About Us

The Photographic Collections Network is a Subject Specialist Network supported by Arts Council England, and The Art Fund. PCN aims to share best practice, knowledge and expertise, and to celebrate photo collections and photo archives across the UK. Our primary areas of activity are:

Advice, links and knowledge sharing: events such as collection visits, study days and seminars; networking and knowledge exchange with others through this website, events and by contacting us direct. We are happy to help with any queries. Please get in touch with photographic related questions or advice at info@photocollections.org.uk.

Research: we are currently working on research about digital collections, in particular how digital photography collections can be cared for and accessed in the long term and acquisitions of born-digital work, if you'd like to get involved in this research please get in touch at info@photocollections.org.uk

Collections Mapping: a central focus of the Photographic Collections Network is the Collections Mapping Project. The aim of this is to create an online map and directory of photographic collections across the UK. We hope that in developing this research we will create new links and connections between collections which may not be aware of each other’s work. Please register your collection here (you need to be logged in).

Membership Organisation: Membership of the Photographic Collections Network is open to anyone with a working relationship with a photographic archive or collection, big or small, old or new. Members receive access to: news and opportunities, an advice forum, a newsletter, and specialist members’ events across the UK.

We are funded by Arts Council England and Art Fund. Our steering group is made up of colleagues from The Royal Photographic Society, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The National Science and Media Museum, Photography and the Archive Research Centre and Redeye along with Professor Francis Hodgson.

Who we are:
PCN Manager: Debbie Cooper

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

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