National Archives UK Joins the Commons at Flickr

Flickr welcomed the National Archives UK to The Commons yesterday.  As the UK government's official archive, they cover "over 900 years of history with records ranging from parchment and paper scrolls through to digital files and archived websites."  They have selected images they feel represent the broad range of over 10 million documents, maps, photographs, and artwork.

What can you find in the National Archives UK Flickr site?  While relatively small, it's an eclectic and intriguing range of materials.  There's a set of photographs taken in the Sudan and Egypt on an expedition for the relief of Khartoum by Anglo-Italian photographer Felice Beato (1832-1909).  There are two groups containing a smattering of nineteenth and twentieth century photographs.  Other groups include Artwork and Illuminations, Historic Documents, Seals and Artifacts, and Maps and Plans.  As with all content in The Commons, there are no known copyright restrictions.

See the National Archives UK Web site for more information about their vast holdings.

Image: Wall to Wall Crystal Palace, 1850/1, from Flickr, no known copyright restrictions.