Study: People Can Recognize 10,000 Pictures
Learning 10000 pictures (1973) [pdf]
In a classic 1973 experiment, Lionel Standing tested memory capacity for pictures and words. Subjects viewed up to 10,000 images and later recognized them with remarkable accuracy. The findings showed that picture memory follows a power law and is nearly limitless, far surpassing verbal memory. Even with 10,000 pictures, retention remained high, suggesting an almost boundless capacity for visual information.
The capacity of recognition memory for pictures is almost limitless, when measured under appropriate conditions.