Founded in 1818, 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.
ICE archives contain records relating to the ICE from its formation to the present including details of all past members.
These records are supplemented by records relating prominent engineers of the past including 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.
Further details of the archives are available in Guide to the Archives.
There are catalogues and lists for individual collections on the Collections page.
To browse and purchase images from our library and archive visit the ICE Image Library
Access to the archives