This Sharing Wycombe’s Old Photos (SWOP) manages, preserves, digitises, and makes its archive accessible to the public without any central funding. Instead, the project is entirely funded through income from image sales and reproduction fees. In other words, SWOP relies directly on its users’ support to sustain its operations, helping to ensure the long-term care, preservation, and accessibility of the photography collections for future generations. This self-funded model helps guarantee the ongoing care, preservation, and availability of the collections for generations to come.
Seeking copyright permission and ordering copies of photographs
Copyright permission must be secured for any public use of images. Review the section below on seeking copyright permissions. Additionally, reproduction fees are applicable when images from the archive are utilised in publications such as books, magazines, and journals, as well as in museum or gallery displays, broadcasts, films, and websites. Fees are set based on the nature and scope of the intended use.
Images may be downloaded from this website for private study or educational use only. They must not be used for commercial purposes or public display unless prior written permission has been obtained via SWOP or the original copyright holder. Please consult our Terms and Conditions and Permission for Use and Reproduction guidelines for full details. Contact information for usage permissions and for ordering high-resolution images is provided below.
Ordering high-resolution images
High-resolution (TIFF) copies of all images are available to order. Usually, high-resolution images are 600dpi or higher and 20MB in size, containing significantly more detail. For an example demonstrating the difference in detail, see the example below.
Original compressed image on SWOP: BFP01794
Celebrating the Coronation of Elizabeth II at a street party in Park Street. June 1953
The highlighted area is expanded below, illustrating the additional detail visible of people attending the party.
Left: enlargement of website image. Compressed 87KB JPEG image.
Right: enlargement of feature in high-resolution 1200dpi, 20MB TIFF image.
Seeking copyright permissions
The copyright of photographic images is complex. SWOP manages the reproduction rights of images held in the archive on behalf of the copyright owners and images loaned by private individuals. The exceptions to this are images included from other newpapers and periodicals, including Country Life, the Times and Fox photos. Additionally aerial photos as noted below and images from the Wycombe Museum collection. These organisations must be contacted directly.
Aerial photos
The copyright for aerial photographs by Aerofilms Ltd, Hunting Aerofilms Ltd, Aero Pictorial Ltd is owned by Historic England and the images are available from the Britain From Above website. Jasair Ltd and Astral Aerial Survey photographs are managed by Historic Environment Scotland and available from the National Collection of Aerial Photography website.
Wycombe Museum
The copyright of photographs in the Wycombe Museum collection (MHW) is managed by the Museum, and you must contact the Museum for permission to use or reproduce any of the images in its collection.
Otherwise, SWOP either owns or has been granted permission to license the copyright for the photographs in all other collections. Contact at enquiries@swop.org.uk
Contact details:
To request permission to use or reproduce a photograph from the SWOP website, or to order a high resolution copy, please contact the organisation listed below that owns or manages the copyright for the selected images, quoting the managing organisation’s reference number.
| BFP | Bucks Free Press | enquiries@swop.org.uk |
| RHW | High Wycombe Library | enquiries@swop.org.uk |
| HWS | High Wycombe Society | enquiries@swop.org.uk |
| RPS | High Wycombe Society | enquiries@swop.org.uk |
| MHW | Wycombe Museum | info@wycombemuseum.org |
| PRI | Private Collections | enquiries@swop.org.uk |
| MHS | Marlow Historical Society | enquiries@swop.org.uk |
| Aerial photos | Britain From Above and National Collection of Aerial Photograph |
Contact details for Wycombe Museum
Email: info@wycombemuseum.org
Or complete the museum’s image licensing form: