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Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice

Read Archive.London's privacy notice, published by 825 Ventures Ltd for visitors, researchers and image licensing enquiries.

Last updated: 19 September 2026

1. Who we are

Archive.London is operated by 825 Ventures Ltd, company number 16706831, registered office 128 City Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1V 2NX.

For the personal data described in this notice, 825 Ventures Ltd is normally the controller. Contact: info@825ventures.online.

This notice explains how we collect and use personal data when you visit Archive.London, submit an enquiry, request research, discuss or obtain an image licence, assert rights, request a correction, subscribe to an update where offered, or otherwise deal with us.

Current website services

Public pages and images are hosted and delivered using Cloudflare Workers and its content-delivery network. Archive search runs in your browser using the public catalogue. The website does not currently provide accounts, online payments, newsletter registration or a contact submission form, and does not load optional analytics or advertising scripts. Enquiries use email or an external WhatsApp link; following that link takes you to a separate service. The sections below also cover subsequent research, rights and licensing correspondence.

2. Personal data we may collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Identity data, such as name, job title and organisation.
  • Contact data, such as business email address, telephone number, postal address and communication preferences.
  • Enquiry data, including the subject, project, publication, intended image use, territory, audience, deadlines, budget and correspondence.
  • Licence and transaction data, including licence scope, contract records, invoices, payment status and usage evidence. Payment-card details should be processed by a payment provider and not stored by us unless expressly stated.
  • Research data that you provide to identify a photograph, person, place, event, object or provenance issue.
  • Rights and corrections data, including evidence supplied with a privacy, copyright, takedown or correction request.
  • Technical data, such as IP address, browser type, device information, request time, security logs, referring page and pages requested.
  • Cookie and preference data where storage technologies are used.
  • Marketing data, such as consent, unsubscribe status and records of messages sent.
  • Publicly available professional information relevant to a genuine licensing, research, provenance or rights enquiry.

Please do not send sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for a specific request. If it is necessary, send only the minimum required and use the secure route we provide.

3. How we collect data

We collect personal data:

  • Directly from you through forms, email, telephone, messaging, contracts and correspondence.
  • Automatically through server, security and consent logs when you use the website.
  • From your employer, agent, publisher, production company or other representative.
  • From payment, hosting, email, security and professional-service providers.
  • From public professional sources where necessary to verify an enquiry, rights claim, credit or archive record.

We do not use covert methods to identify casual website visitors.

4. Purposes and lawful bases

We process personal data for the following purposes:

Website operation and security

We process technical and security data to deliver pages, prevent abuse, investigate incidents, maintain availability and protect rights. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in operating a secure, reliable archive website, and legal obligation where applicable.

Enquiries, research and pre-contract discussions

We use identity, contact, enquiry and research data to answer questions, locate material, prepare proposals and discuss licensing. The lawful basis is taking steps at your request before a contract and our legitimate interests in responding to professional enquiries.

Licence administration and delivery

We use identity, contact, licence and transaction data to enter into and perform contracts, deliver files, invoice, collect payment, manage restrictions, record permitted use and enforce rights. The lawful bases are contract, legal obligation and legitimate interests.

Provenance, captions, rights and corrections

We use information provided to investigate identity, authorship, ownership, caption accuracy, privacy, copyright and other rights. The lawful bases are legitimate interests in maintaining an accurate and responsibly managed archive, legal obligation and the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

We retain contracts, invoices, consent records, rights records and relevant correspondence to meet accounting, corporate, tax, data-protection and legal duties. The lawful basis is legal obligation and legitimate interests.

Service improvement and measurement

We may use proportionate, aggregated or consent-based information to understand how the website is used and improve navigation and content. Where non-essential cookies or similar technologies are involved, we seek consent as required.

Marketing and archive updates

We send promotional email only where permitted by law, relying on consent or the limited existing-customer exception where applicable. You may opt out at any time. We retain a minimal suppression record so we can respect an unsubscribe request.

Business protection and disputes

We use relevant records to prevent fraud, investigate unauthorised image use, respond to complaints and establish, exercise or defend legal claims. The lawful basis is legitimate interests and legal obligation.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider necessity, proportionality and your reasonable expectations. You may ask for further information about the balancing assessment relevant to your data.

