Vintage Memes Like Badgers And More Are Now Being Preserved Alongside Rare And Classic Films

The British Film Institute is expanding its digital archive to preserve internet memes and other early online videos.

The project will use BFI Replay and creator permissions to collect and contextualize viral web content, including loops, clips, cartoons, and tutorials.

Examples range from Flash-era cartoons and classic viral clips like Charlie bit my finger to GIFs and other pieces of web culture.

The goal is to protect influential internet history before platforms shut down, formats change, or content is altered.