o fyxmll Wimvmii^ pibwg THE GIFT OF '■haf)J5n OajJ^ruoSxa. -?AAM>X;....&fU3iLU-- kimSI lltx-lii^.. 7583 wun v^ompiiiiicius FROM The Board of Governors OF THE Public Library, Museum, & Art Gallery of South Au^ralia. Adhlaidk, South Australia. ^^■ J'V 7> Cornell University Library CD1001 .H49 + + Report on the collection storage and pr 3 1924 029 767 146 olin Overs REPORT ON THE COLLECTION, STORAGE, AND PRESERVATION OF ARCHIVES IN EUROPE. BY Id GEORGE C. HENDERSON, IVl.A., Professor of History in the University of Adelaide, and Chairman of the Library Committee of the Board of Governors of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of South Australia, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTE,ADIA. TMs Eeport was furnislied to the Government of South Australia in comphance with the terms of an Honorary Commission issued by His Excellency the Governor of South AustraHa to the author in 1914. ADELAIDE : R, E. E. ROGERS, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, NORTH TERRACE 1915. The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029767146 \ REPORT ON THE COLLECTION, STORAGE, AND PRESERVATION OF ARCHIVES IN EUROPE. INTRODUCTORY. For some considerable time past efforts have been made in South Australia to collect all important original documents that are likely to be of service in the com- pilation of a history of the State, and in this worlv the members of the Board of Governors of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery have displayed a keen interest. A large number of these records have been obtained, including copies of the dispatches that passed between the Governors of this Province and the Secretary of State in England. Many private citizens whose parents and relatives have been associated with important enterprises and branches of our local administration have handed over their papers, and already there are records enough in the Public Library to justify the existence of a historical department similar to that which in other countries is commonly called the Archives or Public Record Office. But before proceeding definitely to the foundation of such an institution, the Board of Governors thought it would be well to have a report concerning the most up-to- date and approved method of storing and preserving archives in Europe, and as it was my intention to visit Europe in 1914, tlic Government was requested to grant me an honorary Commission to inquire into the collection, preservation, and classifica- tion of archives in Great Britain and the Continent. The Commission was issued by His Excellency Sir Day Hort Bosanquet in January, 1914, and it M'^as mainly because of the recognised official value of this document that I was shown the greatest consideration and courtesy by the chief authorities of the institutions m Europe wliich I was able to visit before the out- break of the war. I inspected tlie principal places for the storage of arcliives in Eng- land, France, Belgium, Holland, and Ceylon, and received valuable information by correspondence and printed reports from the United States and Canada. But by far the most helpful and instructive of my visits was the one made to the State Archives in Antwerp. Compared with the Record Office or the British Museum, in London, tliis building is small, but tlie arrangements and appointments are made in accord- ance witli the most up-to-date scientific knowledge of the requirements of such an institution, and the need for economy has been strictly observed. There are con- flicting opinions in different countries concerning the best methods of storing, classifying, and preserving archives ; but as a result of my interviews with experts in the United Kingdom, as well as my experience in visiting many of these institu- tions, I am persuaded that the accommodation in the Antwerp building is the ideal at which we ou.ght to aim in founding a similar institution in South Australia. It is for this reason that I have made special and detailed reference to it in my report. I was prevented by the outbreak of the war from visiting Germany and Italy, but it is not likely that the additional information acquired there would have resulted in any serious modification of the opinions I had already formed. In presenting this report I wish to express my sincere thanks to Professors Firth and Egerton, of Oxford University; Sir H. C. Maxwell-Lyte, K.C.B., of the Record Office, London; Sir Fredk. Kenyon, K.C.B., D.Litt., &c., of the British Museum ; Messieurs A. Gielens and G. Iluydts, of Antwerp, Belgium ; Mens. J. G. C. Joosting, of Groningen, Holland. I was unable to visit the United States, where so much work is being done in connection with the storage and preservation of archives, but I wish to express my thanks to Dr. J. Franklin Jameson, of the Carnegie Insti- tution of Research, Washington, for the information which he has sent me by letter and pamphlets, and to Mr. Arthur C. Doughty, C.M.G., LL.D., of the Public Archives, Canada, for similar courtesies. I must, however, acknowledge my special indebted- ness to Professor Firth, of Oxford University, not only for directing me to the places in Europe where I should get the most valuable assistance, but also