Trinity Mirror to centralise photographic archives into one of the biggest ‘in existence’
Trinity Mirror plans to combine its regional newspaper libraries to create one of the biggest photographic archives in the world.
All of the archives will be centralised into a single library in Watford, which will bring decades of photographic content, across many titles, under the same roof.
Consolidating the archives in one central library creates a single shared resource that all of Trinity Mirror’s journalists can access in print or online, while also bringing new commercial opportunities to the group. The archive will also be searchable in its entirety as a complete unified collection.
The decision over whether to transfer text cuttings to Watford or retain them locally has been left with the regional businesses.
Fergus McKenna, Mirror Group head of syndication and licensing, said: “We recognise that this collection is of national and international significance which is why we’re taking these steps to organise it, conserve it and, most importantly of all, use it.
“There are few photographic collections of this size in existence and by creating one central library - but keeping each relevant title archive distinct - we're going to be able to open these archives up like never before.
“Having all the collections in one place will give us the freedom to actually explore and understand them, which wasn't always the case when they were managed across multiple centres.
He added, “For the first time we'll actually be able to discover the role our journalists played in documenting some of the events that shaped modern Britain”.