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Archives

A unique collection of material held to promote and preserve the history of science, engineering and technology. Includes Research guides, biographies, featured articles, online exhibitions and information about the IET's history.

Hertha Ayrton, first woman member of the Institution elected 1899

Biographies of prominent engineers

The Archives  holds a wealth of  biographical information on many eminent scientists and pioneers in the engineering profession.


Detail from the Methodus Geometrica, illustrated book on cartography, perspective, geometry 1598

Featured articles

The Archives holds information on many subjects relating to the history and development of science, engineering and technology. The Featured Articles are based on material held within the Archives' collections.


Photograph of the 1963 Faraday Lecture demonstration

IET history

Information on the history of the IET since its foundation in 1871. This section lists Past Presidents from all the Institutions with which the IET has merged or joined, Honorary Fellows and Medallists, plus an index to member obituaries that have been printed in the IET journal. There is also information on film and portrait collections.


Detail from the Dudley watercolours of HMS Agammemnon laying the Atlantic Telegraph cable in 1858

Archives Research Guides

The Research Guides offer  a general overview on popular subjects and various sources available within the Archives collections to assist you with your research. These guides have been compiled to help you make the best use of our catalogue or your visit to the Archives and to further your research in these areas.


Photograph of a Midgley loudspeaker

Online exhibitions

An index to online exhibitions featuring images taken from material held in the Archives. Subjects include the history and development of Arc Lamps, Domestic Lighting, Michael Faraday- his life and work, Medical Electricity, the Science of Sound plus British Radar in World War II and Women in engineering.  


Deatil from the first illustrated edition of Vitruvius's De architectura 1511

Search the Archives catalogue

The online catalogue holds detailed lists of collections from the National Archive for Electrical Science and Technology (NAEST), the Special Collection Manuscripts (SCMSS), the Image Collection and the Rare Book and Pamphlet Collection.


Free Archives Exhibition brochures!

If you would like to receive a free copy of one of the IET's Archive brochures that accompanied our past exhibitions please contact us and we shall post them out to you. Topics covered are: "Sailing Ship to Satellite- the Transatlantic Connection"; "The BBC at Savoy Place 1923-1932"; "Secret Machines- British Code-Breaking during World War II" and "A new kind of vision- the discovery of X-rays".