Newsletter Working for Archives
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Newsletter Working for Archives Autumn 2019 Series 5, Number 2 A chance to visit BURLINGTON HOUSE Living on the edge A round-up of this year’s BRA conference How to archive the counterculture 150 years of the Historical Manuscripts Commission Tax incentives for preserving archives A glimpse of Southill’s treasures ➥NEXT Newsletter Autumn 2019 Series 5, Number 2 Contents [Click on the headline to jump to the page] News The Society of Antiquaries London Message from the Chair 3 Patron Vice-Chair of Council HMC’s anniversary symposium 3 The Marquess of Penelope Baker Salisbury, PC, DL Records at Risk: latest developments 4 Treasurer Obituary: Rosemary Keen 4 Cover picture: © Cover picture: President Janet Foster Master of the Rolls, BRA visits 5 Editor of Archives Sir Terence Etherton Archives: an update 10 Dr Ruth Paley Books, grants and news 11 Vice-Presidents Honorary Secretary Events 12 Dr David Robinson Victoria Northwood David Prior Features Membership Chair of Council Secretary Living on the edge: a round-up Julia Sheppard Elizabeth Stazicker of this year’s BRA conference 6 Tax incentives for archives 8 Archiving the counterculture 9 British Records Association Newsletter Editor: Sarah Hart c/o 70 Cowcross Street, Sub-Editor/Designer: Jeffery Pike London EC1M 6EJ Consultant Editor: Janet Foster Tel: 07946 624713 To contribute to the Newsletter, please email Charity number 227464 [email protected] Archives Archives is the peer-reviewed journal of the British Records Association, whose aims and objectives it seeks to promote. Published twice-yearly by Liverpool University Press, Archives contains essays, case studies and reports on all aspects of archives. It also includes short edited documents as well as reviews of recent publications, websites and archival exhibits, physical or virtual. The next issue will be mailed to members in late autumn, and back issues of Archives from the journal’s beginnings in 1949 are now available in digital format via the Liverpool University Press website. ✦ We welcome submissions, and are always keen to receive work by early-career scholars. ✦ There is no upper limit on length of submissions, but 8,000 words including notes is suggested. ✦ Submissions must be the original work of the author(s) and must not have been published previously, or be about to be. For more information, please contact Dr Ruth Paley: [email protected]. BACK ➦ ➥NEXT BRA Newsletter Autumn 2019 3 Message from the Chair ur latest Newsletter contains the journal now all available online, the usual interesting mix of an improved Newsletter, and Oarticles and news, and we developments in working with The are indebted to Sarah Hart and National Archives and other bodies Jeffery Pike for their editorial work. on records at risk. All very positive You should have heard from our achievements for a small charity Secretary Victoria Northwood that which continues to have a key role Penny Baker and I wish to hand over on the archive and research scene, the reins of Vice-Chair and Chair at thanks in no small measure to the the forthcoming AGM. By then we hard work and dedication of our the BRA’s membership and will have done the job for four years, volunteers and Council members. subscription lists. We are working and feel it is time to let others take In addition, in November we will to resolve some teething problems, the BRA forward. At the same time be holding the first of what may so please bear with us and renew Victoria, who has also done a good become an Annual BRA Forum on a your subscription if you find it is no stint as Secretary, wishes to change topic of importance to the archival longer valid. Your membership is her role and stand for the Vice-Chair and research communities. This will very important and we do not wish post. All three positions will be voted bring together about 20 invited to lose you! on at the AGM. participants to discuss a topical issue: The AGM, followed by the I am delighted to be able to step ‘Archives and Records in a Post- annual Bond Lecture, will take down as Chair knowing that the Truth World’, investigating if there place on 13 November at the Paul Association is now in a much are any ways in which, together or Mellon Centre in Bedford Square – happier place than it was a few years individually, it is desirable or possible a highly appropriate venue given ago. Quite apart from being more to counter the atmosphere of that next year’s April Conference financially stable, we have been mistrust in some of the evidence- will be on the subject of Art active on many fronts with a new based material (analogue and digital) Archives. I look forward to seeing constitution, a reshaped Council, a for which we are responsible. some of you there and raising