Conditions of use

What are the conditions or terms of use for these photos...

The photos are privately owned and the usage of each image is controlled and always has been. When photos were taken the copyright sat with the business taking the photo - not the owner of the print (the customer). Where images have been sold there is a restriction placed on the use of the image, that restriction may vary, but generally the image is only for the use in its sold form (a print), for the personal enjoyment of the customer.

This means that the prints can be hung up and admired, they could be given as a gift to someone, but there is no permission for copies to be made, or for the image to be exploited in any way, commercially or otherwise. In other words the image doesn't belong to the customer, but to the business, and now the collection.

Can I use the photos I find on this website?

The photos on this website are reduced, watermarked, thumbnails from the original scans. They are presented for online viewing only, in other words, please do not copy them at all. Think of them like a catalogue or shop - if you are on a website belonging to a supermarket they show you photos so you understand visually what they are showing you, but the photo is not the real thing! With this collection, the photos have been scanned at high quality, whereas the online versions are reduced in size and in quality - in addition, you will notice a very flamboyant watermark covering most of the photo.

So how do I get a copy of the photo I am interested in?

Simply contact us. We have master copies at high resolution of all the photos which have been scanned (they are not online). In addition we can find and scan any image in the collection which has not yet been scanned.

What can I then do with these photos you supply?

What you can use them for will vary and we will talk to each interested person to ensure that the release document you receive with the photo matches your needs. Generally photos are supplied for personal restricted use much like the original photos - a print will be supplied using archival papers and inks to ensure longevity and that is the limit of use, it can not be copied or used in any other way. If you wish to use the image commercially, or for research / documentaries / etc. then an appropriate licence will be issued. We work on an inclusion basis - i.e. we specifically include each use in a licence. If you have no licence, or a use is not specifically included then as a default you do not have permission to use the photo for that purpose. If you have any questions, do please contact us as we are keen to ensure that we protect our IP as the future conservation of the collection depends on being able to commercially exploit the photos.

I assume that there must be a cost involved?

Yes there is. While passionate supporters of the movement of recent years of widening access to archives and historical information, we are not in a position to do that free of charge. The collection is privately owned and there is a lot we need to do in terms of archiving, protecting andpreserving the glass plates. All of this costs money and there is no-one else to pay for it, no grants, tax-payers money etc. To buy a print of any photo there is an applicable table of charges. To have the right to use the photo in any other way, for any commercial purpose, print etc. then please contact us for more details of costs.