This includes:

• 10,000 fascinating and largely undiscovered photographs dating from 1800s to 1990s
• Posters commissioned by The Post Office from prominent designers such as Tom Eckersley and Edward McKnight Kauffer
• An extensive collection of postal route maps
• Beautifully illustrated original telegrams
• Iconic pillar boxes, vehicles and objects representing some of the most instantly recognisable icons in the history of design

Find out more about licensing opportunities by downloading our guide, or view a sample of collection images in the public gallery.

Under Crown Copyright, photographs (until 1 June 1957) and posters and other non-philatelic artistic works (until 30 September 1969) produced by the Post Office are now out of copyright. From 1 October 1969 when the Post Office ceased to be a government department non-Crown copyright provisions apply to The Royal Mail Archive.

If the item you wish to reproduce is either out of copyright or the use is non-commercial (less than 1000 copies of a book/article or personal/small society website) you do not need to contact us to seek permission but we would appreciate a credit: ‘Royal Mail Group, courtesy of The Postal Museum’ (for Royal Mail Archive items) or ‘Courtesy of The Postal Museum’ (for other items). The Postal Museum provides no warranties in connection with such use. Any unapproved modification or alteration to the image will constitute unauthorised use.

Examples from the collection

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Licensing enquiries

We licence images from our collection for use on products, publications, exhibitions, film and television, set dressing, websites and other media. If you know what you want to reproduce please fill in our reproduction request form and read our terms and conditions (PDF) and send the completed form to [email protected].

To license stamp artwork, please contact Royal Mail instead on [email protected]