I’m working on a topic about an austrian engineer Alexander Wienerberger, who made photos of the Great Famine In Ukraine (Holodomor) in Kharkiv in 1933. According to an estimate, up to 4 million Ukrainians died as a result of the famine. Wienerberger photos are still the main evidence of this tragedy. I want to discover more information about these photos and write an article.

I have information that some of Wienerberger`s famine photos were in the possession of one British photo agency ‒ Photopress Limited (Photopress LTD). In 1930-th this photo agency was located in London (10 Johnsons Court, Fleet Street, E.C.4). Photopress LTD managing director was Mr. G.W. Lymbery. But I can't find any other information. 

I believe that Wienerberger’s famine photos must be in the archive of Photopress LTD and I am trying to discover them.

Can you help me to find where Photopress LTD archive is located? Maybe you can help with contacts of other British photo institutions? 

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  • Jerome, Hi! Can you please write to my email: Dzhulay.Dmytro@gmail.com. Thanks a lot!)

    Jerome said:

    Alexander was my grandfather. If you want more information about his photos I can put you in touch with my niece who knows most of the history.
  • Alexander was my grandfather. If you want more information about his photos I can put you in touch with my niece who knows most of the history.
  • Glad to help Dmytro - let me know if you need any other press agencies in your research, ...also - if an event was big enough it would have been covered by a couple of press agencies - so if you are looking for a particular event it may be worth putting a search request on both my sites as most commercial photo archive managers read them and may be able to offer you an alternative or more images.

    https://photoarchivenews.com and http://www.pressphotohistory.com

  • Michael and Will thank you very much for your very useful information! Thanks to you now I know where I need to find next! I wrote letter to PA Images and sent to them all Wienerbeger's famine photos. I hope I will find a new ones

  • I searched for the agency a while back after many requests to clear copyright on images, the ex-archive manager at the PA archive (retired) told me they had acquired it way-back....but ... I believe PA at the time did not include the Photopress name into their own archive ...so it will only be under 'PA Archive' now on a search. If you send them the photo they maybe able to trace it but possibly not accredited to Photopress anymore.  

    https://www.pressphotohistory.com/photopress-fleet-street-now-at-pa/

  • I've just been sent this:  “photo press was acquired by London news service /sport and general then acquired by empics then acquired by PA” https://www.paimages.co.uk/

  • Photopress Ltd was registered on 5 April 1930 at a 'press illustrator' at 10 Johnson's Court, Fleet Street, London. It had been in business since at least 1926 and G Lymbery was involved with the Press Photographers Association from at least 1916. 

    The company joined the British Press Picture Alliance Ltd when it was formed in 1932, subscribing along with a number of other press agencies. It also joined Photographic News Agencies Ltd when it was formed in 1933.   

    The British Journal of Photography (14 Oct 1932) reported the death of Mr E F Corcoran who was in charge of the photographic department of Photopress Ltd. 

    It noted (13 Jan 1938) that Photopress Ltd were moving to larger premises at 6 East Harding Street, London EC, on 20 January 1938. It noted that within a few months it would have been in existence for some 25 years and that the founder George W Lymbery was looking to modernise the firm's accommodation. 

    George Walter Lymbery died on 9 January 1942 aged 61 years and was described as 'one of the founders of live press photography'. 

    The fate of its archive and picture library may yet come to light. 

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