The History of Science Museum can provide reproduction licences for existing images of our collections. We can also produce bespoke photography of items in the collections.
Please note that we are a research and teaching department of the University of Oxford. We are not a picture library and cannot supply images at short notice.
Using existing images
Existing images of the collections can be viewed through the online collections database. These images are usually both highly compressed and auto-adjusted for levels on an undifferentiated basis. Due to this, the resulting quality as seen on screen may not reflect the original photograph.
For personal and teaching use
Lower-quality images can be taken directly from the object’s catalogue entry page for personal use, private study, academic thesis and student essays which are not being published, and free educational lectures or classes.
For publication
If you would like to reproduce an image of our collections online or in print, please complete an 'application for images and reproduction licences' form below with as much information as possible and send it to images@hsm.ox.ac.uk. All images are supplied in digital format, either as TIFF or JPEG files.
Bespoke photography
We can produce new high-quality photography of the majority of objects in our collections. There is a small number of objects of which we cannot take new photographs because of limitations around conservation and care. The production of new photography is charged at £100 per object, and can be ordered by completing an 'application for images and reproduction licences' form below with as much information as possible. Please send forms to images@hsm.ox.ac.uk. If you wish to publish the new photography and require licences, then please include this on the form.
