Founded in 1964, Mary Evans Picture Library is the UK's leading specialist historical picture source covering all aspects of the past through the library's vast and continually growing collection of original prints, periodicals, photographs, illustrations, cartoons and ephemera.

Covering prehistory to the 21st century, the library has particular strengths in social history plus extensive files on events, portraits, places, war, transport, costume, royalty and natural history as well as unrivalled material on folklore and paranormal.

Now probably the best specialist resource for film imagery with more than a million images online including exclusive representation of Studio Canal.

Contributor collections enrich and expand on a range of subjects such as fashion, fine art, women's rights, documentary photography and popular culture and include the prestigious Illustrated London News archive, the Medici Society, London Fire Brigade, National Army Museum, National Archives, Natural History Museum, Land of Lost Content and many more.

With over two million images online and more in the offline archive, our direct download facility offers 24-hour access to high-resolution scans.