BBC Archive

Curated extracts from the BBC's huge content archive.

Gems from the Archive

1982: US borough bans the Walkman. Video, 00:02:01
BBC News reports on Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, which has banned personal audio devices.
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
6 August 1982
1990: Record Temperatures in heat wave. Video, 00:01:50
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
6 August 1990
Archive quiz: What animal is Sir David Attenborough describing?
Attribution
BBC
2012: Curiosity lands on Mars. Video, 00:03:51
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
6 August 2012
1951: Festival of Britain celebrated in lights. Video, 00:02:28
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
6 August 1951

Understand more about one of the world’s oldest and largest multimedia archives.

BBC Archives Technology & Services

The Music Is Black

The Music Is Black Mixtape. Video, 60 minutes
Attribution
BBC Radio 1Xtra
Available for 8 months
1983: Musical Youth go back to school. Video, 00:01:44
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
22 March 1983
1979: Poly Styrene – Punk Pioneer. Video, 00:02:27
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
22 January 1979

Made of Manchester

1984: George Michael and Morrissey disagree on Joy Division. Video, 00:05:31
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
25 May 1984
1973: Sir Matt Busby interviewed. Video, 00:07:38
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
3 November 1973
1991: Manbags in Manchester. Video, 00:04:48
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
16 June 1991
1949: Manchester's 'last' tram. Video, 00:01:19
Attribution
BBC Archive
Posted
17 January 1949

BBC Archive from around the UK

Explore thousands of BBC archive films. This unique collection shows life and events across the UK since the 1940s.

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1975: Worcester's secret sauce. Video, 00:03:26
Attribution
BBC
Posted
1 day ago
1975: Weymouth's sand sculptures. Video, 00:04:34
Attribution
BBC
Posted
2 days ago
1978: Life in a Birmingham Prefab. Video, 00:04:13
Attribution
BBC
Posted
3 days ago
1976: Water rationing in Jersey. Video, 00:01:49
Attribution
BBC
Posted
6 days ago
1991: Manbags in Manchester. Video, 00:04:48
Attribution
BBC
Posted
7 days ago
1975: The world's first shop for left-handers. Video, 00:04:05
Attribution
BBC
Posted
29 July
1976: How to keep your plants alive in a heatwave. Video, 00:05:05
Attribution
BBC
Posted
28 July
1966: Bringing football home in 1966. Video, 00:06:26
Attribution
BBC
Posted
16 July
1990: The classic red phone box. Video, 00:03:12
Attribution
BBC
Posted
30 June
1985: Dame Penelope Keith on her much-loved television roles. Video, 00:04:39
Attribution
BBC
Posted
29 June
1981: Look inside pop-up book 'Haunted House' Video, 00:05:54
Attribution
BBC
Posted
29 June
1986: GCSEs – a new qualification for school students. Video, 00:03:45
Attribution
BBC
Posted
15 June
1976: David Hockney on his early life and influences. Video, 00:04:33
Attribution
BBC
Posted
12 June
1979: Poly Styrene – Punk Pioneer. Video, 00:02:27
Attribution
BBC
Posted
29 May
1979: Muhammad Ali's Farewell Tour reaches Birmingham. Video, 00:04:09
Attribution
BBC
Posted
27 May
1966: This is what England footballers are made of. Video, 00:02:55
Attribution
BBC
Posted
26 May
1982: Aswad on reflecting their experience through music. Video, 00:03:11
Attribution
BBC
Posted
22 May
1983: Musical Youth go back to school. Video, 00:01:44
Attribution
BBC
Posted
21 May
1985: Courtney Pine, a talented young jazz musician. Video, 00:04:39
Attribution
BBC
Posted
20 May
1980: A new salon for black hair. Video, 00:02:31
Attribution
BBC
Posted
14 May
1980: How to make a classic English cricket bat. Video, 00:06:01
Attribution
BBC
Posted
12 May
1991: Introducing The Red Barrows! Video, 00:03:10
Attribution
BBC
Posted
11 May
1974: The man who talks to his bees. Video, 00:03:36
Attribution
BBC
Posted
8 May
1986: Suckling Airways - putting Ipswich on the map. Video, 00:01:59
Attribution
BBC
Posted
7 May

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