The woman gazes directly at the viewer with a captivating expression, her porcelain skin and delicate features highlighted. The figures are portrayed against a soft, dreamy background with flowing white fabric or drapery suggested by loose brushstrokes in cream and blue tones, creating an exotic, desert atmosphere. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Morocco1930.jpg

Marlene Dietrich comes to America

Marlene Dietrich enjoyed success on stage and screen in 1920s Berlin. That year she came to the United States to star in Morocco alongside Gary Cooper.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/28/m...

#movie #publicDomainDayCountdown

Le Petit Vingtième, number 32 from 1934. At the top, the publication information reads "SUPPLÉMENT AU 'VINGTIÈME SIÈCLE' • JEUDI 9 AOÛT 1934 — N° 32" followed by the title "le petit vingtième" in a distinctive gothic/blackletter-style typeface on an aged, cream-colored background. The cover features a single-panel cartoon showing a young boy character in shorts standing on what appears to be a map. He has his arms outstretched in an animated pose. Behind/beneath the character is a simplified map showing parts of Europe and North Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Petit_Vingti%C3%A8me#/media/File:Le_Petit_Vingti%C3%A8me_number_32.jpg

Tintin, The Wayback Machine, and The Public Domain

by Sterling Dudley

What do a Belgian boy reporter, a forgotten 2008 webpage, and the Wayback Machine have in common?

blog.archive.org/2025/12/26/w...

#books #publicDomainDayCountdown

Marlene Dietrich comes to America Marlene Dietrich enjoyed success on stage and screen in 1920s Berlin, but became an international star in 1930. That year she came to the United States to star in Morocco alongside Gary Cooper. Her performance was nominated for an Academy … Continue reading →

The original version of Betty Boop. This is a black and white title card from an early Betty Boop cartoon, showing the character in her classic iconic form. The image is presented as a vintage film title card with an ornate, curved border frame typical of early 1930s animation. The word "FEATURING" appears at the top of the frame. Betty Boop is shown as a large head portrait in her fully developed human form (not her earlier dog-eared version). Her distinctive features include: An oversized round head with a very pale/white face Enormous round eyes with prominent pupils looking slightly to the side Long eyelashed A small, cupid's bow mouth with a dark circle in the center (her signature "boop-oop-a-doop" mouth) Large hoop earrings Her iconic hairstyle: short, curly black hair with distinctive spit curls on her forehead and a characteristic wavy black hair mass https://web.archive.org/web/20121022053053/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Betty-boop-opening-title.jpg

The cultural works becoming public domain in 2026, from Betty Boop to Nancy Drew

A new year means a new parade of classic characters and works entering the public domain.

By Rachel Treisman

www.npr.org/2025/12/26/n...

#books #comics #movies #publicDomainDayCountdown

Banned in Texas Struggle over academic freedom in Texas state universities has a long history. Today it’s often over race and gender; in the 1940s, it was over things like John Dos Passos’s USA trilogy. When the University of Texas Board of Regents … Continue reading →

Artistic Rendering of the Library of Alexandria, based on some archaeological evidence. The scene shows a grand interior space with impressive classical Egyptian-influenced architecture. A massive column dominates the center of the composition, featuring what appears to be a Hathor capital (a column top with the face of the goddess Hathor), characteristic of ancient Egyptian temple architecture. Several figures dressed in classical robes and togas are shown engaged in scholarly activities: In the foreground left, two or three figures are seated around a table, appearing to read or discuss texts together; In the center-right, a standing figure in robes appears to be studying or reading while standing near shelving; Another figure is seated on steps or a platform in the middle distance; A figure in the lower right foreground is bent over, possibly organizing or retrieving materials from lower storage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_libraries#/media/File:Ancientlibraryalex.jpg

In the public domain soon, in libraries now

The Penn Libraries, where I work, has first editions of many of the works featured in my #PublicDomainDayCountdown .

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/26/i...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown

O come, let all 4,850 of us adore him In 1925 the Associated Glee Clubs of America put on a concert like no other. 15 choral groups, with over 850 singers in all, came together in New York’s Metropolitan Opera House to sing a program broadcast on radio across … Continue reading →

Front cover of the dustjacket of the first edition of Once in a Lifetime (1930). The artwork shows a simplified, almost abstract human figure at the top with arms raised upward in a celebratory or theatrical gesture. The figure has a circular head with a simplified face. Below this figure is a series of concentric semi-circular arcs in blue, cream, and gray tones that suggest either a rainbow, theater curtains, or radiating energy. At the bottom of these arcs are simplified cloud or wave-like shapes, creating a layered, tiered effect. At the top of the cover, there's a quote from the New York Times praising the work as "a hard, swift satire, fantastic and deadly and full of highly charged comedy lines." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_in_a_Lifetime_(play)#/media/File:Once-in-a-lifetime.jpg

The debut of a dramatic duo

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/24/t...
More information about it:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_in...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown

