Universal Images Group Acquires Marka ITEM

10th January 2023.Reading time 2 minutes.

Universal Images Group Limited (UIG) is delighted to announce it has acquired the Marka ITEM collection, based in Milan, Italy. The collection will be integrated into UIG’s archive during December and will become immediately available for distribution and licensing through UIG’s extensive global network of licensing partners. The Marka ITEM collection features subject strengths in European […]

Best of Kaleidoscope 2022

19th December 2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

Take a journey with us as we look back at the posts we added to Kaleidoscope in 2022 and the interesting, topical and striking images that we chose to include in them. Don’t forget to use the ARCHIVE link at the bottom of this page to view all our previous posts – we’re sure there […]

Curious Inventions – which would you pick?

7th November 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

by Matthew Pope ‘The value of an idea lies in the using of it.’ is a great quote by the famed inventor of the light bulb, motion film camera, phonograph and more – Thomas A Edison. You have an idea – so put it into practice, build it, try it! That is what inventors do. […]

Vintage Travel Posters

31st October 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

Vintage travel posters evoke happy memories of family vacations, honeymoons, and open-eyed adventures around the world. These wonderfully designed, bright and cheerful posters long ago crossed over from mere promotional works to become both sought-after art and collector’s items. Travel posters began in the early 20th century as effective advertisements for rail and cruise line companies. Rail companies […]

The Multi-Tasking Gargoyles

24th October 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Throughout France and elsewhere in Europe, many gothic-inspired structures and cathedrals feature gargoyles adorning their exteriors. Gargoyles are often fearsome, fantastical, and humorous and were originally included in gothic architectural design to serve two purposes – to scare off evil spirits and as waterspouts directing water drainage away from the structure. Curiously, no two gargoyles are […]

Queen Elizabeth II

15th September 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

We are deeply saddened at the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Serving her country and commonwealth as Queen since 1952 as the longest reigning monarch. A selection of images from our archive is a tribute to a life, a lot of it in the public eye, of a woman in an iconic position as diplomat, […]

The Pier – a leisurely way into the sea

8th August 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

The ‘pier’ as Wikipedia states does have slightly different meanings in various parts of the world (such as in the USA where it will often refer to a working pier for shipping and cargo). However, the popular idea of the pier is that of one for leisure purposes. They are a place we remember during […]

Image Quest

11th July 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Thanks to our focus on educational subjects, UIG has enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Encyclopaedia Britannica, helping them curate and manage the Image Quest online educational image database, a global product that is offered to individual schools, educational authorities, and ministries. The product is licensed under a subscription model and students and teachers access […]

Robots before 1900 – must be a wind-up! – The Automaton

4th April 2022.Reading time 11 minutes.

Sometimes, realising that what seems new is actually old can be surprising and fascinating. Take robots as an example. They are now at an advanced stage compared to 10 years ago and that speed of development is increasing. But the concept of a robot as a device that is engineered to serve a duty, construct […]

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” — Mahatma Gandhi

7th March 2022.Reading time 10 minutes.

On the 100th anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s (1869-1948) arrest for sedition, we honor one of the greatest champions for human rights our world has ever known. Gandhi’s doctrine of Satyagraha (nonviolent protest to achieve political and social progress) has inspired positive change worldwide in the past century, including the Civil Rights movement in the United States. […]