Woman in a rowing boat (c.1890). Courtesy National Media Museum/Kodak Museum

The National Media Museum in Bradford has become the first UK institution to make parts of its collection available on Flickr, the popular photo sharing and networking website.

So far only six other institutions have taken part in The Commons – the website’s new scheme to increase access to publically held photography collections. These include The Library of Congress and The Smithsonian in the USA.

The National Media Museum’s holdings comprise some of the best and most important work by both historic and contemporary practitioners.

A Fisherman At Home by Peter Henry Emerson (c.1887). Courtesy National Media Museum/The Royal Photographic Society

As well as photographs by such influential figures as Julia Margaret Cameron, Anna Atkins and Sir John Herschel, it holds the world’s first negative and the pre-eminent William Henry Fox Talbot Collection.

Curators at the museum have selected three initial groups of photographs to make available online. These are: Peter Henry Emerson’s Pictures from Life in Fields and Fen (1887), a selection of Kodak No.1 circular photos (c.1890) and a set of “spirit” photographs taken by the medium William Hope (c.1920).

Mrs Bentley and the spirit of her deceased sister by William Hope (c.1920). Courtesy National Media Museum

Greg Hobson, Curator of Photographs at the National Media Museum, said: “Working with Flickr gives us a unique opportunity to show selections of photographs from our Collection that we hope demonstrates its surprising wealth and diversity of content.”

There may be additional benefits for the institutions involved since a worldwide audience will now have the chance to contribute information and comments about the photographs on display.

The first groups of photographs to be added may be found at www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmediamuseum/