The National Aerospace Library located in Farnborough holds an extensive archive of material recording the evolution of Man's attempts to conquer the dream of flight from prehistory to modern times, recording developments in aeronautics, aviation, aircraft / aerospace technology and the civil and military operation of aircraft throughout the ages through its various collections.
In 2012 the National Aerospace Library commissioned MAX to digitally, photograph approximately 440 vintage colour aviation posters / magazine covers / air show programmes / airline timetables/ decorative book covers etc. c.1909-1939, the James Goulding aviation artwork
and a large selection of the 18th and 19th century ballooning lithographs held in its archives using a medium format scanning back to produce high-resolution digital files.
These files are now used to produce high quality replica posters, canvas-prints, greeting cards, jigsaw puzzles and other merchandise which can be ordered online via the following website
The National Aerospace Library holds probably one of the finest archives of early ballooning material of its kind in the world and via the web-site can be viewed 238 images of 18th and 19th ballooning lithographs and posters which represents a wide selection of its pre-eminent collection.
A proportion of the proceeds derived from the sale of this merchandise will be used for the conservation of historic aviation material in the Library’s archives.
The web-site has been produced in collaboration with the Mary Evans Picture Library through whom these images can be licensed for reproduction in books, magazines, advertising and other media.
The funding for the digitalization project was made possible through a generous bequest of $10,000 to the Library in the estate of the former NASA scientist Dr Charles E. Billings FRAeS.
