MEDIA RELEASE

CA/MR 2004/06

AUTHORITY OPENS ITS VIRTUAL PHOTOGRAPHIC LIBRARY TO THE PUBLIC

The Coal Authority will be opening its purpose built virtual photographic library to the public as from1 June 2004.

Members of the public will initially be able to access and view on display screens some 22,000 National Coal Board/British Coal Corporation photographs previously only able to be viewed on paper at The National Archives headquarters atKew in Surrey. Additional photographs will continue to be added in the coming months and it is expected that some 50,000 - 60,000 photographs depicting coal industry scenes nationwide over the last fifty years will be able to be viewed when the project is completed.

Due to the limited number of screens available the Authority will be operating an advanced booking service for viewing the photographs. There are six screens available and initially 1½ hour slots will be offered to members of the public. The opening times will be as follows:

Monday to Friday

9.00 - 10.30 am

10.45 - 12.15 pm

1.30 -3.00 pm

3.15 - 4.45 pm

Members of the public wanting to view the photographs should contact the Authority's Mining Heritage Centre on 01623 638233 or 01623 638235.

END

Note for Editors

The Coal Authority, located at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was established under the Coal Industry Act 1994, with responsibility for four principal functions: Licensing coal-mining operations; subsidence damage claims which are not the responsibility of the privatised successor companies or other licensed operators; dealing with property and historic liabilities such as old shafts and minewater pumping; and providing public access to information on coal-mining operations past and present.

MEDIA CONTACT:

John Delaney
Corporate Affairs Manager
Tel: 01623 427162
Fax: 01623 427316
Email: johndelaney@coal.gov.uk