The debut of a dramatic duo Moss Hart wrote the first draft of Once in a Lifetime, a comedy about Hollywood’s transition to “talkies”, as a 25-year-old unknown. Established playwright George S. Kaufman helped revise it into a Broadway hit. Steve Vineberg calls it the “the … Continue reading →

Cover of the book Fun With Dick and Jane by Zerna Sharp. The cover shows two young children, a boy and a girl, running hand in hand toward the viewer. They’re smiling and appear energetic and cheerful. The girl wears a short-sleeved pink dress with a patterned texture and matching shoes. Her hair is short and light-colored, styled neatly. The boy wears a light blue short-sleeved shirt, tan shorts, white socks, and dark shoes. His hair is neatly combed, and he looks confident and happy as he runs. They are framed inside a white oval set against a light blue background, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_and_Jane#/media/File:Dick_and_Jane.jpg

See Dick and Jane free

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/23/s...

More information about Dick and Jane:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_an...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown

See Dick and Jane free Given how much “Dick and Jane” have been used sardonically, one might think Zerna Sharp’s schoolbook characters were already public domain. But you can’t copyright names, expressive style, or stock situations, and fair use allows limited copying for purposes like … Continue reading →

Coleman Hawkins Body and Soul cover. The image is a minimalist jazz album cover. It features a black-and-white photograph of a saxophonist positioned toward the left side of the frame. He is shown from the chest up, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, tie, and a brimmed hat. He holds a tenor saxophone close to his face, with a contemplative expression, as if between phrases or mid-performance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_and_Soul_(1930_song)#/media/File:Coleman_Hawkins_Body_and_Soul_cover.jpg

An impressive body of work

Four writers get credit on the 1930 copyright registration for "Body and Soul": composer Johnny Green, and lyricists Robert Sour, Edward Heyman, and Frank Eyton.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/22/a...

#art #music #publicDomainDayCountdown

An impressive body of work Four writers get credit on the 1930 copyright registration for “Body and Soul”: composer Johnny Green, and lyricists Robert Sour, Edward Heyman, and Frank Eyton. But many more artists shaped the perennial jazz standard we know today. Among its more … Continue reading →

Cover of the 1930 novel Jews without Money by Michael Gold https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_without_Money#/media/File:Cover_of_the_1930_novel_Jews_without_Money_by_Michael_Gold.jpg

A controversial bestseller

Michael Gold's bestselling novel Jews Without Money depicts the plight of poor East European immigrants in New York.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/21/a...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_wi...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown

A controversial bestseller Michael Gold’s bestselling novel Jews Without Money depicts the plight of poor East European immigrants in New York. It resonated with readers in 1930 facing not-yet-fully-acknowledged impacts of the Depression. Gold hoped it would counter antisemitic propaganda, but many readers … Continue reading →

The debut of Disney’s distinctive dog design Norm Ferguson joined Disney’s animation team in 1929, and quickly had a major influence on the studio’s style. In The Chain Gang, the bloodhounds he designed to chase Mickey Mouse impressed Disney with their expressiveness. Ferguson went on to animate … Continue reading →

The ever transforming public domain The Internet Archive has multiple events in January for Public Domain Day, including a contest for film transformations of public domain works. Those works themselves often involved transformation. Four songs that joined the public domain in 2024 were written for … Continue reading →

Birds in hand HathiTrust has created a 1930 Publications Collection for Public Domain Day. It already has over 20,000 items opened, many by their Copyright Review Program, which finds works without copyright renewals. Over 50,000 more items will open in 14 days, including … Continue reading →

No soccer skills required Duke’s Center for the Public Domain has its Public Domain Day post out, listing many works joining the public domain in 2026, and explaining the complicated factual and legal determinations sometimes needed to verify their status. Among the listed artworks … Continue reading →

Public domain day 2026 montage. A collage celebrating Public Domain Day 2026, featuring iconic 1930 works entering the public domain: "All Quiet on the Western Front," Marx Brothers' "Animal Crackers," early Mickey Mouse cartoons, "The Little Engine That Could," "As I Lay Dying," Nancy Drew mysteries, "The Cat Who Went to Heaven," "King of Jazz," "The Maltese Falcon," Betty Boop cartoons, "I Got Rhythm," "The Murder at the Vicarage," "Dream a Little Dream of Me," "Ash Wednesday," Blondie comics, and "Morocco" starring Marlene Dietrich. https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/

Happy Public Domain Day 2026 (Jan. 1) from Duke Law School's Center for the Study of the Public Domain. To read more about the public domain

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh9f...

More information here:
web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicd...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown

A psychoanalyst’s desire for a saner world In Civilization and its Discontents, Sigmund Freud turned his psychoanalytic attention from the troubles of the individual to those of the world. The book, joining the US public domain in 16 days in both German and English, diagnoses inherent conflicts … Continue reading →