An aisle between two high racks of metal shelving. The shelving is packed with grey plastic trays. A man with red hair in a blue lab coat has pulled one of the trays half off the shelving. He has extracted a small, clear plastic box from the tray.

One of our team recalling microfilm for collections store for consultation.
Organised stores and catalogued collections helps the team find images quickly.

Support

No matter if you are an experienced imagery analyst or if you have never worked with aerial collections before, at the National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), we are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and information they need to make the most of our services. 

Related reading

Ways we can help

A colour aerial photo with a park containing trees and red paths at the left, and Buckingham Palace in the bottom left corner. The River Thames is to the right with the London Eye lying flat over it. The shadow of Big Ben is to the right of centre.

Case Studies

Explore the many new ways historical aerial imagery is being used today.

A person with dark hair and glasses in a blue lab coat holds a black and white map in their gloved hands. The map is labelled ‘Sierra Leone’. In the background there are desks which have blue and black film rollers and image scanners on them.

Understanding Technical Terms

A glossary of some common technical terms associated with aerial photography.

A colourful map of Bochum in Germany, with blue representing water, brown representing built-up areas and green representing countryside. 2 straggling lines of numbered black boxes indicate where a reconnaissance plane took photos.

How-To Guides

Use the step by step guides to help you navigate some of the key tools from the NCAP archive.

2 smiling men in blue lab coats look down at a screen in the bottom right of the image. The man on the left has white skin, a light red beard and dyed red hair. The man on the right has white skin, is wearing a blue shirt and has short grey hair.

FAQs

Find answers to some of the most common questions asked of the NCAP team.

2 men examine documents they are holding. The man on the left has light red hair and wears a blue shirt. The man on the right has dark brown hair and wears a grey jumper. 2 large colourised historic photos cover the walls behind them.

Contact Us

Find the best ways to get in touch with the team at NCAP for research support, project partnerships or image sales.

A close-up image of a piece of cream-coloured paper held by black gloved hands. It is torn on the centre fold lines and has creased and bent edges. It is printed with a form in black ink that has been completed in blue and grey handwritten text.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions allow you to zoom images on the website and access finding aids to help identify images.

A person in a blue lab coat holds a pile of 6 small cardboard boxes. They are wearing black gloves and the top of their head is just visible above the boxes. The boxes have writing in black marker on them.

Online Sources of Aerial Photography

As well as NCAP, here are some other places you can go for aerial photos and information.

View Already Digitised Collections

Use our mapping tools to zoom into areas of interest and explore tens of thousands of images.
Visit Our Air Photo Finder