a new home, an events programme, Our journal Archives (see page glass (or two) to the continued the Harley Prize, a new look for our 10) is now published by Liverpool success of the BRA. journal Archives, back numbers of University Press, who also manage Julia Sheppard, BRA Chair Marking the HMC’s 150th anniversary A free symposium organised by The National Archives to mark the 150th anniversary of the Historical Manuscripts Commission (HMC) is taking place at its Kew headquarters on Monday, 14 October. The event replaces the cancelled HMC 150th Conference originally planned for 12 June, and is open to all, particularly academics, archivists, researchers and those interested in the history of archives. The HMC was first appointed by Royal Warrant in 1869, and various events have been held this year to mark the anniversary, including a reception at the House of Lords in July hosted by Lord Cormack, who served as Commissioner for 22 years. The HMC was first formed to document the location of records and papers in private hands and until 2003 (when it was merged with the Public Records Office to form TNA), the HMC’s findings were published as reports and calendars and were essential to researchers who could not gain access to original records in private ownership. Many of HMC’s functions continue today, including maintaining information about archives and their collections in TNA’s catalogue Discovery, monitoring the sale and export of archival material, running the Archive Service Accreditation scheme and securing significant archives from the risk of dispersal and neglect. For further information on the symposium, and to book a place, visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hmc-150- symposium-tickets-67967038241. An HMC Royal warrant dating from 1882 BACK ➦ ➥NEXT BRA Newsletter Autumn 2019 4 BRA news Records at Risk: latest developments HE BRA COUNCIL is setting up collections to ensure that Ta small group of BRA members irreplaceable documents remain to help deliver its records preserv - accessible for years to come. The ation objectives. We would like to seminar is jointly sponsored by the encourage input from our Records at Risk Steering Group institutional members, as they are and the Higher Education Archive the key to establishing a robust Programme. system for saving vulnerable The fifth meeting of the Records archives. The Council group will at Risk Steering Group was held at support our work in the national Cowcross Street on 19 September. (England and Wales) advisory The BRA website will be hosting a Records at Risk steering group. page about the group’s activities RIP Bury FC: recent efforts Sadly, over the summer, the and work is going ahead to have involved rescuing records main focus of records preservation organise a fund, to be held by the from businesses that have has been rescuing records from BRA, that will provide support for gone into administration businesses that have gone into the rescue of vulnerable records, administration, such as Bury especially those unprotected by broadened the concept of ‘legal’ Football Club and Spudulike. legislation, such as charity and records beyond court records and Archives are rarely a priority when private records. This represents a deeds, and outlines a strategy for businesses and organisations are big step up for the BRA, but will their rescue, which could be wound up (a room of archive bring us back towards the reach applied nationally to other private material gathered for the centenary and ambition of the founders of sector records. It is available to anniversary of British Homes Stores our association to promote records download at humanities-digital- disappeared when the firm folded). preservation on a national basis. library.org/index.php/hdl/catalog The Crisis Manage ment Team, A final report on the Legal /book/lrar. The author of the organised by TNA, has been co- Records at Risk project has just report, Clare Cowling, is director ordinating this work. been published. Legal Records at of LRAR, was on the BRA Council There is a seminar at The Risk: a Strategy for Safeguarding 2015-2018 and is a member of the National Archives on 15 October our Legal Heritage summarises the Records at Risk Steering Group. on mitigating risks to archival work of the project, which Penny Baker, BRA Vice-Chair Lambeth degree by George Carey, Obituary then Archbishop of Canterbury. Rosemary Keen She maintained her interest and Rosemary, who was archivist at involvement in archives long after the Church Mission Society (CMS) retirement, helping with some of for over 30 years, died in Novem - the more detailed CMS enquiries at ber 2018 at the age of 85. Birmingham and volunteering at the She was born in Newbury, where Merton Heritage and Local Studies she attended the local Girls’ Centre near her home.