THOMAS DANE GALLERY - IMAGE AND ARCHIVE ASSISTANT

Thomas Dane Gallery is currently seeking an Image and Archive Assistant at its London Gallery. The Image and Archive Assistant plays a key role supporting the Digital and Archive Manager in the documentation of the gallery's artists and exhibitions. 

Our ideal candidate is highly organised and capable of juggling a busy and varied workload. You will have a keen attention to detail, a good understanding of processing images and file types and an interest in artist archives and documentation. Some prior experience working with databases and archives is preferred though this could be from other fields outside of the art gallery world. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in a fast-paced commercial art gallery environment.

The Gallery offers the opportunity for hybrid working, which varies by position. This job will be offered with the facility to work remotely on a maximum of one day per week at the end of the probation period, which may vary according to organisational demands.

If you would like to apply for this role, please send us an up-to-date CV, along with a supporting letter, setting out why you are applying and how you meet the expectations of the job description and person specification. Please give examples from your career to date, including both paid and unpaid roles. Please also include full details of 2 referees, stating how long and in what capacity you have known them. We will be unable to confirm any offer of employment without satisfactory references; however, we will not seek references without first obtaining your prior consent. During the interview process we may ask you to undertake a short exercise to demonstrate your understanding and use of Photoshop.

All the information you provide will be treated in strictest confidence in accordance with the Gallery's Data Protection and recruitment policies and the UK GDPR.

Please send your CV and application letter by email (as a PDF attachment) to jobs@thomasdanegallery.com by the closing date of 21^st August 2026. We will not accept late applications.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST HAVE PERMISSION TO WORK IN THE UK TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE

Job Title: Image and Archive Assistant

Contract: 1 year in first instance

Hours: 10 - 6 Monday - Friday (some evening and weekend working may be required)

Annual Leave: 25 days plus public holidays

Location: Thomas Dane Gallery, St James's, London

Salary: dependent upon skills and experience

Responsible to: Digital and Archive Manager  

Responsible for: N/A   

Purpose and main responsibilities of the Role  

The Image and Archive Assistant plays a key role supporting the Digital and Archive Manager in the documentation of the gallery's artists and exhibitions.

Image Database, Artlogic & Archive

• Gathering, cataloguing and saving images and materials from artists, institutions, and external stakeholders with appropriate copyright compliance.
• Maintaining the gallery image database using the server system and saving accurate copyright credits and metadata.
• Supplying images and information (as permitted by copyright holders) to publications, press, external institutions and preparing detailed release paperwork and filing as appropriate.  
• Requesting installation images from external institutions, museums and galleries.
• Assisting with internal organisation documents - such as photography lists and overview documents - and ensuring internal communications are maintained effectively.
• Archiving artist materials for long term storage, ensuring compliance with the Gallery's collections care procedures.
• Supporting the maintenance and management of the gallery database (Artlogic).
• Assisting the gallery Registrar and Digital Archive Manager in maintaining and updating gallery records on Artlogic as needed - including image updates.

Photography

• Scheduling photography of new works and exhibitions with freelance photographers including providing shot lists and on-set support as required, sharing all information with the Digital and Archive Manager.
• Processing images using Adobe Photoshop to comply with requested file types, verifying colour profiles and modifying images, (e.g.  creating scale models).
•  Filing and labelling new incoming files and capturing and saving relevant metadata such as photographic credits.

Artist Research, Bibliographies and CVs

• Undertaking archival research as required to support artist and artwork documentation.
• Preparing documents of research when required for both internal and external uses.
• Updating artist CVs and bibliographies across the gallery server and website.
• Processing digital press clippings and mounting physical press using appropriate collections care for long term storage.
• Researching and updating exhibition histories against works on Art logic, in coordination with Artist Liaisons and Registrars.

Library & Publications

• Requesting and tracking publications for our artists' and gallery reference library for external shows and where we have released images for reproduction.
• Supporting and maintaining the gallery library system and catalogue stock inventory, including sales of gallery publications.
• Adding incoming publications to the catalogue database and adding to bibliographies information.
• Scanning publications with appropriate care to archival standards and saving on server as resource.
• Supporting the Digital and Archive Manager, Gallery Assistant and Artist Liaisons with coordination of special projects including gallery publishing projects, presentations and artist specific tasks as deemed necessary

Website Administration

• Supporting the maintenance and management of the gallery website, while coordinating with Artist Liaisons.
• Writing captions for publications and artworks for the website.
• Preparing artist publications, images and documentation for our website.

Miscellaneous

At the gallery there is an understanding and expectation that all team members will work together to undertake and share additional tasks, in line with their responsibility level, to enable the Gallery to meet deadlines, prepare and deliver exhibitions and events and meet deadlines.

Image and Archive Assistant - Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• At least one year's experience in a similar role
• Demonstrable knowledge of Adobe systems, in particular Photoshop and InDesign
• Understanding of crediting and copyright regulations
• Demonstrable evidence of processing images and working with image databases
•  Excellent communication skills written and verbal
• Evidence of successful team working
• Acute attention to detail
• Demonstrable evidence of showing initiative and working without direct supervision
• Evidence of working to tight and sometimes changing deadlines in a busy environment

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge and understanding of contemporary visual arts
• Experience working in a high-end commercial gallery
• Some experience of archiving in a gallery or similar setting