Searching Google for images is quick and easy. The problem is that that the descriptions for them are often unreliable or incomplete. But libraries and museums often digitize materials and provide accurate information. There are many options out there, but a few that might be useful for historical costume research are:
The library subscribes to a lot of resources that have what would be considered primary source visual information - newspapers like the NY Times going back to 1851 and ArtStor. This is a selective list of them.
Explore primary sources from from libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies around the world including artworks, photographs, publications, and other artifacts.
Includes images and descriptive data related to the iconography of works of art produced between late Antiquity and the sixteenth century. Although the Index of Medieval Art was formerly known as the Index of Christian Art, it now includes secular subjects as well as a growing number of subjects from medieval Jewish and Islamic culture.
This video demonstrates how to use free primary source search tool Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).
The Digital Public Library of America strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science. Contains materials from all the UW System Digital Collections, Recollection Wisconsin, the National Archives and Records Administration, University of California System, the Smithsonian, and the New York Public Library.
This video demonstrates how to search for digitized primary using Google and where to find UWM Libraries digital collections and primary source databases.