Browse our geographical and thematic galleries
Use keyword searches to locate specific images
Refine your search using our advanced search options
Create and manage your own light boxes for ongoing projects and orders
View and print enlarged, watermarked images for layout purposes
Order high resolution images online
Browse galleries
We have created geographical and thematic galleries representing the themes and geographical areas covered by our collections. All sixteen of these galleries can be accessed at any point during your visit to our site by clicking on the menu bar at the top of the page.
Our geographical browse galleries are based on world regions. We have identified these regions in order to present our images for browsing in an efficient and meaningful way. The Arctic Circle browse gallery includes images from northern Canada, Greenland, northern Scandinavia and northern Russia. The Middle East browse gallery includes images from the following countries in SW Asia and NE Africa: Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Sudan, and Libya.
Antarctica and Everest represent two of the most important parts of our collection. We hold thousands of images relating to British expeditions to these areas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Antarctic Collection and Everest Collection browse galleries offer a more structured approach to searching these subjects by organising these images into expedition sub-galleries.
Basic searched
You can carry out a simple free-text, keyword search by typing any word into the search box at the top left of the screen. The search will automatically search our entire online collection of photographs, maps, artefacts, artworks and archive documents. You can limit your search by using the collection and image type drop down menus beneath the search box.
Advanced search options
Effective searching is often the result of refining a search down from a general starting point. By clicking on the Show advanced search prompt in the search screen, you can limit or refine your search by specifying a date range, searching for images by a particular photographer or artist, or identifying a portrait subject.
Searches can be refined at any time during the course of your search. In order to refine your search from a search results screen, click the Refine search radio button then enter another keyword or use our advanced search options.
You can click on the blue, highlighted words within the enlarged view Image details to generate further searches based on those keywords.
Create an account with us
In order to benefit from the full functionality of the site, we recommend that you set up an account with us.
This will enable you to:
Create and manage light boxes allowing you to store a variety of image selections for future orders.
Order high resolution image files directly from your searches and lightboxes.
To create an account, click on the link on Create new account on the homepage and complete the registration form. Your username will be your email address and you will be asked to choose a password. Address details will be required should you with to place an image order.
Can't find what you need?
We are adding images to the site every day but currently only have a fraction of our vast collections online. We offer a picture research service (see Ordering Images) and encourage you, if time permits, to visit us yourself to explore our collections. Please contact us to discuss your picture research requirements further.