Lancashire Record Office - Taking your own photographs for private study

Please follow these guidelines if you would like to use your own equipment in the Lancashire Record Office searchroom to take photographs for private study purposes only. Please remember that our main concern is to ensure the security and long-term preservation of the archive collections. Archive conservation staff will advise where appropriate.

You may normally ask to take photographs up to half an hour before closing time but there may be restrictions on copying certain material between 1200 and 1400

1. Check that it is OK to photograph the material
   There is a list at the front of each catalogue binder indicating whether or not collections may be photographed.
   In general terms you may not photograph
   • Fragile material
   • Multi-membrane documents and tightly rolled material
   • Closed/not fully open material
   • Anything for which we have a microform copy

   There are also restrictions on photography in some privately-owned collections *

   • DDBB – Blundell of Halsall
   • DDBL – Blundell of Blundell (certain items)
   • DDKE - Kenyon of Peel

   If you want to photograph something for which we do not have permission, or want to publish or exhibit an image you have taken please ask staff for advice.

2. Complete a purple Photography Request form
   for the records you want to photograph. Complete the Copyright declaration and hand the form to the person at the Information Point together with the £5 photography fee. You can add other items to this list throughout the day

3. Turn off any flash and sound features on your equipment
   This is disturbing to other users and is simply not allowed

4. Take your photographs in the designated photography area only
   There is space for three people to take photographs at the same time. If you need to use a copy stand or tripod it may not be possible for you to take photographs in the searchroom. You may however book the lecture room or small meeting room.

This facility was introduced in 2007 following requests from users. It is regularly reviewed to ensure the safety of the documents and to accommodate user needs. Please let us know what you think about it. You can use the back of this sheet for comments and hand it to a member of staff or put it in one of the Feedback boxes.

* Please note that, unlike The National Archives, we do not own the majority of our collections; not all owners are happy for digital images or other copies to be made of their archives.