The Établissement de communication et de production audiovisuelle de la Défense (ECPAD) is a leading archive and audiovisual production center. As such, it preserves exceptional audiovisual and photographic archive collections on all contemporary conflicts in which the French army has been involved since 1915, i.e. 15 million photos and 94,000 hours of film.

A true cultural stakeholder, the ECPAD promotes its collections through the co-production of films, the co-publication of books, the creation of exhibitions and involvement in Festivals.

The ECPAD collects, preserves and communicates image and film collections gathered by donations, deposits, bequests and purchases. Collected, inventoried and reconditioned, these collections offer a wide variety of photos and videos to the public. Private archives are also a valuable source for many subjects of study, such as France’s colonial expansion since 1880, world conflicts, the wars of decolonization, and the daily life of the armed forces.

Please contact us for any enquiry you may have about our archives.
We will get back to you shortly within a few days !

achat-images@ecpad.fr

More than a century of histories in images

The artists’ race Bois de Boulogne

Relocation of carriages on Bois-de-Boulogne Avenue

21k+ photos
16 films

Stopover of a group of the 3rd Zouaves regiment
of Constantine.

Autheuil-Portes, soldier having lunch
near the shelters.

100k+ photos
2k+ films

Visit of military authorities in France in the 1930s

Photographic archives of Marcel Houriez, portrait, 1934.

10k+ photos
1k+ films

Visit of General de Gaulle to the 2nd Corps in the village of Le Bonhomme (Haut-Rhin), late December 1944.

Champs-Elysées troops parade
during the November 11th ceremony, Paris 1944.

485k+ photos
3k+ films

Portrait of a « tirailleurs » group
posted in Ait-Frah, Algeria.

Director Pierre Schoendoerffer progressing in a rice field, Tien Lang Sector French Indochina

520k+ photos
6k+ films

Presentation of the Louma camera (jib) to the CNC staff in ECPAD in the fort of Ivry-sur-Seine, 1972.

11th DIPF member discussing with palestinian women, Beyrouth

1,8m+ photos
14k+ films

Blue Helmets from the 17th RGP clearing a mine field, Cambodia

Destroyed houses by artillery fire around Sarajevo airport, 1992

5m+ photos
50k+ films

Marine commandos coming out Puma helicopters, Djibouti Republic

Rafale aircraft on Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, December 2022

7m+ photos
76k+ films