The Timeview Collection

Timeview Vintage Images is an independent photography company based in the Netherlands. Timeview represents and manages an archive of vintage, analog photography. We acquire photocollections including image rights from mainly amateur photographers. The collection covers the pre-digital era from approximately 1870 up to the 1980’s. We scan, preserve, archive and if necessary we restore digitally.

The company owns around half a million images, the collection is probably one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

Image hunting

For more than 20 years we search worldwide for the best vintage amateur images. We only purchase photographic base materials as negatives and slides on glass and film. We hunt online but also offline at photography fairs and antique markets.

Image criteria

As graphic designers we defined some important image criteria. We think these guidelines are necessary to ensure we build a versatile, creative and artistic collection. One of our rules is that the period of time must be visible. Besides time and age we are looking for little stories captured in each image.

Found & Vernacular Photography

Vernacular photographs are photographs of daily life and common things that are unintentionally artistic. Found photography refers to the recovery of lost, unclaimed, or discarded vernacular photographs or snapshots. The archive of Vivian Maier, discovered in 2009, is the best known example. The Timeview collection could be compared to this, but may be even more versatile because of the unlimited number of photographers.
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