| Science & Society Picture Library represents
the collections of the Science Museum, the National Railway Museum
and the National Media Museum - as
well as a variety of related collections
SSPL now has over 150 image collections from both within and outside
the museums' core collections. These contain over 70,000 online
records, including over 40,000 digital images.
Some of these fascinating image collections include:
SSPL holds a range of images documenting contemporary scientific practice
and research, including medical testing, DNA, cloning, energy and other key
areas.
An A-Z portrait index containing thousands of photographs, engravings
and paintings of significant figures from all areas of human endeavor,
including science, the media, industry, medicine, technology, sport
and politics.
The National Railway Museum houses the largest collection of railway
posters in the world. Commissioned by British Rail and its predecessors
from some of Europe's leading graphic artists, the posters advertise
destinations and rail services within Britain and abroad.
The picture library contains thousands of images taken from the
library's early illustrated books - including many rare books published
before 1800. They include images from original works by Copernicus,
Galileo and Isaac Newton - and many early illustrated books, such
as the famous accounts of voyages of discovery by Captain Cook,
Charles Darwin and others.
The collections of objects and images at the National Media Museum
document the history of photography,
film and television from the earliest days. The collections include
many impressive individual archives, including photographs by William
Henry Fox Talbot, Julia Margaret Cameron, Lewis Carroll and Francis
Frith. The archive of advertising photographer Zoltan Glass (1903
- 1982) contains thousands of unique pre-war German motor racing
images.
Once the busy working picture library of the Daily Herald newspaper,
this archive contains over three million pictures of a wide range
of subjects, both in Britain and abroad, c 1920 - 1964.
The thousands of paintings, prints and photographs contained within
the Science Museum's Pictorial Collection illustrate the origins
and development of science, industry and technology from the earliest
days to the present.
SSPL has the core collection of the picture library that once served
the Manchester Daily Express. It contains over 200,000 pictures
dating from the beginning of the 20th century to 1989 - particularly
good coverage of the 1960s to 1980s.
The vast collections of the Science Museum include some of the
most significant objects in the history of science, industry, medicine,
technology, media and transport in Britain and the world, including
many 'firsts'.
Documenting the origin and growth of the railways to the present
day, the collections of the National Railway Museum contain more
than a million negatives from official and private sources, along
with paintings, lithographs and engravings of important events
in railway history. Notable among the photographs are the 10,000
pictures (in colour and black & white) taken by the British
Transport Films Unit that document life and work in Britain from
the 1940s to the 1970s.
Photographic Advertising Limited was a major supplier of stock
images for commercial use from the 1930s to the 1950s. This archive
of around 10,000 photographs is an amazing record of the fashions
and attitudes of the era.
The archive comprises manuscripts, papers, photographs and drawings
connected with pioneers in the field of science, medicine, technology,
transport and industry. This unique and extensive collection also
includes letters from famous personalities such as Queen Victoria.
Kodak donated the entire contents of their museum to the National
Museum of Photography, Film & Television when it opened in
1976. This unique collection of cameras and other objects traces
the history of photography and film and also includes a superb
collection of over 10,000 photographs, illustrating a huge range
of subjects.
Science & Society Picture Library is the sole representative
of the work of the influential 1960s photographer Tony Ray-Jones
whose archive is now in the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television.
He quickly became famous for his highly individual and distinctive
style and particularly for capturing the unguarded moments of people
from all strata of society.
Science & Society Picture Library holds a large archive of
incredible images from the National Aeronautics & Space Administration,
USA. This collection includes all aspects of space and space exploration
(both manned and unmanned) from the 1950s to the present day.
SSPL contains many images that illustrate the workings of a busy
national museum. Subjects covered include children enjoying gallery
interactives, views of the museum's innovate galleries and displays,
museum staff at work together with the press events held.
To purchase any of these please contact the Science & Society
Picture Library on 020 7942 4400 or piclib@nmsi.ac.uk
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