Images for the Future

Images for the Future is a large-scale restoration and digitisation project realised by four organisations: EYE, the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, the Dutch Nationaal Archief and Knowledgeland. The goal of the project is to preserve Dutch audiovisual heritage and to make it digitally available.

The past 100 years of image history are stored in the archives at EYE, Beeld en Geluid and the National Archive; there are more than 700,000 hours of material such as feature films, documentaries, and radio and television programmes. In addition to this, these institutions also hold millions of photographs. Concrete measures are needed to preserve these Dutch audiovisual collections from deterioration and disintegration; one reason for this is that nearly 50% of all films made prior to 1950 have been lost due to decay, damage or fire. The collections are also insufficiently accessible, making it difficult to search them or to reuse them.

The Images for the Future project was started on 1 July 2007 with financial assistance from the Dutch government. Within seven years, EYE and the other project partners aim to have 22,510 hours of film, 137,000 hours of video, 123,900 hours of audio material and 2.9 million photographs restored, conserved, digitised and accessible via applications and thematic, interactive websites. Educational institutions, libraries and museums will be able to draw upon this enormous digital repository to serve their students, patrons and visitors.

For more information, please see: www.imagesforthefuture.nl