The EES Archive

The Archive is a unique record of the Society’s historical contribution to the field of Egyptology from the founding of the EEF (as we were named until 1919) in 1882. A brief history of the Society is available here

Search our Online Catalogue

Browse both our library of over 20,000 Egyptological volumes and our archive providing a unique record of the Society’s historical contribution to the field of Egyptology to see how our collections can inspire you!

Search now

Browse our Collections Online

Over 34,000 items from our Lucy Gura Archive are digitised and available to browse freely via Flickr. Visit now to see albums dedicated to several Egyptian sites, archival items and broader themes like artwork by archaeologists.

Browse now

Visiting our collections

Please note that, subject to raising the required funds, we expect to redevelop our premises over 2026-2028. This means that our archive may be less accessible to researchers and visitors during this period. 

Ordinarily, the EES Archive is freely accessible to researchers by prior appointment. Office closure dates are available here. You should notify the archivist at least one month prior to your preferred visiting date to ensure that we can book you an appointment. To arrange a visit, please complete an archive material request form and email it to [email protected] as soon as possible to discuss your research and scheduling with the Collections Manager. 

Some records preserved within the collections are particularly fragile; please ensure that you have read our handling guide on the request form prior to your arrival.

Reproduction requests and fees

Instructions for requesting permission to reproduce or disseminate material from the Society’s collections can be found here

Related collections

A number of other institutions hold material connected with the Society, related people, and the sites explored since our founding in 1882. These include:
The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London (materials relating to sites and people, particularly those related to W M F Petrie)
The Griffith Institute, Oxford (materials relating to sites and people, including watercolours by Howard Carter, and notebooks and journals of early explorers)
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (materials relating to the Society’s American Branch, including the distribution of artefacts from archaeological sites in Egypt)
The British Museum, London (materials relating to distribution of artefacts from archaeological sites in Egypt, and documents relating to the Society’s co-founder Reginald Stuart Poole)
Somerville College, Oxford (materials relating to the Society’s founder, Amelia Edwards including a number of original watercolours)
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva (materials relating to sites and people, particularly those related to É Naville)