About Us

The Photographic Collections Network was a Subject Specialist Network supported by Arts Council England, and The Art Fund. PCN aimed to share best practice, knowledge and expertise, and to celebrate photo collections and photo archives across the UK. Primary areas of activity were:

Advice, links and knowledge sharing: events such as collection visits, study days and seminars; networking and knowledge exchange with others through this website, 1-2-1 advice and events.

Research: Digitisation of Collections and Digital Collections, in particular how digital photography collections can be cared for and accessed in the long term, and acquisitions of born-digital work. Access to Collections: how photo collections more accessible and inclusive.

Collections Mapping: a central focus of the Photographic Collections Network was the Collections Mapping Project. The aim of this was to create an online map and directory of photographic collections across the UK. As part of that work we had collection visits, featured collections and uploaded collections from PCN members. You can find some of that work here: https://www.photocollections.org.uk/collections

PCN was a Membership Organisation, which was open to anyone with a working relationship with a photographic archive or collection, big or small, old or new. Members received access to: news and opportunities, an advice forum, a newsletter, and specialist members’ events across the UK. 

Thanks to funding from Arts Council England and Art Fund we ran free online and inperson events to support the photo heritage sector.

Who we were:
PCN Manager: Debbie Cooper

Steering Group: Geoff Belknap, National Museums Scotland. Tamsin Silvey, Historic England.  Michael Pritchard, RPS. Brigitte Lardinois, UAL.  Leanne Manfredi, V&A. Martin Barnes, V&A.

Advisors:
PCN was developed with support from: Pete James, Johanna Mannerfelt Empson, Maura McKee, Iona Griliopoulos, Steve Slack, Helen Trompeteler, Tamsin Silvey