The Endangered Archives Programme captures forgotten and still not written histories, often suppressed or marginalised. It gives voice to the voiceless: it opens a dialogue with global humanity’s multiple pasts. It is a library of history still waiting to be written.
Lisbet Rausing, co-founder of the Endangered Archives Programme

The Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) facilitates the digitisation of archives around the world that are in danger of destruction, neglect or physical deterioration. Thanks to generous funding from Arcadia, a charitable foundation that works to preserve cultural heritage and promote open access to knowledge, we have provided grants to over 500 projects in over ninety countries worldwide, in more than a hundred languages and scripts.

Since 2004, the Programme has helped digitise more than sixteen million images and 35,000 sound tracks. Archive types digitised so far include rare printed sources, manuscripts, visual materials, audio recordings. This continually expanding online collection is available freely through local archival partners, this website and it is discoverable via the British Library catalogue, for research, inspiration and enjoyment.

You can explore our archives in three ways: browse using the tab above; type a keyword or keywords into the search box above, or click on the interactive map below.