IWM has a unique collection covering all aspects of twentieth and twenty-first century conflict involving Britain, the Commonwealth and former Empire countries.

Contact us for high quality reproductions from IWM's collections. Alongside  photography, we offer footage and oral history recordings, plus research help and advice to support your licensing needs. Catering primarily for media-buying professionals, our experienced team are working remotely and available to discuss your projects.

To license and request digital files please browse IWM Collections to identify the catalogue numbers of the items you would like to order and provide details of intended use via the order form or in an email to our licensing teams (see below).  

The current online selection represents a fraction of the millions of objects held by the Museum. If media is not available on the object record, please contact us and we can, if necessary, arrange new photography or digitisation upon demand.

All our net revenue goes to support the Museum, and its commitment to ensuring the collection is freely accessible.

Media Type

Popular Themes

  • Imperial War Museums First World War archive licensing
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    First World War

    Explore our First World War collections 

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  • Battle of Britain pilots with a dog Imperial War Museums image licensing
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    Battle of Britain

    As we mark the 80th anniversary, explore our Battle of Britain collections

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  • VE Day colour photograph crowds on Whitehall by cenotaph 1945 Imperial War Museums archive licensing
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    VE Day

    As we mark the 75th anniversary, explore our VE Day collections

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Licensing and Policies

  • Policies

    If you have not licensed content from us before, please read through our policies for information regarding:

    • Advertising 
    • Colourisation
    • Fees
    Read Terms and Conditions
  • Types of Licence

    There are two licensing options, please read the following information to determine which licence applies to you. A small minority of our collection items are not available under the non-commercial licence due to copyright being held by a third party. 

     

    Non-Commercial Use

     

    Commercial Use

  • Frequently Asked Questions

    Please read through our Frequently Asked Questions for information regarding: 

    • Searching collections
    • Formats
    • Delivery

     

    Read FAQs

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Our locations provide commercial film, TV, photography and creative advertising shoot experiences that engage emotions and tell many different stories.
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Curator Consultancy
IWM is a leading authority on conflict and its impact, focusing on Britain, its former Empire and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present. IWM’s curators are experts in their field and can provide reliable guidance and information for commercial projects such as feature films, documentaries and consumer products.