I'd like to highlight three upcoming workshops at The National Archives which may of of interest. They all focus on different aspects of TNA's visual collections, and include guidance on accessing and interpreting photographs in the archive. See here for details of all the workshops in TNA's Practical Archival Skills Training programme for 2025-2026.
Introduction to Visual Collections at The National Archives
Thursday 20 November 2025, 2-5pm online
This half-day online workshop will introduce the range of visual sources held at The National Archives (TNA) which can be used for study of history and material culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These include registered designs, photographs, art, graphic design, architecture and film records, all produced or collected by government departments. The training will be held on Teams, and the link for the training will be sent two weeks in advance.
A significant collection of visual material can be found in our records of intellectual property. Under various Acts of Parliament relating to copyright, artists, designers, photographers, publishers and manufacturers sent samples of their work and products to government regulators to be registered. These samples are now held at TNA and include millions of textiles, wallpapers, trademarks, photographs, advertising and branding designs; creating a unique collection which reflects the economic, social and cultural history of the time.
In addition, British government departments also created a wide range of visual material for the purposes of documentation, publicity and propaganda, records of which are now held at TNA. These include architectural records, photographs, film, posters and other publicity material which offer researchers an insight into social and cultural history of the twentieth century.
The training is £15, and you can book on Eventbrite here.
Victorian Visual Culture
Tuesday 10th Feb 2026 9am-5pm in-person
Records of copyright registration and trade marks at The National Archives offer a unique insight into Victorian visual and print culture in Britain. They include records of the registration of paintings, drawings, advertising and photographs with the Stationers’ Company between 1862 and 1912 (and books and music from 1842) and trade marks registered with the UK Patent Office between 1876 and 1938.
Through hands-on sessions with original documents, this in-person workshop at The National Archives' site in Kew will provide students with the skills they need to conduct research with these visually striking and underused collections. The records provide opportunities for a variety of research areas including visual and print culture, art history, business history and legal history.
The training is £30, and you can book on Eventbrite here.
20th century Government Visual Communications
Tuesday 31st Macrh 2026 9am-5pm in-person
The National Archives’ collections include examples of government communication campaigns across the C20th, from wartime propaganda and race relations information to health and road safety campaigns. In this in-person workshop at The National Archives' site in Kew and through hands-on sessions with original documents, students will learn how to find and interrogate the range of visual material produced by government.
The training is £30, and you can book on Eventbrite here.
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