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Featured collections

  • Picturing High Streets Collection 

    A national collection of photographs documenting England’s high streets, taken by artists and members of the public in the early 2020s.

  • Harold Wingham Collection

    Described as “one of the unsung heroes” of aerial photography, Harold Wingham created photographs of outstanding quality and interest.

  • John Laing Photographic Collection

    The John Laing collection provides a unique insight into the origins of iconic British buildings and the human effort that went into building them.

Our staff picks

"The statue of Lion, the mastiff, and the stories of the funeral are why I chose this photograph. When Tom Sayers, Britain's last bare-knuckle champion, died in 1865 at the age of 39, his faithful dog Lion was 'chief mourner' at the funeral. The burial was reputedly attended by 10,000 people who behaved with 'irredeemable blackguardism, brutal levity, and barbaric ferocity'."

Selected by:

Abigail Coats, Cataloguing Officer

Explore recently catalogued photos
Explore recently catalogued photos

Our other collections

  • England's Places

    Discover photos of English cities, towns and villages from the Architectural Red Box Collection.

  • Aerial Photo Explorer

    Explore England's changing landscapes through historic aerial photography, showcasing the growth and transformations of urban and rural areas.

  • Over 9 million historical photos

    Details of our photography collections held in the public Historic England Archive.

Can't Find a Photo You Want?

Second World War aerial photography

A collection of fascinating aerial reconnaissance photographs taken during the Second World War by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) is accessible online through the Historic England Archive.

Gifts

Choose from framed prints of iconic landmarks, jigsaws that bring history to life, or books filled with architectural wonders.