for his lucid exposition of the methods of storing and collecting archives which he, after many years of distinguished service and inquiry, considers the best. So far as I am aware, "there is nobody in England better qualified to express a judicious and comprehen- sive opinion of these matters than Professor Firth. I._WHAT ARE ARCHIVES? The word archives is sometimes applied to the building in which the records are stored. In this report the context will explain the meaning without any ambiguity. Some difference of opinion exists as to what kind of documents should be called archives. In the stricter interpretation the word is used to denote all the official The stricter meaninf documents that come through Government Departments and Law Courts to the °^ **'^ ■"•'^''• Record Office, and this, with a very slight modification, describes the collection at the No. 46. Need for a more comprehensive title in the South Aus- traUan collection. "Archives " the most important part of this collection. At what time should official documents bo transferred to the Archives ? The practice pre- vailing in London Should be followed in South Austraha. Other documents that may be included among archives. the Record Office, in London. But there are others who would include early historical documents. In one glass case in the British Museum, for instance, are the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England, the Chronicles of Roger of Hoveden and St. Albans — are these to be considered archives or not? And if we include historical material other than official documents, can we exclude diaries, newspapers, and lettei's? In using the word "archives" it is perhaps bettei to keep to the stricter interpretation which is sanctioned by usage in Great Britain at the present time. It was not always understood, however, that official documents should go to the Record Office. Lord Burleigh, for example, took his away to Hat- field, and other statesmen did likewise. Some of these documents have gone to the British Museum ; but it is now genei-ally recognised that the Record Office is the proper place for documents that have belonged to Government Departments. This practice will help to deternune more strictly what documents should be called archives. In view of this it might be bettei' to abandon the word archives in connection with our gradually increasing collection in South Australia, and to .substitute for it "The Department of Historical Recoi'ds." The main object in founding our Depart- ment is to collect and preserve all the original records on which the study of an authentic history of the State must be l)ased. It is not desirable in a new country .such as this to separate archives and historical documents, as they are now being separated in the Record Office and the British Museum, in Loudon. In our collec- tion we need diaries, chronicles, repoj'ts, gazettes, calendars, scientific papers, journals, pamphlets, and leading newspapers. It is not unlikely, too, that the Royal Society, as well as the Geographical Society, may also wish to deposit their past records in such an institution for safe keeping. But while this may be admitted, it remains true that by far the most important part even of our collection consists of archives in the stricter meaning of the term, and in South Australia those archives would include the correspondence of the Governor with (a) the Colonial Office in London, (b) Ministers or corporate bodies in the State; also the cori-espondencc of the various administrative departments and the Department of Justice — up to a specific date agreed upon. And there is, perhaps, no more important question to be dealt with in this report than the fixing of that date. Fortunately, we have for our guidance the existing arrangements between the British Government and the Public Record Office, in London. It is the custom there to send on the records of the judicial depart- ments when they arc 20 years old; and of the administrative departments when they are 30 or 40 years old, wliich include th(> records of the Colonial Office. For instance, at the time of my visit to the Record Office in 1914 the correspondence between the Colonial Office and the Australian Colonies, as well as other self-govern- ing parts of the Empire, as late as the year 1882, was in the Record Office. The discovery of this was a surprise — a very agreeable surprise — to me, because it -was only after five or six years of correspondence on the subject that it was found possible here to get copies of the Imperial and Colonial Dispatches up to 18.56 re- moved from Government House to the Public Library. It is true that these records of the Colonial Office from 1837 to 1882 are kept under special supervision in a separate room, and access to them, is only granted after personal application ; but the rules are no stricter than those which admit of investigation here ; and it is difficult to see any good reason why we should not have the same privileges for bona fide students of the history of our own State as students in London have. It is very pi'oljable that ari'angements for their transfer fi'om Government House to our Department of Histoi-ical Records could be made if, with the