The PPHP has been recognised by the British Library as a useful resource.
The PPHP regular helps academics and authors researching the press photography industry and intends to provide press photography history resources for schools.
The PPHP answers copyright enquires and re-connects photographers and ex-photo agency staff weekly.
The PPHP is able to reach a vast photo industry knowledge base worldwide through commercial photo agencies, private photo collectors, working and retired press photographers and the industry in general.
The PPHP has become the go-to resource for everything to do with the history of press photography and copyright searches.
Contact: Will Carleton – UK mobile: 07802437827 [email protected]
For copyright and photo agency searches: please visit the Photo services page
Post: 9A Forge Lane, Headcorn, Kent, TN27 9QG
About: The Press Photo History Project aims to record every news photographer and photographic agency operating in the UK from 1904 – to the present. The project also aims to explore the working relationship between photographs and newspapers and daily life working in a photo agency.
The project was started by Will Carleton to answer requests for ‘lost’ photographers and agencies while running the photo licensing industry news site PhotoArchiveNews.com
We are currently recording the photographers and agencies of Fleet Street In particular we are collecting information, names, places and dates relating to the workings of photo press agencies and newspaper photo departments through written memories and images. You can read a few of these here:
• Alan Leonard remembers his times at Central Press Photo agency 1978-1980 …and the Cheshire Cheese!
• Alfred Robinson – Over 40 years staff at London News Agency Photos 1908 – 1959
• Remembering Fleet Street: Bruce-Miles – The Times Picture department 1950s
• A day in the life of a Fleet Street photo press agency 1960’s
• Identified: Central Press lunch break 1965/70 – Photos
• Central Press photo agency staff ‘incredible reunion’ after 45 years
• Peter Smith – My life in Fleet Street
• Jeff Wright – my time as a press photographer – 1960’s / 70’s
As part of an ongoing project at our sister site Photo Archive News we have been mapping the photo agencies and photographers who worked in and around Fleet Street. This site is a product of this ongoing research. We aim to produce a ‘family tree’ to include dates, names and ‘where-are-they-now’ information to preserve and highlight the press photography industry – from the beginning. This information will be used to help find original owners of content and provide an educational resource centered on the history of press photography in the UK.
Some agencies and press photographers are still located close to the famous street, but most collections have been sold into larger companies or have just disappeared.
Photo Archive News has already been involved in reuniting press photographers with their photographs particularly where a photographer was a staff photographer working for a fleet street photo agency. We have mapped the path of many newspaper photo libraries, many of them having been split between various owners over the years. Many sections of the photographic archives of newspapers and agencies are still lost or, in one case we know about, buried under tonnes of concrete!
Work is underway at the British Museum manually recording the early photographic agencies from various press directories at the time.
If you would like to contribute to the project or have any questions or finds for the Press Photo History Project please call Will Carleton on mobile 07802 437827 or email: [email protected]
I am based in Kent and often in London
Will Carleton
UK: Mobile 07802 437827
[email protected]