The Aerofilms Collection
English Heritage, in partnership with the Royal Commissions on the Ancient
and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Wales, has acquired the Aerofilms
Collection of historical air photographs from Blom ASA. The purchase was
made possible by generous financial support from English Heritage’s donors
and supporters, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Friends of
National Libraries.
The collection of over 800 000 images is the best and most significant
body of oblique aerial photography of the UK remaining in private hands.
Dating from 1919 to 2006, it presents an unparalleled picture of the
changing face of Britain in the twentieth-century. In addition to
Aerofilms’ own imagery, the firm expanded its holdings with the purchase
of two smaller collections – AeroPictorial (1934-1960) and Airviews (1947-
1991).
The prints, negatives and associated documentation have now been
transferred to specialist archival storage while plans are made for
comprehensive conservation, cataloguing and digitisation of the
collection. Enquiries about the project should be directed to the
Aerofilms Collection Project Manager, Katy Whitaker (T: 01793 414495,
[log in to unmask]) and information about current
access levels is available at http://www.english-
heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.8402
Archive repositories, local studies libraries, museums, HERs and similar
institutions who may have copies of oblique air photographs from the
Aerofilms Collection can now make use of them without reference to Blom
ASA.
This policy covers oblique aerial photographs taken by Aerofilms,
AeroPictorial and Airviews and marked as the copyright of those
companies. In the note below this is described as “Aerofilms material”.
1) Any requests for publication, reproduction or web mounting of Aerofilms
material should be referred to:
• for photographs of England and non-British areas: NMR Enquiry and
Research Services, English Heritage
• for photographs of Scotland: RCAHMS
• for photographs of Wales: RCAHMW
(See end for full contact details).
2) Any request for a photographic print or a scan of Aerofilms material
should be referred to NMR Enquiry and Research Services, English Heritage,
whatever the subject of the photograph (see end for contact details).
3) Archives, libraries and other repositories can provide photocopies to
users for their private use and research, provided that the copy is marked
with the appropriate copyright statement:
• for photographs of England and non-British areas: “© English
Heritage. NMR. Aerofilms Collection”
• for photographs of Scotland: © Crown copyright. RCAHMS. Aerofilms
Collection”
• for photographs of Wales: © Crown copyright. RCAHMW. Aerofilms
Collection”
4) Where repositories have policies which allow the use of cameras by
researchers we will permit Aerofilms material to be copied, provided that
researchers have signed an acknowledgement that their photography is
solely for the their own private use and research and may not be published
or used commercially.
Full contact details:
NMR Enquiry and Research Services
English Heritage
Kemble Drive
SWINDON
Wiltshire
SN2 2GZ
T: 01793 414600
E: [log in to unmask]
RCAHMS
John Sinclair House
16 Bernard Terrace
EDINBURHG
EH8 9NX
T: 0131 662 1456
E: [log in to unmask]
RCAHMW
Plas Crug
ABERYSTWYTH
Ceredigion
SY23 1NJ
T: 01970 621200
E: [log in to unmask]
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