BBC Archives
BBC Archives are collections documenting the BBC's broadcasting history, including copies of television and radio broadcasts, internal documents, photographs, online content, sheet music, commercially available music, BBC products (including toys, games, merchandise, books, publications, and program releases on VHS, Beta, Laserdisc, DVD, vinyl, audio cassette, audio book CD, and Blu Ray), press cuttings, artifacts and historic equipment.[1] The original contents of the collections are permanently retained but are in the process of being digitised. Some collections are being uploaded to the BBC Archives section of the BBC Online website for visitors to view. The archive is one of the largest broadcast archives in the world, with over 15 million items.
Overview
The BBC Archives encompass numerous collections containing materials produced and acquired by the BBC. The earliest material dates back to 1890.
The BBC is engaging in an ongoing project to digitise and preserve their entire archived programme material, migrating (transferring) recordings made on older analogue formats such as film, audio tape, videotape, vinyl, wax cylinders etc on to today's latest electronic formats as digital files, which are compatible with modern computer hardware and software equipment and systems. BBC Archives is constantly preserving, cataloguing and digitising its physical formats in order to safeguard material that is physically deteriorating for the future. Where their aim is to eventually create a complete digital archive where they no longer have to use now obsolete media formats and their respective equipment used for playing and migrating physical formats on to other physical formats. The BBC can instead then to continue to preserve original master material in their secure vaults. BBC Archives has contingencies in place when digitising material so that digitised copies are not accidentally overwritten, encrypted, deleted, incorrectly catalogued, incorrectly labelled and no more than one copy of each (other than various back up spare copies and other copies at various different sites) is digitised into the BBC Digital Archives.
Much of the audio-visual material was originally recorded on formats which are now obsolete and incompatible with modern broadcast equipment due to the fact that the machines used to reproduce many formats are no longer being manufactured. Additionally, some film and audio formats are slowly disintegrating, and digitisation also serves as a digital preservation programme.
The BBC Archive website was relaunched online in 2008 and has provided newly released historical material regularly since then.
In 2012, BBC Archive Development produced a book - primarily aimed as BBC staff - titled 'BBC Archive Collections: What's In The Archive And How To Use Them'.[4] This book describes the BBC's archive collections and offers guidance around on how items from the collections can be reused online.
Buildings
From 1963 to 2010, the majority of television material of nationally networked programmes in the BBC Archive were housed at the archive centre in Windmill Road, Brentford, in west London. Television programmes were also stored by the Open University in Milton Keynes, and by BBC nations and regional libraries around the country. In the late 1990s, and early in the 2000s material from the radio side of the BBC were also stored on the site. The condition of the three Windmill Road buildings deteriorated over the years and suffered occasional flooding incidents, and eventually the archive was relocated to a new centre at Perivale Park, Perivale, three miles north of the old site. The new BBC Archive Centre was opened in Summer 2010 and all material was successfully moved by March 2011.
Material is stored in thirteen vaults, controlled to match the best climate for the material inside them, and named after a different BBC personality depending on the content contained in them. In addition to the vaults, new editing, preservation and workrooms have been added so that the material can easily be transferred between formats as well as viewed, restored and digitised for future posterity. The building has also been fitted with fire suppression systems to protect the archive in the event of an incident at the centre, so the total loss of the archive is avoided.
As of April 2019, BBC Archives employs around 200 staff, most of whom are based at the Archive Centre in Perivale.[5]
Television Archive
The BBC Television Archive contains over 1.5 million tape items as well as over 600,000 cans of film material. The archive itself holds extensive material from approximately the mid-1970s onwards, when important recordings at the broadcaster were retained for the future.[6]
Recordings from before this date are less comprehensively preserved; the process of
Today, the majority of programmes are kept, including news, entertainment, drama and a selection of other long-running programmes such as quiz shows.[12] The remaining material from the television archive is offered to the British Film Institute prior to being disposed of.[13]
Sound Archive
The BBC Sound Archive contains the archived output from the BBC's radio output. Widespread recordings exist in the archive from the mid-1930s, when recording of programmes and speeches were kept for rebroadcast; the catalyst for this was the launch of the
The archive consists of multiple formats including
The Radio Digital Archive has been capturing radio programmes as broadcast quality wav files since 2008, with now over 1.5 million recordings growing daily.
