Collections

The Photographic Collection

Photograph of King George on the footplate of 'Winsdor Castle' 1924
King George tries his hand at driving Great Western Railway No. 4082 'Winsdor Castle' on a visit to Swindon Works on 28 April 1924. Beside him are Queen Mary, the Chairman of the GWR, the General Manager and the Chief Mechanical Engineer.
NRM 1156/854

The photographic collection comprises some 1.4 million images, representing a major resource not only for the study of railway history and technology, but also the cultural and social changes sparked by the transport revolution. The photographs originate from two main sources, the railway companies and the private enthusiast. Although dominated by locomotives and rolling stock, the subject range is extensive and sometimes surprising, encompassing many aspects of railway manufacture and operations. Official photographs, for example, include views of railway construction, stations, goods depots, docks, shipping and even scenic views taken to encourage passengers to use the railway. The work of private photographers includes many fine action views and some striking images of railways in the landscape.

The Photographic archive, which contains images dating from the 1850s to the present day, is ordered by the individual collection. Official company photographs are generally listed in the original photographers' registers, while notebooks and catalogues document the work of many private photographers. A small number of private collections include the photographers' own albums, which in themselves provide a valuable key to their content. Many images have also been listed by curators and volunteers, but access to certain collections is limited by a lack of suitable finding aids. For conservation reasons access to original negatives is permitted in exceptional circumstances only.

9F 2-10-0 No. 92204 at high speed.

British Railways 9F 2-10-0 No. 92204 captured at high speed south of Birmingham, September 1964.
TEW 10057

Reference prints are available for inspection on request in the Research Centre but of necessity these represent only a proportion of the photographs held. The NRM however, is committed to making all of its photographs publicly available, and curators and volunteers are continually updating catalogues and listings. The museum has also initiated a pilot digital imaging project.

If you would like to reproduce any of our images in your publication, on your web site or elsewhere, please contact the Science & Society Picture Library ( SSPL) for permission. SSPL is the picture library of the National Museum of Science & Industry and also represents the images of our two sister museums - the Science Museum in London and the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television in Bradford. SSPL charge a sliding scale of fees based on the type of use. Please contact SSPL directly for a quote. 

All media requests and enquiries concerning colour prints or reproduction quality transparencies are dealt with by our colleagues at the Science & Society Picture Library.

Prints of images from the NRM collections may be ordered for private study or research, provided there are no copyright restrictions. Enlargements can be made from the original negatives up to 12 x 10 ins, but for larger sizes only contact prints can be produced. Order forms and a scale of charges are available on request.  A Guide to NRM Photographic Collections, is available for consultation in the Research Centre and may be purchased from the museum, together with 'Railways in Focus - Photographs from the National Railway Museum' , by Ed Bartholomew and Michael Blakemore, was published by Atlantic Transport Publishing in 1998 ( ISBN 0-906899-91-5) and features over 200 photographs from the NRM collections. It is available from the Museum shop and most good bookshops. Purchase a copy from amazon.co.uk