Woman in mask taking photographsDo you want to help record the COVID-19 pandemic for posterity? Documents collected now will form a key part of how future generations understand the pandemic. To this end, the Local Studies Library and Archive are asking for photographs that document life in Richmond upon Thames during the pandemic.

We have already asked residents for diaries of their life right now. Thank you to everyone who has been creating diaries! Please do continue writing them for as long as you wish; details of how to send them to Local Studies once they are complete are given below.

To record yet more for posterity we are now looking for photographs of the Borough during the pandemic. Did you take photographs during lockdown? Or are you taking photographs now that lockdown measures are easing? We are looking for photographs that document any aspect of life in the Borough during the pandemic. The only photographs we won’t collect are photographs taken outside of the Borough of Richmond upon Thames

How do I submit my photographs (and diaries)?

Digital photographs (and diaries) can be emailed to:

localstudies@richmond.gov.uk

If you have a large number of photographs, please email the above address and we will send you a link to our file transfer website.

Hardcopy photographs or diaries can be posted to:

Local Studies Library & Archive, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond, TW9 1TP.

Alternatively, hardcopy documents can be handed to us in person once Local Studies is open again. To arrange this, please email localstudies@richmond.gov.uk

For all donations of photographs or diaries, we will ask you to sign a form saying that you are happy for the items to be given to Local Studies.

Privacy

If the photographs show yourself, or other people, or private property, it is understandable that you might not want the public to be able to look at these photos immediately.

All photographs containing people will be closed to the public during their lifetime, unless those people specifically tell us that they are happy for the photographs to be made public before then.

Photographs that don’t contain people will normally be made available to the public immediately, but we can close access to any photographs you request for as long as you would like.

We are all making history right now by living through the COVID-19 pandemic, and anything you send us will show that history. Future generations will learn about the pandemic based only on what we record and save now.

Questions and queries can be emailed to: localstudies@richmond.gov.uk

Stay safe and we look forward to receiving your photos and diaries!