Some of the wax cylinder collection has been donated to the British Library.
The Sound Archive is based at the BBC Archive Centre in Perivale, along with the television archive, and was previously based at Windmill Road, Brentford.
Written Archives
The BBC Written Archives contain all the internal written documents and communications from the corporation from the launch in 1922 to the present day.[22][23] Its collections shed light into the behind the scenes workings of the corporation and also elaborate on the difficulties of getting a television or radio programme to or off the air as the case may be.[24] The archive guidelines state that access to files post-1980 is restricted due to the current nature of the files; the general exception to this rule are documents such as scripts and Programme as Broadcast records.
The Written Archives are located at the BBC Written Archives Centre in
Photographic Library
The BBC Photographic Library is responsible for approximately 7 million images,[25] dating back to 1922,[26] created for publicity purposes and subsequently kept for future use.[27] In addition to programme promotion, a large number of images are of historic events which are often incorporate into the daily news bulletins; as a result, half the photographic library team work specifically with these images.[28] The images themselves are kept as originals in the archive, with digitisation only utilised when a specific image is required for use, when the image is sent in a digital format.[29] Copies of images are also used in case any images are damaged due to vinegar syndrome and other issues.[30]
The most requested images from the Archive include Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice, Michael Parkinson interviewing Muhammad Ali, Martin Bashir interviewing Diana, Princess of Wales and a picture of Delia Derbyshire at work in the Radiophonic workshop at the BBC.[31]
Archive Treasure Hunt
At the turn of the millennium, the BBC launched the BBC Archive Treasure Hunt, a public appeal to recover pre-1980s lost BBC radio and television productions.[32] Original material of many programmes was lost due to the practice of discarding recordings because of the need to reduce costs, copyright issues and for technical reasons.[33][34]
The resolution of this appeal was that over one hundred productions were recovered
Creative Archive Licence
The BBC together with the
The Licence was a trial, launched in 2005, and notable for the re-release of part of the
Voices from the Archives
Voices from the Archives was a former BBC project, launched in partnership with BBC Four that provided free access to audio interviews with various notable people and professions from a variety of political, religious and social backgrounds. The website ceased to be updated in June 2005, and the concept was instead adopted by BBC Radio 4 as a collection of film interviews from various programmes.
Heritage Collection
The BBC Heritage Collection is the newest of the BBC Archives and holds historic broadcast technology, art, props and merchandise.[40] The collection was created out of personal collections and bequeaths by former staff members, as the BBC had no formal policy on the heritage collection until c.2003.[40]
The collection includes, amongst other items, the BBC One Noddy Globe and clock,
The heritage collection itself has no single permanent home, as the majority of objects are on display, either around BBC properties or on loan to museums or other collections; the most significant museum housing the collection is the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.[44]
Programme Catalogue
Over the years, the BBC has used various programme catalogue databases to keep a record of the programmes in the archives. Internal databases include
See also
- BBC Genome Project
- Lost film
- Film preservation
- Missing Believed Wiped
- Telerecording
- Doctor Who missing episodes
- Timeline of the BBC
- Dad's Army missing episodes
References
- ^ Lee, Adam. "BBC Television Archive – What's in the BBC Archive". BBC Archive – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Kiss, Jemima (18 August 2010). "In The BBC Archive". Tech Weekly. London: Guardian News & Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ Sangster, Jim. "A new homepage for BBC Archive". BBC Internet Blog. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ “'BBC Archive Collections: What's In The Archives, And How To Use Them', Jake Berger
