Historical photographs to brighten up your virtual meetings

So many of us are staying home right now to flatten the curve of COVID-19 or, if we're going to an office, we're confined to our offices or workstations. While sharing cameo appearances of cute pets and kids may be part of the fun, not everyone wants to share their private spaces with strangers. Or maybe they've just shared them a few too many times.

Instead of moving to a different room, what if you could be sitting in front of an iconic Sonoma County scene selected from the Library's historical photograph collections? We present images adapted from our digital collections, selected to make your next meeting more interesting or add some pizzazz to your next distanced party. 

Choose your preferred size, then find the download button below the image and choose .png or .jpg. When in Zoom, turn on the Virtual Background feature by clicking the arrow in the bottom left corner of your window and select "choose a virtual background." Pick your new downloaded choice and find yourself in Sonoma County history! (Hint: logo will be reversed if video is set to "Mirror" -- other viewers will see it normally)

Until you can see your colleagues, relatives, and friends again in person, enjoy this little bit of Sonoma County history.

Discover Your Own Historical Photo Background

The Library's Digital Collections contain countless options, offering a vast variety of historical images for download. Just save your favorites and choose your own historical flair to your meeting.

A gentle reminder: Except where noted, images are copyrighted and are offered here for personal use only.