Archives Service

The BAS Archives Service holds records created by BAS and its predecessors, Operation Tabarin and the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), that relate to all activities, both scientific and administrative. We acquire records donated by former members of staff, as well as records for organisations closely related to BAS, which are held on long-term loan. A database of the artefacts at British historic sites in the Antarctic is maintained by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. Records produced by other Antarctic expeditions are held by repositories such as the Scott Polar Research Institute.

The records held by the Archives Service relate both to scientific activities and administrative and logistical operations in the Antarctic and Arctic. Together they provide a unique source of scientific polar data and information about organising and undertaking world-class research in a remote and hostile environment.

The Archives Service was first established by BAS in 1979 and since 1988 its holdings have been housed in purpose-built accommodation at the BAS Cambridge site. The Archives have ‘place of deposit’ status assigned by The National Archives, requiring the service to meet Government standards for storage and access. In 2018, the series of base and field reports and photographs that forms the backbone of the BAS archive collections was inscribed onto the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register. This recognises that the collection, through documenting the UK’s leading role in the modern era of Antarctic exploration, is a significant part of the nation’s memory.

Members of the public are welcome to visit the Archives by appointment. The office is accessible to wheelchair users.

Opening hours:

Monday – Friday: 09.30 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 17:00, by appointment only.

Contacting us:

You can contact us using the details on the Contact Us page. Please address post to ‘The Archives Service’.

Emailed enquiries can also be made to basarchives@bas.ac.uk.