Everyday life in twentieth-century Britain.
Established by British Culture Archive in 2017, The People’s Archive brings together personal and family photographs contributed by the public and selected and curated by BCA.
Through photographs and the stories behind them, the collection explores childhood, home, work, friendship and community across Britain.
The photographs we take of our own lives are part of our social history.
Family albums and personal snapshots record the people, places and experiences that matter to us. Often described as vernacular photography, these images offer an intimate view of everyday life: inside homes, on holiday, at work and among friends.
BCA selects photographs from public submissions and curates them into collections, drawing on the memories and information shared by contributors. The photographs and their context help us understand how people lived, how communities changed and how individuals expressed themselves.
The People’s Archive brings different backgrounds, generations and experiences into view. It is a place to recognise something of your own life, discover someone else’s and explore the details that connect personal experience with wider history.
The collection is a central part of British Culture Archive’s work, bringing everyday photography to wider audiences through its online galleries, exhibitions and community projects.
Do you have personal or family photographs of life in twentieth-century Britain? We welcome submissions from across Britain’s communities, together with any names, dates, places and stories you can share.
BCA reviews submissions and selects photographs for inclusion in The People’s Archive. Your knowledge of the people and moments pictured helps us understand and present them.