This week's email message is brief and to the point, but nevertheless tackles a big issue.

The rapid development of Artifical Intelligence (AI) in many areas of life and work has led to a growing concern about how to identify what is real, and what is artificially created.

Legislation is slow to catch up and there is already a plethora of images online claiming to be real, but which have in fact been created using AI. This is particularly concerning in the case of archival images, where authenticity is even more important if historical accuracy and events beyond living memory are not to be distorted.

Here at Mary Evans Picture Library, for every image scanned from our core collection, we hold the corresponding original item. We have it all stored here; on shelves, in filing cabinets, plans chests and archival boxes. Books, magazines, prints, photographs, postcards and all kinds of ephemera fill our building and we take pride in welcoming visitors and allowing them to browse and experience these tangible links to the past.

We're one of the very few image sources able to offer this kind of authentic traceability and believe that offering this reassurance in an age of short cuts and fake news, really is something worth shouting about.

If we can help with your current project, do drop us a line. You can reach us via email at pictures@maryevans.com or by phone on 020 8318 0034.