COLLIER PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION

The collection contains three series of glass plate negatives of Collier's photographs relating to Abingdon, Aldbourne (Wilts), Aldershot, Aldermaston, Aldworth, Arborfield, Ascot, Ashampstead, Ashbury, Ashford Hill, Aston, Aston Tirrold (Oxon), Bagshot, Barkham, Basildon, Basingstoke (Hants), Baughurst (Hants), Beaconsfield, Bearwood, Beech Hill, Beenham, Benson, Binfield, Binfield Heath (Oxon), Bisham, Bix, Blackwater, Blewbury, Booker, Boxford, Bourne End (Bucks) , Bournemouth (Dorset), Bracknell, Bradfield, Bramley (Hants), Bramshill (Hants), Bray, Brightwalton, Brightwell, Brimpton, Buckland, Bucklebury, Burchetts Green, Burghclere, Burghfield, Burnham Beeches, Cadmore, Camberley (Surrey), Caversham, Chaddleworth, Chalfont St Peter, Chalgrove (Oxon), Chavey Down, Checkendon (Oxon), Chieveley, Chilton (Oxon), Chilton Foliat (Wilts), Chobham (Surrey), Christchurch (Hants), Cleeve (Oxon), Cockington (Devon), Cold Ash, Compton, Cookham, Cookley, Cowley (Oxon), Crays Pond (Oxon), Crookham, Crowthorne, Didcot (Oxon), Donnington, Earley, Eastbury, East Garston, East Ilsley, Easthamstead, Eccinswell, Emmer Green (Oxon), Englefield, Ewelme (Oxon) Farley Hill, Farnborough, Finchampstead, Flackwell Heath (Bucks), Fleet (Hants), Frilsham, Frimley and Frimley Green (Surrey), Froxfield (Wilts), Goring (Oxon), Goring Heath (Oxon), Grazeley, Great Bedwyn (Wilts), Great Shefford/East Shefford Halton, Ham (Wilts), Hambleden, Hare Hatch, Hampstead Norris, Harpdsden (Oxon), Hartford Bridge (Hants), Hartley Wintney (Hants), Harwell (Oxon), Haseley Heath, Hawley (Hants), Hayling Island (Hants), Headington (Oxon), Headley, Heckfield (Hants), Henley (Oxon), Hermitage, Herriard (Hants), Highclere (Hants), Highmoor (Oxon), High Wycombe (Bucks), Hook (Hants), Hungerford, Hurley, Hurst, Iffley (Oxon), Inkpen, Ipsden (Oxon), Kidmore End (Oxon), Kiln Green, Kingsclere (Hants), Kintbury, Knapp Hill, Knowl Hill, Laleham (Surrey), Lambourn, Lightwater (Surrey), Little Loddon (Hants), Littlecote House (Wilts), Little Milton (Hants), Littlemore (Oxon), Littlewick Green, Longmoor, Loudwater, Ludlow (Salop), Maiden Erleigh, Maidenhead, Mapledurham (Oxon), Marlborough (Wilts), Marlow (Bucks), Mattingley (Hants), Medmenham (Bucks), Minley Manor, Yateley, Mortimer, Moulsford, Nettlebed (Oxon), Newbury, Newtown, North Stoke (Oxon), North Waltham (Hants), Odiham (Hants), Oxford (Oxon), Padworth, Pangbourne, Penn (Bucks), Peppard, Peppard Common (Oxon), Pheasants Hill, Hambledon (Bucks), Oinkneys Green (Berks), Purley, Ramsbury (Wilts), Reading, Remenham, Riseley, Rotherwick (Hants), Ruscombe Sandhurst, Seale (Surrey), Shalbourne near Hungerford (Wilts), Sherborne St John (Hants), Sherfield (Hants), Shinfield, Shiplake (Oxon), Shiplake (Oxon), Shurlock Row, Silchester (Hants), Slough, Sonning, Sonning Common (Oxon), Sotwell, South Stoke (Oxon), Spencers Wood, Staines (Surrey), Stanford Dingley, Steventon, Stoke Poges, Stoke Row (Oxon),Stoner (Oxon), Stratfield Saye (Hants), Streatley, Sulham, Sulhamstead, Sunningdale, Sunninghill, Sutton Courtney, (Oxon), Swallowfield, Swindon (Wilts), Swyncombe (Oxon), Tadley (Hants), Taplow (Bucks), Thatcham, Taplow (Bucks), Theale, Three Mile Cross, Tidmarsh, Tifton, Tilehurst, Tokers Green (Oxon), Tongham (Surrey), Twyford, Ufton Nervet, Virginia Water (Surrey), Waltham St Lawrence, Wanborough (Wilts), Wantage (Oxon), Warfield, Wargrave, Watlington (Oxon), Welford Park, Wellington College, West Woodhay, Whitchurch (Oxon), White Waltham, Wickham, Winchmore Hill (Bucks), Windlesham (Surrey), Winnersh, Windsor, Witteham Clumps (Oxon), Wokingham, Wolverton, Wonersh (Surrey), Wooburn (Bucks), Woodcote (Oxon), Woodlands Park, Woodley, Woolhampton, Woolton Hill (Hants), Worting (Hants), Wrecclesham (Surrey), Yateley (Hants), Yattendon, Wokingham

Phillip Osborne Collier (1881-1979) came to Reading from Windsor late in the 1890's. He began work as a Trainee Electrician at the Royal County Theatre, Friar Street. From 1916-1918 Collier served in the Royal Flying Corps as a cook. During the Second World War Collier became a Special Constable. From the 1920's Collier worked for the Berkshire Chronicle (now the Reading Chronicle), the Reading Standard and the Berkshire Mercury in addition to freelance work. For two periods in the mid 1920's and again in the 1930's Collier worked in partnership with Eric Guy, a Basingstoke Photographer and the partners' work appeared in the magazines Farmer's Weekly and Farmer and Stockbreeder. They worked from premises in Waylen Street, Reading and 106, Oxford Street, Reading. Collier also produced cigarette cards, greetings cards, calendars and scenic real postcards.

he negatives are arranged into three main series. The 'early series' of half plates date from 1905 until the mid-1930s and are arranged by location (E1-266). The 'late series' of quarter plates date from the mid-1930s until the 1960s and are also arranged by location (L1-87). Miscellaneous (non-topographical) items are arranged by subject (M1-34).E1-226 Negatives (half plate glass / paper) :

L1-87 Negatives (quarter plate glass)

M1-34 Negatives (half and quarter plate glass and paper)

P1 Prints (archive set)

P2 Receipt books

Open for consultation

The Museum of English Rural Life purchased the negatives. Accession number DX323

Compiled by Caroline Gould, 27 November 2002

A detailed catalogue is available at the Museum of English Rural Life

Collier produced postcards. A large collection are held by private collectors

Please contact the Archivist

Collier worked prolifically, and seems to have destroyed many of the negatives he created at some time before 1945. Many more were destroyed after his death.