Images created by one or more image acquisition devices are initially stored in remote data bases at one or more remote or satellite locations and copies of the images are subsequently transferred to a central server at a central storage location over a network and stored in a central data base. A common catalog listing local image files stored at the central data base and remote image files stored at one or more remote data bases is stored at the central location and is accessed by users to search for images. User requests for images associated with local image files result in transfer of the requested images by the central server to the user. User requests for images associated with remote image files are relayed by the central server to the associated remote location, and the requested images are then relayed to the user from the remote location via the central server.