About the publisher

About Awful Archive

Awful Archive is an independent history publication. It grew from a personal research collection about disasters, medical failures, abuses of power, and the stories that become distorted as people retell them.

The aim is to explain what happened, how we know, and what remains uncertain. An arrest is not a conviction. An announced project is not a completed one. A repeated claim is not necessarily a documented fact. Those distinctions shape the articles here.

Who writes and edits the archive

Articles are published under the name Awful Archive. The archive uses AI tools to help with research, drafting, and editing. That assistance can introduce mistakes, so a fluent account is not treated as evidence. Readers can follow the supporting sources and challenge the account through the corrections process.

Awful Archive is responsible for the selection and presentation of its articles. It is not affiliated with the museums, universities, public agencies, or news organisations cited as sources.

What you will find here

Each published article includes an explanatory account and supporting references. Where sources disagree, the article identifies the disagreement rather than filling the gap with speculation. Research leads that do not yet support an article stay outside the published archive.

Read the editorial and corrections policy for more about sourcing, images, and revisions.