Chinese New Year

Restaurant window decoration in Gerrard Street in February 2005 (image 2594-39)

February is the month of Chinese New Year, the subject of this week's picture feature. The images come from London (1983, 1984, 1985 and 2005) and Brighton (2008). Chinese tradition ascribes each year to one of a cycle of symbolic animals and we have just entered the Year of the Rat. Such years are said to be propitious for wealth, but also strongly associated with aggression, atrocities, plague, pestilence and death. Good new for rats then, unfortunately !

Funfair lettering last week

Funfair lettering was last week's picture subject. There are longstanding traditions in the world of funfairs, for all their modern neon-lit attractions. The lettering and signage on their rides and vehicles still follows an old vernacular style - often ornate and always colourful. You may also like to look through the selections in this library for amusement rides, Carter's steam fair  and funfairs in general.

Animal outfits, beach pollution and animal sculptures have been the subject of recent picture sets

The set a fortnight ago took a look at animal outfits. People - especially the English - love dressing up and some, like street entertainers, do it for a living. Animals (not forgetting birds and fish etc) have long been an inspiration for entire costumes, as well as hats, masks and other accessories. It may no longer be approved to wear fur, but almost everyone enjoys looking a bit of an animal. This picture library has a very wide range of images of people in costumes and outfits in general and you might like to see the selection keyworded as dressing up.

Washed up on the beach was the subject of the feature three weeks ago. The coastline of Britain has been littered with flotsam and jetsam for centuries, but the volume and variety of stuff is greater than ever nowadays. There's more junk being shipped around the world and people are just too casual about what they chuck in the water. Last month, a ship carrying pine planks was wrecked in the Channel off the Dorset coast and the currents brought most of the cargo ashore on the beaches of Sussex. Police were posted by the piles to prevent people taking away the wood, which seems a bit mean since the cargo was doubtless insured and there's a fine history of harvesting washed-up goodies. The government's always telling us to recycle more, so after the next winter storm, get down to your local beach !

Four weeks ago the picture subject was animal  sculpture alfresco - statuary and models of a variety of animals outdoors in parks and gardens. It's a nice cheerful subject and this library has a good range of other images about outdoor sculpture and art. You might like to also see the earlier sets on brighton statues, graffiti animals, sand sculptures and public statues.

Over 50000 pictures now available

The picture library offers more than 50000 images and they can all be keyword searched from the picture search page. New or updated subjects include Chinese New Year, funfairs, animal outfits, beach rubbish, animal sculptures, sunbathing and sheep. The site has several ways to help make relevant and fruitful searches, including index pages for both subjects and events & places.  There is also a useful search guide and information page.

A good showcase of the type and range of photography available can be explored in the pictures of the week series. Published on the site since December 2001, this now totals over 2900 images. Each week brings a set of ten pictures about a particular place, event or theme. Almost all the library's pictures are available for personal or commercial reproduction. Digital files can be delivered by email or CD, prices start from as little as £8 and there is further information on the prices and terms & conditions pages. You can also contact David Gray for quotations and availability for new photography commissions.

American soldier at Model World in Brighton in February 2008 (image 2751-63)