This large collection is a chronological sequence of negatives of photographs which appeared in the Guardian between 1970 and 2001. Although the collection is incomplete, especially for the earlier period, it represents work by most London based photographers associated with the paper over the period. Work by northern photographers such as Denis Thorpe and Don McPhee also exists within the sequence but to a lesser extent, as it was the practise for these photographers to retain their own negatives.
The sequence suggests the picture library kept separate libraries for theatre and sport up until 1989 where this work became filed under one main sequence. A log number has been assigned to each set of negatives from 1970 to c1989, representing the order in which they were filed by the picture library, although unfortunately the log books have not survived. In some examples no credit or caption has been listed on the negative sleeve and the only way to date the work is by the log number. Negatives post 1989 become more comprehensive and represent an almost complete chronological sequence of negatives taken for the paper up until 2001, when the paper moved over to digital photography. Prior to 1989 it was common for negatives to be returned to photographers, explaining the gaps in the collection. Where these negatives have been transferred to the archive directly by a photographer these have been catalogued as personal papers of the photographer, rather than as a record of the Guardian.
Photographers represented with this series include; Martin Argles, Roger Bamber, Edward Hamilton-West, Peter Johns, Neil Libbert, Murdo Macleod, Don McPhee, Frank Martin, Don Morley, Kenneth Saunders, Robert Smithies, David Sillitoe, Sean Smith, Denis Thorpe, Graham Turner, Eric Wadsworth and Garry Weaser.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Picture Desk; London Picture Library
