Access and Facilities

The Wessex Film and Sound Archive welcomes academic research into and using the collection.

Catalogue - The film and sound archive catalogue entries form part of the Hampshire Record Office catalogue as a whole. Searches will therefore highlight any material held at the Record Office that is relevant to the subject area being researched.
Searching - Users can contact the archive in person, or remotely via e-mail or fax with their request. The archive staff can then search the catalogue database on behalf of users making research requests or the catalogue can be consulted by users in the search room, where staff help is available.
Viewing - The archive has facilities for visitors to view both VHS and film viewing copies of material as well as having audio facilities for listening to materials from their sound collection in the archive search room. The archive also has an 85 seat cinema which can be booked for groups of students.
At other locations, selected copies from the archive collection can be seen at museums that are part of the Hampshire Museum Service amongst others. Selected films are available as video compilations to borrow from public libraries in the region. There is also a permanent exhibition of related archive material at the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth as well as exhibitions at other museums in the region.