practice in London to support them, representations were made on the subject to the Imperial authorities by the State Government, through His Excellency the Governor. Then thei-e is the question of the collection of the records of other Government Departments in some central place. Is there any sufficient reason why the practice in London should not be followed here? It would be a great gain to historical students if these records up to the last 30 or 40 years were collected in some con- venient place for study. At present the Tinline scholars of the University are obliged to go to the several Departments and study the documents there at some inconvenience to themselves, and probably also some inconvenience to the officials. Documents 30 or 40 years old are not likely to be consulted here by the Heads of Departments any more frequently than they are in London, and if on rare occasions they were wanted they would always be accessible in North Terrace, which is not far away. It is possible enough that the Heads of Departments would be glad to see these records j-emoved from their shelves. Two other sets of records remain for consideration — (a) Parlian^entary records and (b) the records of the City Council, Parliament has its own library," in which its records ai'o kept, and there is not much difficulty in getting access to it- but it would facilitate study very much if a copy of the Acts of Parliament, Hansard, and of all Conunissions of Inquiry instituted by Parliament were stored with the other historical documents in some central institution. The history of the City of Adelaide forms an important part of the history of the State, and such of its records as are no longer used for reference would be a valuable addition to this central collection. All All these documents might be regarded as archives in the stricter interpretation of the term. They are the most important .for purposes of historical research, but others must be added. We must include in our collection the other material already mentioned — newspapers, gazettes, diaries, scientific papers, calendars, and reports. But the Government ought to make up its mind whether we are to follow the prac- tice in London or not respecting dispatches to and from the Secretary of State, and the correspondence of the administrative and judicial departments. II.— REJECTION'S AND CLEARANCES. It does not follow, however, that all the material which is offered to such an institution ought to be shelved, or, being shelved, ought to remain there per- manently. One of the most difficult matters to decide upon is the rejection of material which may be regarded as unsuitable, and the abandonment, necessary or voluntary, of papers and records that are not sufficiently important to justify the space allotted to them on the shelves. This must be left to the judgment of ex- perienced men, guided by the advice of an expert. It is hardly possible to tell what a student may wish to consult in the course of liis investigations. The affairs of human life are so intricate and complex that the trivial may be needed to explain the complex — the trend of history may depend on the quality of wine at an official dinner, and the fate of an empire may be determined by the length of Cleopatra's nose! So we are told. But, even so, a sense of proportion has its value in the col- lection and preservation of documents. So long as these documents are limited to archives, in the stricter sense of the word, tliere is not much difficulty. Nearly all official documents are important, because of the range of their interest. But even here exceptions are made. In the archives at Groningen, Holland, for instance, some papers, such as enlistments in the army and payments of import duties, may be destroyed, in order to make room for others that are more important. But it is when we get beyond official documents to other historical matter that the chief trouble arises. In one very important library in England menu cards of different centuries were collected, and under the Copyright Act the British Museum is forced to take a copy of every newspaper published in the Kingdom. It is the only library in England where no discretion is allowed in this matter. The result is that already over 100,000 volumes of provincial papers have to be stored by the authorities of the British Museum. There is no room for them in the London build- ing, so they are kept at Hendon, eight miles away. This is a great burden, and yet Sir Frederick Kenyon stated, in answer to one of my inquiries, that he was of opinion that country newspapers in South Australia should be stored in Adelaide. The time will come when many of these papers will be lost simply because they cnunble away, and are not worth the cost of repairing, except in a few rare cases. That is already happening in the British Museum, and it will happen here before very long, because of the poor quality of the paper used. The loss in this way can- not be prevented. Only a few of the most valuable newspapers can justify the ex- pense of repairs. With dinner menus and bottle labels we are not likely to trouble ourselves, and as time goes on it will be necessary to clear our shelves of some material of doubtful importance to make room for better. It will always be difficult to decide what should be rejected and what should be ejected, and it must be left to those in authority at the time to use their discretion. But in using that discretion they should be guided by the following considerations: — (1) The intrinsic value of the documents under consideration, (2) the cost of collecting and preserving them, and (3) the available space in the Library for their storage. III.