FAQs
What is the Photographic Archive?
Our photographic archive is a collection of reference photographs and images of British paintings, decorative schemes, sculpture, drawings, and prints. Between 1964 and 2013 our staff routinely photographed works of art in private collections, sale rooms, and exhibitions. Our photographic librarians also collected images from third-party suppliers, and cut images from sale catalogues, or other sources. Our photographic archive staff then mounted the images on card, typing out descriptive information about each work of art, its attribution, exhibition history, and its provenance.
Over 100,000 works of art dating from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries were documented in this way by the PMC. The collection has been an invaluable resource for scholars, providing the opportunity to collate, compare and contrast works in our public study room.
Our images and their descriptions have in many cases provided the foundation from which catalogues raisonnés have been produced, including those on the artists Joshua Reynolds, George Romney and Thomas Gainsborough. These texts have established British art and architecture as a rigorous and scholarly field of study and have also stimulated wider public interest.
Why have we Digitised?
Some of our oldest images are the most frequently consulted materials in our public study room. It is no wonder that after decades of physical handling the objects have started to show some signs of wear and tear. The creation of a digital facsimile of every object will contribute to the continuity of access to the content, as well as to the preservation of the original materials, by reducing the risk of damage incurred through handling. This will extend their longevity and historical value.
We also recognise that the way archival resources are found and accessed is changing, as are the expectations of our users with an increasing demand for digital resources. Interest in British art is also growing worldwide and we want to be able to provide access to our research collections to researchers who are unable to travel to London, or are perhaps completely new to the field.
What has been Digitised?
We have carefully created a digital image of the front and back of every object in our photographic archive collection. This has resulted in the production of over 220,000 digital files, each taken at a high resolution following recommendations for best practice.
We have also transcribed the historical data that was collated by our photographic archive staff so that it can be searched effectively. This metadata is released with a Creative Commons Public Domain licence, meaning that we will waive all rights in relation to the use and manipulation of that information: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/
What Will Users be Able to Do With the Digital Images?
You are able to view and download the digital versions of our photographic archive collection for personal research. Further use is determined by the source of the image and any restrictions imposed by its supplier.
We have indicated the permitted uses of each image using a Creative Commons or Rights Statement licence, which is visible on each object record. Check our Rights and Reproductions policy for more information.
Where Do the Descriptions of the Objects Come From?
The historical data describing the work of art illustrated in each photograph was collected from existing literature, archival sources and experts in the field. Between 1963 and 2013 the data was added to, corrected, and amended as further information came to light. The data is valuable as a historiography of British art historical practice, and as such we have presented it unaltered on this digital platform.
Can I Contribute Other Images to the Photographic Archive?
The only images that will be added to the photographic archive in future will be those created by the PMC in the course of its everyday business; for example, images of works photographed by the Centre as part of our publications programme. At present there are no plans to add images from external sources.
How Has the PMC Credited Photograph Suppliers?
Our default accreditation for photograph suppliers will be the name of the organisation as it existed at the time of accession. If you have any queries about this, please contact: photoarchive@paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk.
