NMR News

Aerofilms Collection Wembley Stadium, 1935 ©English Heritage. NMR 

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, katy.whitaker@english-heritage.org.uk). 

Cold War Collection

A new collection of over a thousand photographs showing military and civilian installations from the Cold War period has been added to Viewfinder.  The collection shows civil defence sites, aircraft bases, underground bunkers and much more and is a superb resource for those interested in this pivotal period of history.