What does BIP & F.O. on a press print caption stand for?

By Will Carleton March 18, 2011 March 31st, 2011 Will Carleton

A PPHP reader has a question:
“Can anybody help. What does BIP stand for? Is it an early version of ROTA? What does F.O. stand for or is it just a weary caption writer venting his feelings?”

Answer from Sarah at the Hulton Getty Archive:
“FO means Foreign Only for material that was embargoed in UK.
BIP is British International Photo at 176 Fleet Street EC4 c.1940 but don’t have any more info on them… (the rota one is BIPPA)”

Why is it important?

At the turn of the 20th century, there was vast growth in press agencies and photographers due to the massive thirst for images in newspapers. Many are still in existence but others have been sold, absorbed or simply disappeared, effectively leaving gaps in the history of this industry… many agency offices were bombed during the WWII London Blitz resulting negative and print files being water damage from the hoses quenching the fires …most archives were in the building basements.

What does BIP & F.O. on a press print caption stand for?

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