June 5, 2012, marked the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To celebrate this exceptional event, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) presents an outline of the types of photographs held in its collection about Queen Elizabeth II.Since the 1950s, The Queen has made more than 20 visits to Canada! Our collection contains numerous photos, movies, private and government documents, stamps and even some cartoons of Her Majesty, which were used to convey a particular message. Ready for an overview of the photographs?

Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Vladimir Tiara, the Queen Victoria Jubilee Necklace, the blue Garter Riband, Badge and Garter Star and the Royal Family Orders of King George V and King George VI (1959). (e010975985-v8)

Photographs

We have many photographs of Queen Elizabeth II in our collection; several of which are digitized and accessible via Flickr. You can also browse photographs from Collection Search.

Here are some interesting references:

• 21 colour photographs of the Queen’s Coronation, Department of National Defense fonds, sub-series ZK
• Official portraits of the Queen, National Film Board fonds, sub-series Still Photography Division
• A vast assortment of photographs depicting the British royal visits and events in the Federal News Photos fonds, including the Queen’s coronation in 1953, the official visits to Canada, the official photographs of the Royal family at Windsor Palace in 1959 and much more!
• The fonds of photographer Rosemary Gilliat Eaton contains many wonderful pictures of the Queen; including many of her visit to Canada in 1957.
• The Weekend Magazine contains photographs of the royal tours during the 1950s. Those pictures which are often candid shots, provide an interesting contrast to official photos.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!