FIND AN ARCHIVE
As a part of our work we are mapping Black history collections across the UK held in local archives. This is to help illustrate where collections are held, what type of materials are included and if they are accessible online.
FIND AN ARCHIVE BY LOCATION
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GLOSSARY OF ARCHIVAL TERMS
An archive is a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people. These are selected for permanent preservation because of their value as evidence or as a source for historical or other research. Here are some of the common categories of archives:
Audio
This could include oral history recordings, music or other kinds of sound recordings
Correspondence
Communication through forms such as letters, greeting cards or emails
Diaries
Personal diaries are the written recordings of an individual, documenting their life and experiences
Ephemera
Types of materials that were not created to last a long time, such as posters, tickets and postcards
Film
This could include video clips, as well as formats that are no longer used and may be difficult to access
Fine Art
This could include painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, photography, different kinds of printmaking or other mediums like mosaic
Images
This could refer to photography, painting, drawing or printmaking
Manuscript
This could be a handwritten and or unpublished piece of writing, for example for a book
Official records
These are records that hold some kind of legal status, such as a birth certificate or marriage records
Published reports
A document that presents findings in a specific way, in order to disseminate the research that has taken places