National Collection of Aerial Photography: Mapping from a new perspective

Mapping from a new perspective explores the remarkable 100-year coverage of the NCAP collections which includes the 50-year legacy of the Directorate of Overseas Surveys (DOS) photographic archive—originally created to produce post-Second World War maps of British overseas territories. Once at risk of being discarded, this unique collection was rescued and, through collaboration between NCAP and international academic partners, fully digitised within just a few years. Today, these images are being repurposed for cutting-edge research in climate science, political history, and global analysis, giving the archive a new life and relevance in the 21st century.
Rachel Nordstrom is Operations Manager at NCAP, leading efforts to provide global access to one of the world’s largest aerial imagery archives. With experience in photographic collections at the University of St Andrews and the Fox Talbot Museum, she supports teams delivering digitisation, preservation, and heritage management. Rachel has driven projects that create innovative access tools, ensuring these historic resources remain vital for research in climate science, explosive ordnance disposal, historical analysis, and global studies. Her passion for photographic archives bridges past and future—transforming endangered collections into dynamic resources for the 21st century.

The talk will take 20 minutes with 10 minutes for questions.

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National Library of Scotland, 159 Causewayside, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

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