The archive is managed by the KonTiki Museum in collaboration with the Norwegian National Library (Nasjonalbiblioteket). In addition, Heyerdahl's family has photographs, drawings and films from his childhood and adolescence.
The Thor Heyerdahl Archive
Book-editions collection"World citizen, explorer, writer and scientist, Thor Heyerdahl’s legacy is an archive of unusual richness that encompasses photographs, films, manuscripts and documents of historical, artistic and cultural value." These are the words of the Kon-Tiki Museum.
The archive is divided into seven collections:
- Document archive
- Photography collection
- Library
- Book-editions collection
- Newspaper clippings
- Film and audio collection
- Thor Heyerdahl's Film Collection at the Norwegian National Library
The document archive is sorted into 17 main categories and sub-divisions are made by year and expeditions/name. The document archive contains.
- Book manuscripts
- Article and speech manuscripts
- Diaries
- Personal notes
- Letters
- Research notes
- Miscellaneous
The Film Archive
Audiovisual archive material from several of Thor Heyerdahl's expeditions can be found at the Norwegian National Library. The archive includes the films:
- Kon-Tiki
- Galapagos
- Aku-Aku
- Ra
- Tigris
The Memory of the World Programme (UNESCO)
Established in 1992, the Memory of the World Programme aims to promote the preservation of – and universal access to – the documentary heritage of humanity. Often extremely fragile, this heritage is exposed to risks of deterioration and disasters.
In addition to the International Register, UNESCO has supported the creation of four regional registers and National “Memory of the World” Committees in more than 100 countries.
Furthermore, the Organization assists countries in developing safeguarding policies, provides training and funding to memory institutions for the digitization of their collections, and works with educational bodies to integrate these essential elements of our past into school curricula, ensuring their transmission to future generations.
The world's documentary heritage belongs to all, should be fully preserved and protected for all and, with due recognition of cultural mores and practicalities, should be permanently accessible to all without hindrance. The Memory of the World Programme aims to:
- Facilitate preservation of the world's documentary heritage, particularly in areas affected by conflict and/or natural disaster
- Enable universal access to documentary heritage worldwide
- Enhance public awareness about the significant of documentary heritage among the wider public
UNESCO on The Thor Heyerdahl Archive
World citizen, explorer, writer and scientist, Thor Heyerdahl's legacy is an archive of unusual richness that encompasses photographs, films, manuscripts and documents of historical, artistic and cultural value. They provide a unique insight into the life and work of one of the greatest communicators and renowned explorers of the 20th century, who at the same time was a source of inspiration for generations of people and scientists throughout the world.
Some of unique photo and film material were collected from places that soon after would face modernisation and globalisation processes making the pictures and films documenting their transitional period even more important, both for the local communities as well as the modern world that imposed these changes upon them.
Registration Year: 2011
Norway's Documentary Heritage
In 2012, The Thor Heyerdahl Archive also was included in Norway's Documentary Heritage, which is compiled by the Norwegian Council for Cultural Affairs on behalf of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.
Arts and Culture Norway is the secretariat for Norway's documentary heritage.
- 1/1
The illustration is from Norway's documentary heritage's description of The Thor Heyerdahl Archive.
