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Home , Alamy, Getty Images, Photographer, Photojournalism, Pixel, Stock photography

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1947 1937 1920 The Stock Timeline colour key: is formed Freelance Robertstock by four photographers - Guild - Formed in 1937 by founded by Bright text Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Arthur Brackman. indicates a company and David H. Armstrong Timeline "Chim" Seymour, with a focus Navy blue text indicates on . Magnum . a key milestone is an exclusive 'club' of the world's finest photographers. SECOND EDITION 1951 1957 1973 1975 1976

PACA is established, which The first digital French photo The British Association of Changes in the U.S. later became DMLA (Digital Picture Libraries & Agencies law made the creator of an Licensing Association). scan of a photo agency Sipa Press (BAPLA) is estabished as a the owner of the copyright, The company’s mission is is established. trade body to encourage best rather than the company that "to promote and protect the Russell Kirsch makes a practice in the industry. hired the to create interests of the media licensing 176 × 176 the work. This gave creators much community through advocacy, by scanning a of more incentive to create education and communication". his three-month-old son. on speculation, particularly for The first recorded attempt commercial purposes. at building a digital - the camera takes 23 seconds to take its first picture in December 1975.

Early Pre 1992 1990s 1990s 1989 1981

The first digital photograph Conceptual images become Until the early Corbis is founded by Bill acquires appears online of Les Horribles front and centre in the stock Gates in . Rumour has Cernettes, an all-girl science rock world, and a myriad of ‘global 1990s, all photo it, imagined a world Image Bank, making band, uploaded by Sir Tim communication’, ‘success’ and libraries used where instead of a hanging its mark on the stock Berners-Lee who asked the band ‘teamwork’ shots become picture, everybody would for scanned images to upload to the new clichés. physical archives. have big screens on their photo industry. “some sort of information system walls displaying art. he had just invented, called the ‘World Wide Web.'” Royalty-free is born - Photodisc is established in Seattle, selling CD ROMs of imagery. Once you’d Tim Berners-Lee, a British The Photo CD is created by bought the images on the disc, scientist at CERN, invents Kodak - the invention made you could use them again and the World Wide Web. Photodisc and other RF again without paying a further companies possible ‘royalty’ or fee.

1993 1993 1995 1995 1996

Mark Getty and Jonathan Picture Network International Getty acquires PhotoDisc launched their Getty acquires Klein form Getty Investments, create 'Seymour', the first first website where users Hulton archive. looking at opportunities in searchable, digital database Tony Stone, marking could browse, select and the creative world. of stock photos. the beginning of the download in real time photos Getty portfolio. for royalty-free use. CEPIC (Coordination of European Picture Agencies Stock, Press and Heritage) is established in Berlin, Corbis acquires Germany. CEPIC federates 800 picture Bettman. agencies and photo libraries in 20 countries across Europe, with the aim of being a united voice for the press, stock & heritage organisations of Europe in all matters relating to the photographic industry.

2003 2002 2000 1999 1997

Shutterstock JupiterMedia is created by Microstock enters the industry as is founded by James West, along with Getty Communications acquires CEO Alan Meckler. From 2004 iStockphoto is founded by Bruce his uncle Mike Fischer. At this time, a handful of PhotoDisc to form . is founded by onwards, JupiterMedia begins Livingstone. iStockphoto began large agencies dominate the stock photo industry in acquiring image assets, as a site where designers could and is still in its infancy. creating a separate stock share images for free. Alamy enters the market in a unique position, First known publicly shared City. photography division called offering a higher percentage to photographers picture via a cell phone, Jupiterimages, operating two Dreamstime goes onlineas a royalty- than it retains. The selection criteria for image by Philippe Kahn. websites, one for free-to-use free website. uploads is solely based on technical quality, images and one for low-cost giving photographers more freedom with their microstock images. Google Images starts as a image uploads. new place for people to find image content online. Getty buys The Image Bank from Kodak.

2004 2004 2005 2005 2006

Wikimedia Commons is created Blend Images is born. The royalty-free microstock Getty acquires Getty Images – an online repository of free- A stock collection that's image library 123RF is founded. use images, sound, and other indpendently owned by Jerry Kenelley's buys iStockphoto media files. a team of highly respected Fotolia is founded by Thibaud Stockbyte after a and enters the photographers working Elziere, Oleg Tscheltzoff together under the and Patrick Chassany, and fierce bidding war microstock market. is created by leadership of CEO becomes the biggest European with Corbis. Ludicorp as an image and Rick Leckrone. microstock agency. hosting website.

2015 2014 2010 2009 2008

Getty announces its embedded viewer, Instagram launches Canadian online photography Getty Images Adobe where images can be used for free in community 500PX is founded acquires exchange for an embedded link. as a free mobile by Oleg Gutsol and Evgeny acquires app, founded by Tchebotarev. The site was JupiterMedia. Fotolia. Alamy launches the Stockimo app, formerly a portfolio site, which making it possible to turn your iPhone Kevin Systrom and later converted to stock images into cash. Mike Krieger. photography. Snapwire is opened to the public by founders Chad Newell and Sky Gilbar. Flickr announces a partnership On this platform, buyers post a with Getty Images in which creative image brief or 'request' for selected users could submit the images they're looking for, and for stock photo photographers respond by submitting use and receive payment. their photos through the Snapwire website or iPhone app.

2016 2016 2016 TO BE CONTINUED

Corbis sells its image Adobe launch Mega Agency started licensing business to VCG, and VCG then gives AdobeStock and begin by Kevin Smith, exclusive distribution integrating it into their CEO of Splash . rights to Getty Images for those images. creative tools suite.