Good day to all our News of Note readers. We hope everyone is having an excellent working week, and that the appearance of the sun over the past few days has lifted spirits. In this latest potted update of news and gossip from the UK's favourite picture library we share a bumper update of retro advertising images, marvel at the delights on offer to happy campers at 1960s Butlins, and bring you an advance alert of a fun event at the library. It involves dogs, so you'll want to keep reading…

Streets ahead

We've recently had a cluster of lovely licensing projects where work by our prestigious roll call of street photographers has been used to brilliant effect. Roger Mayne's classic image, Girl Dancing from 1957, recently appeared on the cover of a 30th anniversary re-release of the Morrissey and Siouxsie Sioux duet, Interlude on Record Store Day. Elsewhere, a new, Vintage Classics edition of My Left Foot by Christy Brown features a picture of a cheeky little tyke from the streets of Salford on the cover, snapped by Shirley Baker in the 1960s. Such images, combining grit and nostalgia, make fitting choices for literary memoirs; Kerry Hudson's prizewinning book, Lowborn also featured a Shirley Baker image on its cover back in 2020. Finally, we adore Penguin's choice of photograph for the cover of Sam Selvon's Ways of Sunlight, from the camera of Maurice Ambler, whose photographs of Brixton in the 1950s are an evocative record of the newly-arrived West Indian community.

Canine Camera

We're very excited to welcome Heidi Hudson, Photography Curator at the Royal Kennel Club, to the library on the evening of the 26th September when she will be giving a fascinating talk on the history of dog photography, with particular emphasis on the Victorian era and a true pioneer in this area - Thomas Fall - whose archive of dog photographs forms part of our own collection.

Heidi will be accompanied by her Portuguese Water Spaniel, Bob, who is always happy to receive pats and pose for photographs with humans. She will also be bringing along copies of her book, Man's Best Friend, which will be available to purchase.

Tickets for this event, which includes a glass of wine and the opportunity to enjoy the talk within our unique space in Blackheath, are available to book through eventbrite now.

Heidi's talk will be the first in what we hope will become a regular occurrence so keep following our newsletters for updates.

Babycham and Butlins

We know we've been getting excited about the John Hinde Archive recently, but its arrival here at the library has allowed us to dig into the filing cabinets and begin scanning more of its travel-themed treasures.

We have now added even more Butlins postcards from the 1960s and early 1970s to our website, featuring a mind-boggling array of kitsch and colourful scenes from around the various UK camps.

Perhaps you'd like to relax with a pina colada in the Tiki-themed Beachcomber bar at Bognor Regis, or enjoy a singalong with a guitar-strumming Redcoat in the Gaiety Bar in Filey?

These delights and more are available to ponder over here.

Commercial Gain

John Frost Newspapers is one of the larger contributor collections we represent and it's just got a whole lot bigger. We've just added a shade over 3000 images taken from early 1950s periodicals including Picturegoer and Illustrated magazines.

Not only are there some terrific covers featuring royals, film stars and famous figures, but this new update includes a comprehensive set of advertisements for well-known (and occasionally forgotten) brands such as Aero (touted as a chocolate for her), Spangles and Puritan soap.

Click here for some edited highlights.