Abstract. In this paper we describe ImageCLEF1, the cross language image retrieval track of the Cross Language Evaluation Forum (CLEF3). We instigated and ran a pilot experiment in 2003 where participants submitted entries for an ad hoc bilingual image retrieval task on a collection of historic photographs from St. Andrews University Library. This was designed to simulate the situation in which users would express their search request in natural language but require visual documents in return. For 2004 we have extended the tasks to include a medical image retrieval task and a user-centred evaluation.