HP creates Britain’s first National Photo Album

13 April 2004 2:33 GMT / By Stuart Miles

HP has today announced the launch of the ‘HP National Photo Album', one of the most ambitious public archiving projects in recent history. The digital photography company is urging the nation to dust off its old photograph albums and rummage through its attics to help create an archive of the most striking and historically interesting images.

Peter Urey, marketing and category manager for HP's Imaging and Printing Group believes
“The average household contains around 1,500 non-digital photographs which adds up to about 24 billion images. Of course, most of them would be of no interest to a public archive, but we are convinced that lurking in the nation's attics and lofts are thousands of images that have real social and cultural value. ”

HP is seeking images of individuals, families, workplaces, events, outings, cities, towns and villages; anything which reveals something of the way Britain has worked, played, lived and loved over the past hundred years.

Urey also wants personal perspectives of famous historical events. So if you are harbouring a picture of Elvis Presley's only visit to the UK or the Coronation or the 1966 World Cup celebrations, now's your chance to share it with a wider public.

HP hope that over time the HP National Photo Album will become a valuable resource for schools, researchers, the media and members of the public. It will be an alternative social history of Britain told in pictures.

The HP National Photo Album will be free to access at www.nationalphotoalbum.co.uk Anyone wanting to contribute to the archive can offer their pictures for consideration in one of two ways. Option 1: Upload images directly onto the archive at ww.nationalphotoalbum.co.uk by following simple step by step instructions. Option 2: Submit entries via post to HP National Photo Album, 31 St. Petersburgh Place, London W2 4LA where they will be vetted and uploaded by experts.

All images must be accompanied by a suitably sized self-addressed envelope. Every effort will be made to return the images in good order but HP cannot be held liable for damaged or lost photographs.