Free access for launch of FindMyPast Photo Collection

Findmypast has announced the launch of a new collection in partnership with newspaper and magazine publisher Reach plc.

Digitised and published online for the first time as a complete standalone collection into mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, the FindMyPast Photo collection is made up of more than 10,000 original images from Reach’s archives.

Two workers in Hamilton Robb Ltd's Portadown
linen weaving factory in 1929. Image © Mirrorpix/Reach

This vast archive of press photography dates from 1904 to 2000 and is one of most significant photographic records of British history in the world. This first instalment consists of more than 8,000 original images from press photographers who documented the 1939-45 conflict at home and overseas for nine national and regional titles including the Daily Mirror, the Scottish Daily Record, and Manchester Evening News.

Many of these images have never before been published, providing new opportunities for researhers to explore how their families and communities experienced the war. Original image descriptions created by the photographers still survive and much of this information has been indexed and made fully searchable on Findmypast. Researchers can search the collection of images by keyword, date, and location as well as by category eg Armed forces, World War 2, Evacuees, Home Front, Sport, Life Events, Work or Schools.

Following today's release of wartime photos, the collection will continue to grow as Findmypast and Reach publish additional material covering a wide variety of dates, locations and themes. In time, the Findmypast Photo collection will expand in scope and scale to include millions of images covering all aspects of British life ranging from sports, education, places of work and daily life to politics, national and local events.

To celebrate the launch, the new collection will be free to access until noon (British Summer Time) on Friday 15 May. Click the link above to learn more.