- ^ Riordan, Ciara (4 April 2017). "BBC Archive Facebook". BBC News. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ^ Lee, Adam. "BBC Television Archive – When did the BBC start to ensure that important broadcasts were not destroyed". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b c Lee, Adam. "BBC Television Archive – Why aren't there many recordings from the early days of television". BBC Archive – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b Lee, Adam. "BBC Television Archive – When did the BBC start recording programmes regularly". BBC Archive – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Williams, Adrian. "Preserving the Television Archive – Why was videotape invented". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Williams, Adrian (18 August 2010). "Safeguarding the BBC's archive". BBC Internet Blog. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Williams, Adrian. "Preserving the Television Archive – The oldest BBC Television film clip". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Lee, Adam. "BBC Television Archive – How does the BBC decide what to keep in its archive today". BBC Archive – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b Lee, Adam. "BBC Television Archive – Does the BBC offer recordings it's not keeping for the archive to anyone else". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Rooks, Simon. "BBC Sound Archive – Why did the BBC start making recordings". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Rooks, Simon. "BBC Sound Archive – Why aren't there many recordings from the early days of radio". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Weaver, Julia. "Preserving the Sound Archive – How did the Sound Archive begin". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d Rooks, Simon. "BBC Sound Archive – Does the BBC keep copies of all programmes today". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Weaver, Julia. "Preserving the Sound Archive – What are the earliest sound recordings". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b Weaver, Julia. "Preserving the Sound Archive – Discs". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016.
- ^ a b Weaver, Julia. "Preserving the Sound Archive – Tape". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ "A Tour of the BBC Archive at Windmill Road". BBC. 13 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ a b c "The Written Archives". The BBC Story. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Kavanagh, Jacquie. "BBC Written Archives – What are the BBC Written Archives". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Kavanagh, Jacquie. "BBC Written Archives – What do the documents reveal". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Dewar, Natalie. "Photographic Library – What's in the BBC Photo Library". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ "BBC Pictures". BBC Media Centre. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Dewar, Natalie. "Photographic Library – Why does the BBC have photographs". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Dewar, Natalie. "Photographic Library – The Team". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Dewar, Natalie. "Photographic Library – What format are the images stored on". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Dewar, Natalie. "Photographic Library – Preservation". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Dewar, Natalie. "Photographic Library – Our Top 10". BBC Archive – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ "BBC Online – Cult – Treasure Hunt – About the Campaign". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ "BBC Online – Cult – Treasure Hunt – About the Campaign". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ Stuart Douglas - www.thiswaydown.org (7 July 1965). "missing episodes articles". Btinternet.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ "No 4 2001 – Missing Believed Wiped". Fiat/Ifta. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ a b "BBC Online – Cult – Treasure Hunt – List of Finds". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ "'hunt' Unearths BBC Treasures From Radio, Tv | Business solutions from". AllBusiness.com. 9 November 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ a b c "Creative Archive pilot". BBC. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Creative Archive Licence". BBC. 23 August 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ a b O'Connell, Rory. "BBC Heritage Collection – Where do the items come from". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f O'Connell, Rory. "BBC Heritage Collection – Broadcast technology". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ O'Connell, Rory. "BBC Heritage Collection – Art". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ a b O'Connell, Rory. "BBC Heritage Collection – Costumes and Props". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ O'Connell, Rory. "BBC Heritage Collection – Where can I see items from the collection". BBC Archives – Meet the experts. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
External links
BBC Archives
- BBC Archives at BBC Online
- BBC Four – Collections at BBC Online
- BBC Archive collection – Archive Pioneers: Saviours of sound at the BBC at BBC Online
- BBC Programmes at BBC Online
- BBC Information and Archives at BBC Online
- Tech Weekly podcast: In the BBC archives from The Guardian website.
- BBC Archive Collections: What's In The Archives, And How To Use Them