News & Articles

Find out about the latest news from NCAP and discover in-depth stories about NCAP collections, activities and projects.

A black and white historic photo of two men in uniform at a desk. There are stereoscope viewers, a lamp and model ships on the desk. The walls behind the men are covered in silhouettes of numerous naval vessels.

Recruitment to the Allied Central Interpretation Unit

At the heart of the National Collection of Aerial Photography is the Allied Central Interpretation Unit collection. Becoming a Photographic Interpreter required a unique set of skills – correspondence held...

Read more
A historic black and white vertical aerial photo of a coastline. To the right is the sea, separated from a small town by a beach. Inland is a caravan park and a dark body of water.

Image Release Note 0008: NCAP Upload

This release features Cold War-era aerial imagery from UK and international sources, with a strong focus on the Gulf region—especially the UAE—alongside UK coastal and urban coverage, enriching coverage on...

Read more
A historic black and white vertical aerial photo of agricultural land along a coastline. The sea is to the right of the image, and some hills are visible in the top left corner.

Image Release Note 0007: NARA Upload

Nearly 50,000 Second World War aerial images digitised through the NCAP and NARA partnership reveal the global scope of wartime reconnaissance, spanning strategic regions across Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and...

Read more
A historic black and white oblique aerial photo of the Forth Rail Bridge stretching across the Firth of Forth. The bridge is formed of iron girders arranged in rhomboid shapes. In the foreground is a small town with jetties reaching into the Forth.

Image Release Note 0006: NCAP Upload

This image release showcases the wide-ranging activities of UK-based survey firms, with strong European and UK coverage—especially Germany, France, and Ireland—and includes international imagery from countries such as Egypt, Syria...

Read more
A flying cap and goggles, a photo of an aircraft, an open book and a black globe rest on a table. Behind the table is a framed map.

The Medmenham Collection at RAF Wyton

As a living memorial to the military personnel involved in photographic reconnaissance and intelligence work — especially the many reconnaissance pilots and aircrew who lost their lives — the National...

Read more
A historic black and white vertical aerial photo of a crescent-shaped island, fringed by beaches and surrounded by the sea. A few small white clouds are visible.

Image Release Note 0005: NCAP Upload

The release of more imagery from the DOS collection offers a globally diverse set of aerial imagery, spanning colonial and post-colonial surveys, with coverage across the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and...

Read more
A historic black and white vertical aerial photo of Helsinki in winter. The regular grid of streets stands out against the snow. To the left is a ragged coastline fringed by frozen sea.

Image Release Note 0004: NARA Upload

This release features extensive Second World War (WWII) aerial imagery from NARA, documenting key European theatres and global regions including the Baltic, Mediterranean, Middle East, Caribbean, and Pacific.

Read more
A historic colour vertical aerial photo of a volcanic crater. The surface of the crater looks gritty and dusty.

Image Release Note 0003: NCAP Upload

This release showcases over 46,000 aerial images from UK and international survey archives, documenting decades of geographic, strategic, and environmental change across the UK, Europe, and global regions.

Read more