Aerial photographs

How to find aerial photographs?

1. RAF aerial photographs, 1943 - 1947

The RAF aerial photographs are available via the Wageningen University & Research - Geoportal. Use of the Geoportal is free. You can explore the photographs in a geographical context. You can select an area in the map or search by location, flight data, flight number or pilot name. Please read the Geoportal Help for further explanation. The collection comprises 94,257 photographs made by the Allied Air Force (RAF) flying over the Netherlands. The flight dates range from April 14th 1943 until June 18th 1947, but most are from 1944 and 1945. You can download a medium resolution (150 dpi) for free or purchase a high resolution photo.

2. Grebbelinie, 1939

This collection contains 516 photographs taken by the Survey Department of Public Works and Water Management (Meetkundige Dienst van Rijkswaterstaat) in September 1939. They cover the defence line 'Grebbelinie' in the Dutch provinces Gelderland and Utrecht on a scale of 1 : 10,000. The photos of the Grebbelinie are digitally available via Dotka Data. They are not available in the Geoportal yet. You can download a medium resolution (150 dpi) for free or purchase a high resolution photo.

3. Other aerial photographs

Special Collections holds several smaller collections of aerial photographs, e.g. from the Nederlandse Luchtmacht from October 1962 - May 1963. Information at the reading room of Special Collections.

How to buy aerial photographs?

Do you want to purchase a (digital) copy? The analogue aerial photographs of the RAF Aerial Photographs and The Grebbelinie were scanned by the company Dotka Data who acts as the reseller for these collections of WUR.

High quality copies of the scans (300 and 1200 dpi) can be purchased at their web shop or viewed and downloaded in medium resolution (150 dpi). None commercial, scholarly users in the field of history and WUR students and employees can apply for special tariffs to this tariff and discount agreement (both in Dutch).