diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 27eecc6..03c1efa 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -92,3 +92,7 @@ jdav_web/db.sqlite3
 
 # django database migrations
 */*/migrations/*
+
+# test images for file upload
+*.jpeg
+*.png
diff --git a/jdav_web/jdav_web/settings.py b/jdav_web/jdav_web/settings.py
index 369bb5f..05cd2ed 100644
--- a/jdav_web/jdav_web/settings.py
+++ b/jdav_web/jdav_web/settings.py
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ DEBUG = True
 
 ALLOWED_HOSTS = []
 
+# Define media paths e.g. for image storage
+MEDIA_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'media')
+MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
 
 # Application definition
 
diff --git a/jdav_web/jdav_web/urls.py b/jdav_web/jdav_web/urls.py
index ec57265..804c2c8 100644
--- a/jdav_web/jdav_web/urls.py
+++ b/jdav_web/jdav_web/urls.py
@@ -15,8 +15,12 @@ Including another URLconf
 """
 from django.conf.urls import url, include
 from django.contrib import admin
+from django.conf.urls.static import static
+from django.conf import settings
 
 urlpatterns = [
     url(r'^admin/', admin.site.urls),
-    url(r'^$', include('startpage.urls'))
-]
+    url(r'^$', include('startpage.urls')),
+] + static(settings.MEDIA_URL, document_root=settings.MEDIA_ROOT)
+# TODO: django serving from MEDIA_URL should be disabled in production stage
+# see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5871730/need-a-minimal-django-file-upload-example
diff --git a/jdav_web/material/admin.py b/jdav_web/material/admin.py
index 97518a9..293804d 100644
--- a/jdav_web/material/admin.py
+++ b/jdav_web/material/admin.py
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ class OwnershipInline(admin.StackedInline):
 
 class MaterialAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     """Edit view of a MaterialPart"""
-    fields = ['name', 'buy_date', 'lifetime']
-    list_display = ('name', 'buy_date', 'lifetime', 'not_too_old')
+    fields = ['name', 'buy_date', 'lifetime', 'photo']
+    list_display = ('name', 'buy_date', 'lifetime', 'not_too_old', 'photo')
     inlines = [OwnershipInline]
 
 admin.site.register(MaterialPart, MaterialAdmin)
diff --git a/jdav_web/material/models.py b/jdav_web/material/models.py
index 3a4709e..c32d3dd 100644
--- a/jdav_web/material/models.py
+++ b/jdav_web/material/models.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 
+from decimal import Decimal
 from django.db import models
 from django.utils import timezone
 
@@ -15,7 +16,9 @@ class MaterialPart(models.Model):
     """
     name = models.CharField(max_length=30)
     buy_date = models.DateField('purchase date', editable=True)
-    lifetime = models.DecimalField('lifetime (years)', decimal_places=0, max_digits=3)
+    lifetime = models.DecimalField('lifetime (years)', decimal_places=0,
+            max_digits=3)
+    photo = models.ImageField('photo', upload_to='images', blank=True)
 
     def __str__(self):
         """String representation"""