Build a careful cricket-photograph caption
Use a printable evidence sheet to separate what a cricket photograph shows, what its caption claims and what still needs a source.
Use this sheet with a photograph you may legitimately inspect. You do not need to upload it or reproduce it here. The task is to draft a caption that another reader can check, keeping uncertain names, dates and team identities visible.
Start a record
Copy the fields onto paper or into your own document. Keep private contact details and unpublished personal material out of a public version.
| Field | Your record |
|---|---|
| Item reference and where the original or copy is held | ____________________ |
| Creator or source, as far as known | ____________________ |
| Exact existing caption and where it appears | ____________________ |
| What is directly visible, without identifying people | ____________________ |
| Proposed date, place and team or XI | ____________________ |
| Evidence for each proposed identification | ____________________ |
| Alternative explanation or unanswered question | ____________________ |
| Date checked and the next source to consult | ____________________ |
The date on a scan or website upload is not automatically the photograph’s date. A remembered identification is useful as a lead; record who supplied it with appropriate permission and seek supporting evidence before presenting it as settled.
Try a fictional example
Imagine an unlabelled print showing nine people in cricket clothing beside a pavilion. A later envelope says “first XI, 1980s”. No photographer, match or season is identified. This is an invented exercise, not a description of a Langleybury item.
| Claim | What the supplied material supports | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Nine people appear in the print | A direct visual count in this fictional example | Check whether the print is cropped. |
| It is the first XI | The envelope supplies this claim, not proof of the team identity | Look for a dated caption, programme or independently identified print. |
| The photograph dates from the 1980s | A later label gives an approximate date | Compare documented pavilion changes or dated images; retain the range as uncertain meanwhile. |
An appropriate provisional caption might be: “Cricket group beside a pavilion; date, location and team identity unconfirmed. A later envelope labels it ‘first XI, 1980s’.” It preserves the label without converting it into a verified identification.
Review the caption
Underline each name, date, place and claim about an event. Can you point to the evidence for it? Where you cannot, qualify it or leave it open. Do not infer an absent person’s identity from the number visible, or silently expand initials.
Keep a change note if new evidence improves the caption. Permission to inspect a photograph and permission to publish it are separate matters; consult the rights holder or applicable reuse terms before sharing a copy. Our collection guide explains the archive leads, while the current club remains the route for today’s club business.
Sources and further reading
- The National Archives: Using photographs to find out about the past — checked 2026-11-09
- Intellectual Property Office: digital images, photographs and the internet — checked 2026-11-09