The BFI @ 75: Preservation

March-May 2008, Reading Room

Throughout 2008 the Library's displays will reflect on the BFI's contribution to film and TV culture over the last 75 years.  We start with that which is at the heart of all we do: Preservation.

From humble beginnings the collections of the Archive and Library have grown into a much used national treasure formed and reshaped by cultural and political change.  We strive to preserve these collections for the enjoyment of present and future generations.  There is great awareness of this need by all who support our work.

Collection & Information

The Archive's collection was founded in 1935 as part of the BFI's remit to 'maintain a national repository of films of permanent value'.  As well as establishing the collection we have carried out restorations on a number of films, some of the most widely acclaimed having been Abel Gance's Napoléon and the Mitchell and Kenyon Collection.  We record approximately 25% of all ITV1, C4 and C5 programmes for preservation each day of the year.  The David Lean centenary celebrations this summer will include screenings of ten of his films from the 1940s and 1950s which have been newly restored for the occasion.

The Stills, Posters and Designs unit's unique archives hold materials which were produced for a film's promotion but which with time have taken on much wider significance and research value.  The stills collection numbers over 100,000 titles from films around the world, with over 70,000 images now acquired digitally and available to view via a portal in the Library. In addition there are over 20,000 posters, acquired where possible direct from the distributors.

The Library's collections date from the age of pre-cinema's magic lanterns through to today's global entertainment industry and come with their own unique preservation requirements.  Sometimes, when a film has been physically lost to posterity, unfinished or unrealised, the documentation related to the project is the only evidence the researcher may have.  The Special Collections unit was set up to focus full-time on the development of these collections, which now number around 800, including 25,000 unpublished scripts and a similar number of 'press' or publicity campaign books.

We would like to show you how, with your help, we go about preserving the nation's heritage.  In return we ask you to tell us how the BFI's work has affected you in your everyday life. Perhaps you're not aware that it has.

"I took some comfort from the fact that this little sketch would remain safe in the collection to capture the essence of the man for other researchers who might follow."
Charles Drazin, July 2006

Share your stories on preservation, publishing and education, exhibition and production carried out by, or as a result of, the BFI to enter a draw for a year's free membership of the library.  Be part of our history.

"It has been our great pleasure at the Twentieth Century Fox Photo Archive to establish an ongoing exchange program with you and the British Film Institute, one of the world's most important archives of motion picture stills."
Rob Easterla, January 2008

Use our contact form to submit your entry. The draw will take place on 30 September 2008 and the winner will be contacted by email.