Thanks Dave ,I appreciate your information and thansk for sharing it with us all.You sure had a job one would die for.hope your current job is as interesting.best wishes Hank

Hi David,

the problem is, that in case you can get postcards in the museum shops, it is usually one about a painting I already have in my collection or some of the very good Brian Fosten paintings. Beside this, sometimes you can get a museum guide with some of the uniforms.

But what is important for me, are details. And this you can't get until you make the photos yourself. Plates from Shakos, weapons. Some of the smaller paintings, etc... Sometimes, when you can talk to the curator of the museum, you will get the allowance.

I have this problem with the photos only in the UK. IN Germany, Austria, France and Belgium it was never a problem to make photos in the past.

The webpages you mentioned are interesting, but as usual it is just an overview. As there are a lot of interesting museums all over the world, which I will never see (I fear), I thought it an interesting idea to exchange some photos. For example a friend of mine had his honeymoon in Cuba and visited the army museum there. A lot of interesting Spanish and Cuban uniforms from the wars of 1880-1900. Another friend brought photos from Japan, they have a lot of interesting stuff too.

There is a museum in Bulgaria about the battle of Plevna with the Panorama painting and uniforms from this war. Some you can see on their webpage. I contacted them, asking for more information. I would have paid them for some photos, booklets, postcards etc. But sadly I've got no answer.

Because of all this I thought it a good idea to exchange photos with freaks all over the world, who have not the chance to visit places in my area, but have photos of their own museums.

cheers
Uwe

Dear Uwe
I understand your point. Indeed I have written on the subject of adult users of museums. Sometimes guide books are not done with the enthusiast in mind and are very superficial.

Your idea of a sharing exchange is a great idea.

This museum ( regts of Wiltshire) has a good on line collection but the images are low res.

http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/collection.php

(eg a photo of sun goggles as worn in the Boer War with blue lenses)

It shows what could be done by a museum as a proper learning resource. Low res was the norm before broadband.

The National Army Museum promises more on line archives at the moment their site is just a glorified advert like many of the other regt museums.

I absolutely agree. I visited Les Invalides recently. They have a stunning collection, but do not allow photography. That would be fine if they offered images of their exhibits - postcards, books, prints - anything, but no. Another fantastic resource that is going to waste.

When I visited the museum years ago they had quite a lot to offer in their Museum shop (called "Boutique" in French). Have you actually been there?

I suggest you console yourself with this:

http://www.fusiliers.com/museedelarmee.html

Cheers

Hi

Yes, I went to the shop, and they had a great stock of books and other items - I bought several. However they had nothing specifically about their own collection apart from a very small book highlighting just 100 items, which doesn't scratch the surface of what they have. Since I cant draw I had no way of recording all the marvelous things I saw there, which was a great disappointment.

Well worth a visit, but be prepared to commit a lot to memory!

Last time I was there I could take photos without flash, which is no problem.

In 2003 I could take photos without a problem. Is this interdiction new?

Dont know if it is new. I went in 2004 and a staff member stopped me from taking photos with flash. The displays are too dark without flash so that was that!

On summer 2005, I could take many photographs without flash, I used 400 or 800 ASA films (don't remember) on purpose, and all of them came out perfect.

Yes take 800 or 1200 Asa, or take an electronical camera, even better.

Hi guys

My camera is digital, and while it has a lot of settings I dont know what most of them do . You are right - I should take the time to learn how to take pictures in poor light conditions. Excuse enough for another trip to Paris

A big part of the problem is that many museums really aren't set up to shoot well. Often times you can't back up far enough to get everything into the picture (or you have to back up too far and get something else in the way) unless you have the right lens. Also exhibits behind glass frequently have too much glare. And of course sometimes the exhibits are displayed in a way that is is difficult to get unobstructed shots. IIRC (its been a couple of decades), my problem at Les Invalides was that the flags were hung too close together to photograph individual ones. With CD technology it ought to be possible for museums to sell photos of their complete collections at relatively little cost to themselves.

It should be - but sometimes I have the feeling that here in Europe most staff is just there not to be helpfull but just wait for their pension.