How to... Search

Keyword search

Use the keyword search to find items in the Collection by entering words or phrases. The search checks fields such as title, description, tags, creator, and owner. You can combine multiple keywords or use quotation marks for exact phrases. Results are shown with the newest first.

To refine results, apply topic filters under subject headers.

Special characters for advanced search:

, → either/or (e.g., old, books)

+ → must include (e.g., old +books)

- → exclude (e.g., old -books)

* → fuzzy search (e.g., aber* finds similar words)

Category search

Filter results by broad categories under two main groups:

What – themes such as Arts and Culture, Community and Social, Geology, Industry and Commerce, Physical Environment, Religion and Belief, Sport and Leisure, and War, Protest and Politics.

When – time periods including 21st century, 20th century, 19th century, 18th century, Archaeological, and Geological Periods.

Each group has categories and sub-categories (e.g., What → Arts and Culture → Music or When → 20th century → 1950s).

You can select multiple sub-categories to refine your search further.

Type of content

Search the People’s Collection Wales by content type:

Items: individual photographs, documents, or audio/video recordings
Collections: sets of related items grouped by a shared theme
Stories: narrative pages that link related items around a common theme

Media type

Filter according to format of the digital item: Picture, Document, Audio, Video or Other.

Mapping

You can also search the Collection using the digital map. Items with geo-location data appear on the map and can be found by entering place names, keywords, or categories to refine results.

Historical map layers offer an additional way to explore changes in the landscape over time.