diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6d236c25..73b19079 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -62,3 +62,4 @@ Installation
 
 1. Set `NEXT_PUBLIC_HIDE_REPO_LINK = 1` to remove footer link to repo
 2. Set `NEXT_PUBLIC_PRO_MODE = 1` to enable higher quality image storage
+3. Set `NEXT_PUBLIC_PUBLIC_API = 1` to enable a public API available at `/api`
diff --git a/src/app/api/route.ts b/src/app/api/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5573b5e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/api/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { getPhotosCached } from '@/cache';
+import { parsePhotoForApi } from '@/photo';
+import {
+  BASE_URL,
+  PUBLIC_API_ENABLED,
+  SITE_TITLE,
+} from '@/site/config';
+
+const API_PHOTO_LIMIT = 20;
+
+export async function GET() {
+  if (PUBLIC_API_ENABLED) {
+    const photos = await getPhotosCached({ limit: API_PHOTO_LIMIT });
+    return Response.json({
+      meta: {
+        title: SITE_TITLE,
+        url: BASE_URL,
+      },
+      photos: photos.map(parsePhotoForApi),
+    });
+  } else {
+    return Response.json({ message: 'API is disabled' });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/photo/actions.ts b/src/photo/actions.ts
index ed6e071f..0034fe19 100644
--- a/src/photo/actions.ts
+++ b/src/photo/actions.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
   revalidateBlobKey,
   revalidatePhotosKey,
 } from '@/cache';
-import { IS_PRO_MODE } from '@/site/config';
+import { PRO_MODE_ENABLED } from '@/site/config';
 import { getNextImageUrlForRequest } from '@/utility/image';
 import { PATH_ADMIN_PHOTOS, PATH_ADMIN_TAGS } from '@/site/paths';
 
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ export async function createPhotoAction(formData: FormData) {
   const updatedUrl = await convertUploadToPhoto(
     photo.url,
     photo.id,
-    !IS_PRO_MODE
+    !PRO_MODE_ENABLED
       ? getNextImageUrlForRequest(photo.url, 3840, 90, requestOrigin)
       : undefined,
-    !IS_PRO_MODE ? 'webp' : undefined,
+    !PRO_MODE_ENABLED ? 'webp' : undefined,
   );
 
   if (updatedUrl) { photo.url = updatedUrl; }
diff --git a/src/photo/index.ts b/src/photo/index.ts
index a6ee8910..d22cfbfd 100644
--- a/src/photo/index.ts
+++ b/src/photo/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-import { ABSOLUTE_PATH_FOR_HOME_IMAGE } from '@/site/paths';
+import {
+  ABSOLUTE_PATH_FOR_HOME_IMAGE,
+  absolutePathForPhoto,
+} from '@/site/paths';
 import { formatDateFromPostgresString } from '@/utility/date';
 import {
   formatAperture,
@@ -7,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   formatExposureTime,
   formatFocalLength,
 } from '@/utility/exif';
+import { getNextImageUrlForRequest } from '@/utility/image';
 import camelcaseKeys from 'camelcase-keys';
 import type { Metadata } from 'next';
 
@@ -86,6 +90,21 @@ export const parsePhotoFromDb = (photoDbRaw: PhotoDb): Photo => {
   };
 };
 
+export const parsePhotoForApi = (photo: Photo) => ({
+  id: photo.id,
+  title: photo.title,
+  url: absolutePathForPhoto(photo),
+  ...photo.make && { make: photo.make },
+  ...photo.model && { model: photo.model },
+  ...photo.tags.length > 0 && { tags: photo.tags },
+  takenAtNaive: formatDateFromPostgresString(photo.takenAtNaive),
+  src: {
+    small: getNextImageUrlForRequest(photo.url, 200),
+    medium: getNextImageUrlForRequest(photo.url, 640),
+    large: getNextImageUrlForRequest(photo.url, 1200),
+  },
+});
+
 export const parseCachedPhotoDates = (photo: Photo) => ({
   ...photo,
   takenAt: new Date(photo.takenAt),
diff --git a/src/site/SiteChecklistClient.tsx b/src/site/SiteChecklistClient.tsx
index 1609a894..6487380d 100644
--- a/src/site/SiteChecklistClient.tsx
+++ b/src/site/SiteChecklistClient.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ export default function SiteChecklistClient({
   hasTitle,
   hasDomain,
   showRepoLink,
-  isProMode,
+  isProModeEnabled,
+  isPublicApiEnabled,
   showRefreshButton,
   secret,
 }: {
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ export default function SiteChecklistClient({
   hasTitle: boolean
   hasDomain: boolean
   showRepoLink: boolean
-  isProMode: boolean
+  isProModeEnabled: boolean
+  isPublicApiEnabled: boolean
   showRefreshButton?: boolean
   secret: string
 }) {
@@ -219,7 +221,7 @@ export default function SiteChecklistClient({
         </ChecklistRow>
         <ChecklistRow
           title="Pro Mode"
-          status={isProMode}
+          status={isProModeEnabled}
           isPending={isPendingPage}
           optional
         >
@@ -227,6 +229,16 @@ export default function SiteChecklistClient({
           higher quality image storage:
           {renderEnvVars(['NEXT_PUBLIC_PRO_MODE'])}
         </ChecklistRow>
+        <ChecklistRow
+          title="Public API"
+          status={isPublicApiEnabled}
+          isPending={isPendingPage}
+          optional
+        >
+          Set environment variable to {'"1"'} to enable
+          a public API available at <code>/api</code>:
+          {renderEnvVars(['NEXT_PUBLIC_PUBLIC_API'])}
+        </ChecklistRow>
       </Checklist>
       {showRefreshButton &&
         <div className="py-4 space-y-4">
diff --git a/src/site/config.ts b/src/site/config.ts
index 6652f7c1..5f66d86d 100644
--- a/src/site/config.ts
+++ b/src/site/config.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ export const BASE_URL = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production'
   : 'http://localhost:3000';
 
 export const SHOW_REPO_LINK = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_HIDE_REPO_LINK !== '1';
-export const IS_PRO_MODE = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PRO_MODE === '1';
+export const PRO_MODE_ENABLED = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PRO_MODE === '1';
+export const PUBLIC_API_ENABLED = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PUBLIC_API === '1';
 
 export const CONFIG_CHECKLIST_STATUS = {
   hasPostgres: (process.env.POSTGRES_HOST ?? '').length > 0,
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ export const CONFIG_CHECKLIST_STATUS = {
   hasTitle: (process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_TITLE ?? '').length > 0,
   hasDomain: (process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_DOMAIN ?? '').length > 0,
   showRepoLink: SHOW_REPO_LINK,
-  isProMode: IS_PRO_MODE,
+  isProModeEnabled: PRO_MODE_ENABLED,
+  isPublicApiEnabled: PUBLIC_API_ENABLED,
 };
 
 export const IS_CHECKLIST_COMPLETE =