Time Inc. and Getty Images partnered to launch LIFE.com, a website that, put simply, tries serving what the tagline promises: "Your world in pictures."

"Only three percent of the LIFE archive has been seen by the public," says LIFE.com editor Bill Shapiro. "This site will put everything on display."

The photo collection draws primarily from Getty photographers and archived images from LIFE magazine, a property of Time Inc, from the 1930s to the 1990s. Over 3000 new pictures will be uploaded daily from Getty alone.

Tapping into the online space's need for a refined image search engine, Andy Blau of Time — who will serve as CEO of LIFE.com — suggested that improving image search would be a priority of the site, whose database would otherwise be too unwieldy to navigate.

"Image search is the fastest-growing type of online search, and LIFE.com will satisfy the public's desire for quality and relevant imagery through a visually pleasing and easy-to-browse website," Blau promised. At outset, Getty's current search technology will power the back-end.

Time Inc. and Getty will maintain joint ownership of LIFE.com, which launches in 2009. Catherine Gluckstein of iStockphoto, a Getty property, shall serve as CFO.