The ICE Library is the focus for a wide range of scholarship and discussion relating to the international engineering heritage. The Library administers an international e-mail discussion group: Civil engineering heritage exchange (CEHX) contact mike.chrimes@ice.org.uk

The library is freely available to all members of the Institution, and open to members of other UK and overseas engineering institutions. Other visitors are welcome to use the library. Simply make an appointment or get a letter of introduction from an ICE member. Non members without an appointment can access the library for £10.00 per day (£5 for students).

Institution Archives

Founded in 1818, the ICE was the world's first professional engineering institution, the model for similar organisations all over the globe. This, combined with the international membership of the Institution, make our archives of premier importance to anybody interested in the history of the engineering profession. The archives contain Council minutes, details of members throughout the history of the institution and a wealth of other records, papers and data.

A comprehensive guide to the ICE archives is available in the Downloads Library.

Access is by appointment only: opening hours are 09.30-1630hrs, Monday-Friday. Please contact us for further information.

Civil engineering archives

The Institution’s own records are complemented by the papers of the great engineers of the past: James Brindley, John Smeaton, Thomas Telford, The Rennies, and engineering wonders like the Marc Brunel’s Thames Tunnel,Robert Stephenson’s Britannia Bridge, the Forth Railway Bridge and the Panama Canal. They include records of consultants like Coode and Partners, and the papers of the contractor William Mackenzie.

A guide to famous engineers, and subject histories of the industry, are also available in the Downloads Library

Record Pictures

Contained within the ICE archives are some of the finest examples of nineteenth and early twentieth century engineering photographs. These are the Record Pictures, the matter-of-fact photographs registering the achievements of human endeavour. The earliest of these pictures utilised the core properties that the newly invented science could yield: clarity and detail. A former President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Charles Blacker Vignoles, was a founder member of the Royal Photographic Society and one of the first to commission comprehensive photographic records of his projects. Today, visitors to ICE can delve into a wealth of fascinating engineering history in photographic form.

Panel for Historical Engineering Works

The Panel for Historical Engineering Works (PHEW) was established to promote an understanding amongst civil engineers, and the broader public, of our rich engineering heritage. It identifies historical engineering works that are worthy of recording and, in some cases, preserving for posterity. PHEW also helps to organise groups of civil engineers in local areas who are interested in the history of their profession, and to publish a quarterly newsletter on the subject.

Visit the Downloads Library to read the latest PHEW newsletter, or contact the Library for further information.