SHPAENA Project  for recovery of the archives of the European news agencies

The historical photographic archives of news agencies: a shared European cultural heritage that merits safeguarding and dissemination among the peoples of Europe

The aim of the project is to safeguard and highlight the existence of photographic archives in five European news agencies (the largest organisations of their kind in the respective participating countries). To this end, an exhaustive inventory of the archives’ photographs is planned. The images will then be catalogued; digitalised; and filed. The project also envisages activities aimed at disseminating knowledge of this unique historical and cultural heritage among European citizens. There are plans for a special touring exhibition in the five capitals of the coorganisers (Rome, Brussels, Budapest, Lisbon, Warsaw).

General objectives and the added value of cooperation at a European level

1. To promote cultural dialogue and mutual knowledge of the culture and history of Europe’s peoples;
2. To work together to share and preserve a common cultural heritage of European significance; transmitting know-how and technical expertise; and promoting best practices for the conservation and safeguarding of the archives;
3. To foster intercultural dialogue and the sharing of experiences between different European cultures, through the explicit recognition of culture as an important factor in social integration and citizenship;
4. To enhance access and participation in the cultural life of the European Union by the greatest possible number of citizens.

General themes:

1. The involvement of European citizens (through the creation of a dedicated web site; a touring exhibition and the widespread publication of images thanks to the ongoing multiplying effect of news agencies who, by making their archives available to media organisations throughout Europe, can transmit them to an unprecedented number of citizens);
2. The use of new technologies (digital formatting of images and the ability to transmit and/or consult archives or single images using computer technology);
3. To uphold the twin values of tradition and innovation; building a bridge from the past to the future by pooling images from European history, society, and everyday life, and by rendering them accessible to other media organisations and directly to European citizens.

Specific aims of the project and expected results

1. To preserve and highlight the existence of the historical photographic archives of news agencies which depict momentous European events from the Treaty of Rome (and preceding years, both during and after the second world war) to the newly enlarged Europe; 
2. To provide further training in the use of in situ preservation and restoration techniques for professional archivists (the preservation of the archives will take place following the conclusion of the project and thanks to training provided in best practices and the newly enhanced skills of the archivists in each agency);
3. To enhance access to Europe’s cultural heritage on the part of the general public and especially of young people both during the project (a free touring exhibition, a dedicated web site) and afterwards, by means of the traditional channels of communication used by news agencies to reach the public directly (i.e. via internet and other multimedia services) and indirectly (via the media organisations which avail of their services and archives on a daily basis).

Beneficiaries of the project

1. Europe’s citizens who, as a result of the project, will discover a cultural heritage which at the present time is largely unknown to them and in any case not easily accessible;
2. The various European media organisations who will have new historical archives at their disposition, enabling them to place previously unseen visual memories of European history in the public domain, while at the same time providing a unique opportunity to put contemporary events in the context of previous experience;
3. Other persons (be they individuals, European citizens, researchers, cultural associations etc.,) will be able to access the archives for the purposes of further research and historical studies;

The participating news agencies who will safeguard their historical archives and be able to disseminate the images by using newly available digital technologies.