BBC Radio Archive

Established in 1922, BBC radio archive has themed collections of radio and TV programmes, documents and photographs that date back as far as in the 1930s. Very few recordings were made, the reason being that when the Broadcasting House was opened in 1932, the company wanted to make a programme regarding the first ten years of the BBC, but none of these recordings existed.

Visitors can see how the BBC works and how broadcasting has changed by going behind the scenes and exploring the archives.

Some highlights from the archive include an interview with South African music legend Hugh Masekela. In the interview, Hugh talks about his personal life as an anti-apartheid activist. When music composer and ethnomusicologist David Fanshawe died in July 2010, he left a number of field recordings and a rich portfolio of composition, including his magnum opus, African Sanctus.

More collections of the archive television and radio programmes can be found in the BBC Four Collections.