TWO of Preston's most famous landmarks are to feature in a national project -- one of the world's largest picture libraries.

The Grade I listed Harris Museum and Art Gallery and a Grade II listed water fountain in Haslam Park are to be pictured and included in the Images of England website.

The site will contain thousands of pictures of England's historic monuments -- thanks to a £3.09m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and sponsorship from Kodak and English Heritage -- and is being run by the National Monuments Record, the public archive of English Heritage.

The Harris, built in 1882, is arguably Preston's most famous landmark, and the Haslam Park water fountain was built in 1911 with the inscription, "and keep the pavement dry," on it.

More than 650 volunteer photographers are taking the pictures, which will be free to access on the Internet. Photographers have been asked to record the buildings as they look at the end of the 20th century.

Barry Lane, chair of the Royal Photographic Society, said: "Images of England is not trying to produce timeless architectural images, but rather capturing a sense of the reality of how these parts of the nation's heritage appear in their everyday settings.

"Part of the fascination of these images in the future will lie in the sense of time and place they provide."

Images of England will offer the first comprehensive Internet guide to England's historic buildings, creating an invaluable resource at the fingertips of conservationists, history groups -- and anyone with access to the Net.

The pictures will appear on www.imagesofengland.org.uk as and when they are taken.