St Andrews University Library General Portrait and Group Sequences

The images include present and former staff, students, alumni and those associated with the university as well as other figures of historical and academic significance from the 13th century onwards. Each might be held in any of a variety of media including true photographs, prints, engravings, lithographs, woodcuts, sketches and drawings. There is also a box of long rolled group photographs of the whole University.

These two sequences have been gathered together and form the core archive of images of people, mainly of relevance to the history of the University of St Andrews.

The GPS is held in a self-indexing alphabetical sequence. The group photographs are arranged chronologically.

The photographic collections are currently the subject of a major digitisation project. It is the intention to have the entire archive captured in electronic form, and available (with sophisticated searching facilities) on line via the web. A full version of the software can be accessed in the Library and researchers are welcome to visit the library to use it but it is important that appointments are made in advance. Access to original photographic material may be restricted.

Transfer, gift and purchase. Since the early 1970s, the group series are usually taken by Peter Adamson, University photographer.

The sequence includes material removed from frames which has yet to be integrated.

Description compiled by Rachel Hart, Archives HUB Project Archivist.

Detailed integrated slip index in alphabetical order covers both General Portrait and Group Sequences until 1995. Thereafter the groups have not been indexed. A hand list for the group sequence from 1991 is being created. The GPS is being used in a pilot database project.

Copies of images held in the photographic collection (with the exception of any photographs which are held either without copyright or under other restrictions imposed by the donor or photographer) can be ordered. Photographs thus provided for purely personal or research purposes are not subject to any fee beyond the photographic costs (for which a scale of charges is available). Prior written permission must be obtained before any further reproduction is undertaken of images supplied, for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Reproduction fees may be charged.

True photographic reprints of most images can be provided, or computer-generated prints of an increasing proportion of the collection at low, medium or high resolution. Given the fragility of the original material our preference is to provide computer prints where possible. We can also provide transparencies and a range of electronic formats.

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 227 procedures.

Retained in the custody of the University of St Andrews.

Continuing.

GB 227 phGTS: General Topographical SequenceGB 227 phGTS: General Topographical SequenceGB 227 UYM500: photographs held within the University of St Andrews muniment collection