Terms of Use

Last updated: 3 November 2026

The Ceylon Plates is a free, non-commercial archive of early photographs of Sri Lanka. By using this website you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use it. In these terms, “we” and “us” mean the people who run the archive.

1. Historical information only

The site is provided for education and general interest. Most photographs reached the collection without captions. Titles, places, dates, makers and descriptions may be estimated, incomplete or wrong, and some come from other sources that we have not independently confirmed. Please check anything important against other sources before relying on it. We welcome corrections.

2. Historical content

Many images were made during the colonial period and may reflect the attitudes of that time. Some captions are quoted as they appear on the print. Showing an image or a quotation does not mean we endorse it.

3. Photographs and reuse

Many of these photographs are very old, but copyright law differs between countries and the history of individual prints and scans is often unknown. We do not promise that any image is free of copyright or other rights, and we do not grant permission to reuse any photograph. If you want to reuse an image, you are responsible for working out whether you may do so and for obtaining any permission you need.

Please do not copy or republish images from this site unless the law or the rights holder allows it. Sharing a link to a page is always welcome, and social networks may show a preview image with that link.

Our own original writing, site design, logo and arrangement of the catalogue belong to us or our licensors, except for material owned by others. You may read, share links to and quote short passages from them with credit to The Ceylon Plates. Please ask us before any other use.

4. Rights concerns and removal requests

We respect the rights of others. If you believe an image or text infringes your rights, or a photograph concerns you or your family and you would like it reviewed, please contact us. Tell us the reference number or page address, explain your concern and say how we can reach you. We may hide material while we look into a request, and we may remove anything at our discretion.

5. Notes and messages you send us

You may send notes about photographs, and other messages, using our forms. You must not send anything unlawful, abusive, misleading or that belongs to someone else without permission, and please do not include private information about other people.

Notes are reviewed before they appear, and we may decline, edit or remove any note. A published note may show the name you choose to give. Published notes are visitors’ own views, and we do not check them unless a note is marked as confirmed.

By sending a note or message, you confirm that you are entitled to share it, and you allow us, free of charge and without time limit, to use, edit, publish and adapt it for the archive, including using it to correct our records. We are not obliged to use or reply to anything you send. We will not publish your email address, or publish other contact details without your permission. Messages sent through the contact form are private unless you agree otherwise.

Photographs you contribute

You may offer photographs for the archive. Only contribute a photograph if you own the rights in it or have permission from whoever does. Owning a print does not always mean owning the rights.

You must not contribute images containing nudity or sexual content, any sexualised or undressed image of a child, or anything unlawful. Please do not contribute recent photographs, or photographs of identifiable living people without their permission.

You keep the rights you have. By contributing, you give us a free, worldwide, non-exclusive permission, without time limit, to store, display, resize, describe and credit the photograph as part of the archive, including in our publicity for it. You can ask us to remove your photograph, and we will remove it from the site. Copies may remain for a short time in browsers and search engines outside our control.

Every contribution is reviewed privately first. We may decline or remove any photograph without giving a reason, and we may report unlawful material to the authorities.

6. Acceptable use

Please do not:

• use the site unlawfully or in a way that infringes anyone’s rights;
• try to disrupt the site, get around its security or gain unauthorised access to it;
• send spam or automated form submissions;
• place heavy automated load on the site;
• present the archive’s content in a false or misleading way, or suggest that we endorse you.

7. Links to other websites

We link to other websites as sources and for further reading. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content, availability or practices.

8. No warranties

The site is free and is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the fullest extent the law allows, we give no warranties of any kind, including about accuracy, completeness, availability, non-infringement or fitness for a particular purpose. We may change, suspend or close all or part of the site at any time.

9. Limit of liability

To the fullest extent the law allows, we are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of, or inability to use, the site or from relying on its content. This includes indirect or consequential loss. Nothing in these terms limits any liability or any consumer right that cannot legally be limited or excluded.

10. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms and will change the date at the top of this page when we do. If you keep using the site after a change, the updated terms apply.

11. Contact

Please write to us using the form on the About page. See also our Privacy Policy.