— THE COLLECTION OF ARCHIVES. So far I have argued that we must make up our minds to store many more his- torical documents than are included under the stricter interpretation of the word ■"archives"; but I have also intimated that these official documents are the most important for research into the history of the country. The very important question now arises — How are we to decide on the proper places for storing these official documents in a country .such as the Connnonwealth of Australia, where we have State and Municipal as well as Federal government? On this question my inquiries were as exhaustive as I could make them, and the almost unanniious expression of expert opinion was that Federal archives should be kept in some central place, preferably that which is the seat of the Federal Government ; that 'State archives should be collected and preserved in the capital of each State, and that original documents belonging to municipalities or country towns may, under certain conditions, be kept in the localities to which they strictly belong. But the general trend of expert opinion favored the collection of nearly all official documents of any part of a State in the capital of that State. These statements need some elaboration in view of the division of opinion that already exists on the subject m Australia ' There are some folk who think that the whole system should be cen- tralized and that all the historical documents of the Commonwealth should be deposited in Melbourne. Expert opinion in the United Kingdom is decidedly against this- it favors decentralization, at least to the extent of preserving all State ° ' ■ ■ . . :..'^ j documents Ko. 46. Some original documents not worth keeping. Difficulty in deciding on rejections. Rules for guidance in making rejections and ejections. At what centres in the Commonwealth should archives be collected and stored ? Consensus of European opinion in favor of decentralization. 6 Local reasons in support of decentralization. The cost of travel. Equal facilities for acquiring the best training in any branch of know- ledge. Difficulties incident to the proper distribution of original documents May bo overcome by library co-operation and a spirit of give- and-take. documents in the capital of such State. The reason for this is essentially the same as that which justifies each State in the right to manage its own education, and favors the establishment of a University in each State rather than centralizing all higher education exclusively in one Commonwealth University. To centralize all the Universities of Australia exclusively in Melbourne would limit beyond all reason the opportunities of poorer students in distant States getting the benefits of higher education, and would give the people of Victoria, and especially of Melbourne, u.nfair advantages in the struggle for professional positions of the highest rank. Poorer students of the outlying States could not afford to maintain themselves so far from their homes while working for a degree in medicine, law, science, or arts. The same argument holds good in respect of the material for research into the history of each State. The time has now arrived when every State of the Com- monwealth has a University of its own, and some of the Universities have already founded scholarships for research into the history of their own States. In the State of South Australia, for example, Mr. Justice Murray founded the Tinline Scholarship for research into the history of South Australia. A scholar is appointed every year, and it is the duty of that scholar to prepare in two years a thesis on a subject set by the Professor of History, dealing with the history of the State. Some of these scholars are the sons and daughters of poor men, and though the annual value of the scholarship is £30 a year, it would be impossible for them to pay their board and find the time to go to Melbourne to do the work required for the preparation of these theses. But, besides these Universitj- scholars, there are many adult students in the State of South Australia who would like to spend some of their leisure time work- ing up the history of the State in which they are more directly interested, and the number of these will increase every year. These men and women have their daily work to attend to in Adelaide, and if all our documents bearing on the history of South Australia had to be sent to Melbourne they would be deprived of the oppor- tunity of pursuing a laudable ambition and serving their countrj^ in a way for which their tastes and ability have fitted them. It is safe to assume that the people of South Australia generally are more in- terested in the history of South Australia than are the people of any other State ; and