EPW015100 ENGLAND (1926). The High Street and Brownhills Common, Brownhills, from the south-east, 1926.
Click for full size version.
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW015100

I’m pleased to see that the expansion of online history resources continues apace, with lots of formerly quite restrictive services opening up with more sensible usage terms and conditions – one such archive is the British Library’s Aerofilms archive of aerial photography of Britain from 1919-1953.

Aerofilms, as the leader in such imagery for years, jealously guarded their work and getting hold of it has always been difficult and expensive – they did, after all, make commercial hay with the coffee table books of Britain from the Air for the last four decades.

Well, since launching the online digital image archive a few years ago with useful but low-resolution images, the curators have now opened high resolution versions to the public for free – you just create yourself an account and which is free and easy to do and away you go.

It’s free to use the images for noncommercial purposes and the terms of use – that you include a link to the source page – are very reasonable indeed.

I’ve included here high-res versions of popular local images for you to peruse. Click on them to zoom in – you’ll be amazed what you can find. I do believe that’s a clear view of The Mets and Pike Helve. And just look at the devastation wrought by mining on what is now Chasewater North Heath. The gasworks is particularly fascinating.

Let me know what you find – comment here or mail me – BrownhillsBob at googlemmil dot com.

These images are used in accordance with the service license. Why not visit the Britain from the Air site and check them out yourselves – you can do so by clicking on any image.

EPW015101 ENGLAND (1926). The High Street, Brownhills, 1926.
Click for full size version.
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW015101

EPW060278 ENGLAND (1938). The town Gas Works alongside the Wyrley and Essington Canal, Brownhills, 1938.
Click for full size version.
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW060278

EPW060277 ENGLAND (1938). The town Gas Works and the High Street, Brownhills, 1938.
Click for full size version.
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW060277

EPW015098 ENGLAND (1926). The High Street and environs, Walsall Wood, from the south-west, 1926. This image has been produced from a copy-negative.
Click for full size version.
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW015098

EAW024534 ENGLAND (1949). The site of the Cannock Chase Collieries, Chasetown, from the south, 1949.
Click for full size version.
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW024534