The Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive is a historical collection of photographs related to Jersey, it was established by the Société Jersiaise which focuses on the island’s history, culture, and heritage. The archive has its origins in the late 19th century when the society recognised the importance of preserving visual records of the island’s past. Over the years, the archive has grown significantly and now includes a vast collection of over 125,000 photographs representing various eras, from the earliest days of photography to the present. The images document Jersey’s landscapes, people, architecture, and daily life, providing valuable insights into the island’s history and evolution. Looking at pictures from the past, we can learn a great deal about our islands social, economic, and cultural development. Photographs capture moments in time, offering a look into the island’s changing landscapes, architecture, fashion, transportation, and societal norms. Archiving and organising our personal images and text messages is increasingly important and frequent in the digital age. These archives can reveal a lot about an individual’s life and experiences. On a societal level, the way we archive and manage digital information speaks to our technological advancements and understanding of our future. As technology evolves, so do our methods of organising and preserving digital records, reflecting broader trends and values.

William Collie, born in 1810 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, lived in Jersey from 1850 to 1878 where he lived in Belmont Road and Bath Street, he became one of the photographic paper print pioneers. He was one of the first photographers in Jersey to use the calotype after he started his career in portrait painting. One of his most popular works is the “French and Jersey Market Women” collection which is the oldest set of images (signed and dated) taken in Jersey, over 174 years ago. The Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive lists 157 photographs by William Collie, however none of them can be viewed online. His photography was a mixture of candid and professional portraits as he explored lower- and upper-class subjects and how they lived in Jersey. He used their working or living environment and their clothing as a way to show the heavy separation between classes in the 19^th century. As Collie was one of the only photographers at the time, his images are some of the only ways to visually understand this time period. The image below is one of the earliest photographs printed on paper, it is Collie’s portrait of Jersey market women in 1847.