that, in consequence, they will be disposed to give more time to the study of its history than the people of any other State. It is also safe to say that if the archives of South Australia were removed to Melbourne, the successful working of the Tinline Scholarship would be impossible. The decentralization of archives is a matter of first-rate importance, and it is likely to be a question of debate in Aus- tralia in the near future. But it is, perhaps, unnecessary to urge the importance of decentralization further, because the people of South Australia are as keenly alive to the value of higher education as the people in the other States, and no Government is likely to hand over the advantages which their own people should possess to the students of another State, in which some misguided enthusiasts may desire to centralize the archives of the States. But even if the pjinciple of decentralization be admitted, some difficulties are bound to arise in drawing the distinction between documents that belong to the Federal Government and those which belong to the States Governments. For example, the Governor of New South Wales once administered the territory that is now divided into Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. Again, there are explorers like Sturt and Flinders, whose work belongs to the history of many States. What is to be done with their records? Are they to be kept in the States that em- ployed them, or among the Federal archives? Then, again, there are some libraries in the States, such as the M^itchell Library, in Sydney, which have a purchasing power beyond that of the general lil)raries in the capital. An important document or collection of documents nmy be for sale in England or elsewhere. The Governors of the Mitchell Library can afford to buy, the others cannot. Such docuntents go to Sydney, and they are not always documents dealing with the history of New South Wales. It is certainly lietter to have Australian documents somewhere in Australia than in tlie United Kingdom, but a little more give and take between the different libraries of the Commonwealth would be advantageous. Under a properly organised system the Mitchell Library ought not to be in competition mth the libraries of other States for documents which belong essentially to the history of other States. There are sevei'al documents in that library now which ought to be in the historical col- lection of South Australia, and it is a pity that some exchange cannot be made for the benefit of both libraries. The Governors of the Public Library of South Aus- tralia have made offers for exchange on this basis with other libraries in Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, but, unfortunately, without effect. There will always be some difficulties between the different States, and also betwecm the States and the central archives, because of the overlapping of interests and the inequality of financial resources; but they would be minimised if some scheme of collection could be agreed upon by all the governing bodies of the dif- ferent authorities in the Commonwealth. Exchanges ought to be possible in many cases, cases, and compensation in others, and it is not past hope that the richer institu- tions might be willing to buy and hold certain documents until the less wealthy institutions are able to purchase them. But no such scheme is liiely to work unless the principle of decentralization is recognised. There is probably no better authority in the United Kingdom on the subject which your Commissioner has had to investi- gate than Professor Firth, of Oxford University, fie has had many years' experience, and he is a member of the Commission of Inquiry now investigating the subject for the British Government. Speaking in reference to our conditions in Australia, he ex- pressed the opinion that decentralization was the right principle, adding, however, that the authorities of the central collection should be in touch with those who are responsible for the local State collections. But should this decentralization be carried as far as the local country towns? Only under certain specified conditions. To understand what those conditions are it is necessary to remember that people in country towns rarely are inclined to esti- mate historical documents at their proper value, and are therefore unwilling, in the great majority of cases, to provide the funds necessary for their collection and preservation. Moreover, in Australia nearly all the students who have had a train- ing that fits them for the study of original historical documents are to be found in the capital cities, where the institutions for higher education have been founded. It is always necessary to keep in mind the claim of the bona fide student, and in many cases he could not afford to run about the different parts of the State seeking the documents he wants. There are, no doubt, occasional students in the country districts of Australia, just as there are in England, who would like to study the history of the town and district in which they have spent their lives, and their claims ought not to be overlooked. But experience in other countries goes to show that from lack of interest important