In 1915, the Ministry of Defence set up a body dedicated to producing and conserving photographic and film archives of the armed forces. From then on this unique organisation was to be the specialist archivist for French military history. Indeed, with their presence on the ground, the teams of the Etablissement de Communication et de Production Audiovisuelle de la Défense (ECPAD – French communication and broadcasting production institution) follow the involvement of French troops at close quarters, wherever they may be in the world.
These pictures are used by the army staff and made available to the media. The accounts of those known as "soldiers of the image" then go to enrich the audiovisual archives of the armed forces. This extraordinary heritage (4 million photos and 16,500 films) is conserved and restored at Fort d’Ivry (south-east of Paris). It is open to the public. The website, http://www.ecpad.fr/, which recently went on line, gives a glimpse of the wealth of its collections through a selection of exceptional photos and films.