5. Special-category and criminal-offence data

We do not seek special-category or criminal-offence data as part of ordinary website use. Such information may appear incidentally in a rights request, historical research enquiry or sensitive-use licensing discussion. We process it only where necessary and where an additional legal condition applies, including explicit consent, substantial public interest or legal claims as appropriate.

6. Who receives personal data

We may share personal data with carefully selected recipients where necessary:

  • Website hosting, content-delivery, security and technical-support providers.
  • Email, communications, file-transfer and consent-management providers.
  • Payment processors, banks, accountants and insurers.
  • Legal advisers, rights researchers, archivists, conservators and other professional advisers under appropriate duties.
  • Contractors helping us answer a research or licensing request.
  • Courts, regulators, law-enforcement bodies and public authorities where lawfully required.
  • A buyer, investor or successor in connection with a proposed or completed corporate transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal safeguards.

We do not sell personal data. We do not share it for unrelated third-party advertising.

7. International transfers

Some providers may process data outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires safeguards, we use an adequacy regulation, approved contractual protections, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, or another lawful transfer mechanism. We also consider whether supplementary measures are needed.

You may contact us for further information about the safeguards relevant to a transfer, subject to confidentiality and security restrictions.

8. Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose collected, including legal, accounting, rights-management and dispute requirements.

Typical periods are:

  • General enquiries not leading to a transaction: up to 24 months after the last substantive contact.
  • Research and provenance correspondence: up to 7 years, or longer where it forms part of a continuing archive record and retention remains necessary and proportionate.
  • Contracts, licences, invoices and payment records: normally 7 years after the end of the relevant financial year or longer where required for continuing rights administration or a dispute.
  • Rights, takedown and correction records: normally 7 years after closure, with a minimal permanent correction record where needed to prevent recurrence.
  • Security logs: normally up to 12 months, unless required for incident investigation or legal claims.
  • Marketing consent and suppression records: for as long as needed to demonstrate consent or respect an objection.
  • Cookie-consent records: for a proportionate period aligned with the consent platform and review cycle.

We may retain anonymised statistics that no longer identify anyone.

9. Your rights

Subject to conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

  • Be informed about processing.
  • Obtain access to your personal data.
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Request erasure.
  • Restrict processing.
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.
  • Receive certain data in a portable format.
  • Withdraw consent at any time, without affecting earlier lawful processing.
  • Ask for information about safeguards used for certain international transfers.
  • Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

We do not intend to make decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects solely by automated means.

To exercise a right, email info@825ventures.online. We may request proportionate information to confirm identity and locate the relevant records. We normally respond within one month, subject to lawful extensions.

The Information Commissioner's Office can be contacted through ico.org.uk. We would appreciate the opportunity to address a concern first.

10. Photographs and people depicted

The archive contains historical and editorial photographs in which individuals may be identifiable. The public display and licensing of photographs involve legal considerations distinct from contact-form data. We assess privacy, copyright, freedom of expression, archival value, context, sensitivity and applicable law when deciding what to publish or license.

If you are depicted in a photograph or represent someone who is, you may contact us through the Rights Claims, Takedown and Corrections Policy. We will consider the request carefully. A request does not automatically establish identity, ownership or a right to removal, but it will receive a reasoned review.

11. Children

The website is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect children's personal data through general browsing. A parent or guardian who believes a child has submitted personal data should contact us.

Historical photographs may depict children. Publication and licensing decisions involving such material receive heightened review, particularly for sensitive or commercial contexts.

12. Security

We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risks, including access controls, restricted master-file storage, secure transmission routes where appropriate, backups, logging and service-provider review. No online system is completely secure, and you should avoid sending unnecessary confidential information by ordinary email.

13. Cookies

Our Cookie Policy explains the technologies used, their purposes and how to control optional storage. Non-essential technologies must not be activated before valid consent where consent is required.

14. Changes

We may update this notice to reflect changes in law, technology or processing. The latest version will be published here with a revised date. We will use an appropriate additional notice where a change materially affects individuals.

15. Contact

825 Ventures Ltd
Company number 16706831
128 City Road
London
EC1V 2NX
United Kingdom
Email: info@825ventures.online