The Commons on Flickr is the most amazing resource, but not only does it contain tens of thousands of images from large institutions across the world, shared for all to see (and use), it is a whole community where information is offered, gathered and documented. You can see what’s happening and keep up with the latest news and discoveries in the Flickr Commons group. There’s also a dedicated and fascinating blog called Indicommons.
To give you a flavour, here’s a slideshow of some example images from the UK’s National Maritime Museum, but be sure to check out more via the main Commons site – www.flickr.com/commons. And finally, I’ve just put together a (very experimental) interactive timeline of pre-1900 Commons images – about 11,000 in total!
Anti-aircraft gunnery course
The convoy rescue ship Rathlin
Torpedomen of the light cruiser HMS Jamaica
The forward superstructure of HMS Manchester in Arctic waters
British and Soviet naval officers enjoying a concert aboard HMS Duke of York
‘Whisky’ the cat, pet and mascot of HMS Duke of York
A V/W class destroyer dropping a depth charge
Crewmen hoisting the whaler back aboard HMS Wells
Convoy steaming through ice-covered water
‘Order of the Blue Nose’ certificate
The bridge of the light cruiser HMS Sheffield in bad weather
Early morning take-off
An oil tanker in convoy with a cargo vessel beyond it
Merchant seamen attending a DEMS gunnery course
The funnel and bridge area of the destroyer HMS Onslow
The catapult-armed merchant (CAM) ship Empire Tide
Survivors from the destroyer HMS Achates
The destroyer USS Wainwright DD419 refuelling from the cruiser HMS Norfolk
The bow of HMS King George V, showing damage following her collision with HMS Punjabi
A casualty is transferred ashore
SS Indus, P&O Passenger Liner
Green & Silley Weir staff outing
Discharging frozen mutton and lamb from Australia on the Clan Macdougall
Rev. George Fisher, Headmaster of the Royal Hospital School 1834-36
Staff at R. & H. Green and Silley Weir Ltd`s Blackwall establishment
The offices of the Shipping Federation
Volunteers using a crane to discharge a ship during the General Strike of 1926
Volunteers discharging a ship in the London Docks during the General Strike of 1926
A workshop at the National Boat Building Company`s works at East Greenwich
Calshot Lightship off Southampton Water
Clan Lines London Office
Green & Silley Weir: a vessel in dry dock
Pilot hoist on a Union-Castle vessel
Training of lighthouse personnel at Orchard Yard
Green & Silley Weir’s dry dock
Sevenstones Light Vessel
Repairing a Trinity House Buoy
Girders for the roof of the Painted Hall
The Trinity House pilot vessel no 15 on Southampton Water
A group of Fijians at Levuka
Te Whereo, a Chief of Waikato
Two boys are boxing on the deck of the `Lion`
A Korean man in a traditional robe and boots, wearing a horse hair and bamboo hat
A group of Lascars posing on the promenade deck of the `Viceroy of India`
Two Egyptian children on a small rowing boat off Alexandretta
Elisabeth Jacobsen on board the `Parma`
`Creek Life Canton River`
River Emergency Services on the River Thames
Accommodation at The British Sailor`s Society
Limehouse Reach