local documents are likely to be lost, even if they are not burnt as though they were so much waste paper. The Commissioners now at work in England will, in all probability, recommend that country collections should be allowed to remain where they are, provided their preservation is safe- guarded. Such preservation would involve the erection of a suitable building, and the appointment of a competent officer to attend to them and make them accessible to the public. If this rule were enforced in South Australia, how many country to'wais woiild decide to preserve their own documents, instead of having them sent to Adelaide ? The method of collecting these country documents may be explained by reference to the procedure adopted in Antwerp, where it is part of the duty of the Chief Archivist to make regular visits to the country for the purpose of collecting judicial documents and other papers belonging to the village councils. The pro- cedure is as follows : — The Keeper of the Archives iu Antwerp notifies the Gover- nor of the State that he wishes to visit some of the outlying villages in order to examine the local documents; the Governor thereupon writes to the authorities in the village instructing them to give the Keeper facilities for his investigations. The Keeper, on his return, reports to the Governor that certain documents ought to be transferred to the Archives in Antwerp, and he (the Governor) issues instructions to the local authorities to send them in. Documents that have no interest beyond the village are allowed to remain, provided the council have the means to preserve them, and preservation in this case involves at least the expense of an iron chest in which they may be kept, and the services of a trustworthy person to whose care they may be committed. In the great majority of cases the village authorities prefer to send on even these, so as to avoid the expense and trouble of keeping them. In all probability we could get the work done here with less routine than is observed in the Province of Antwerp; but the essential thing is that some respon- sible and capable officer should be empowered to visit and examine the documents in country tovois, and report on the desirability of their removal to Adelaide Rarely desirable to carry decentraliza- tion beyond the State to country towns. Conditions to be observed in exceptional cases. The Belgian method of collecting docu- ments in the country. IV.— THE STORAGE OF ARCHIVES. The next subject for consideration is the storage of these documents, and in The Antwerp State order to get the best advice on this matter vour Commissioner was recommended by Archives the be^st several experts in England to go to Antwerp, one of the provinces of Belgium, ^"^t^/J"' ^°"*'' where, in their opinion, the best up-to-date arrangements were to be found. A^des- cription of the building and the work done therein is given in the report of "The Royal Commission on Public Records," and in two pamphlets which I have had placed in the Public Library, on " Les archives de I'etat en Belgique" and " Le nouveau local des archives de I'etat a Anvers." But a brief statement of the essen- tial points may be given here, not because it is possible for us to follow their example now or even in the immediate future, but because it is well to have before us some model that, in the opinion of experts, is the most satisfactory, and to con- form as nearly as possible to it in any temporary arrangements the Government may be disposed to sanction. In Belgium there are nine provinces, and in each province there is a building for the preservation of archives. Antwerp, however, is the only one in which a building was specially designed for this purpose. It is, therefore, a model, and as it was erected in 1906, it is sufficiently up-to-date to justify No. 46. 8 The cost of the building and fittings. Officers employed. The accommodation for stafE and students. Precautions against damage by fire and water in the con- struction. And in the choice of situation. The rooms for storing the archives. The handling of documents after arrival. justify careful study. The British Commissioners think that here and at The Hague, in Holland, are two of the best archives buildings in Europe. The Archives at The Hague are central, those at Antwerp are like our own, State or provincial archives. For that reason they constitute the best model for us. The building is situated in the Place Door Verstraete, in the City of Antwerp. It was erected at a cost of £9,365 ; the fittings cost an additional £2,790, and the furniture £630. It has a ground floor and a first floor, and on both floors archives, are shelved. On the ground floor there are also rooms for officers and students, and another room for the display of some of the most interesting documents. The officers consist of a Keeper of the Archives, whose duty it is to supervise all the work of the institution, and keep in touch with the country towns; an assistant,, who keeps the students under observation, and does much of the work of classifica- tion under the supervision of his chief, and a clerk. There are also a cleaner, who lives on the premises, and a manservant, who attends to the heating apparatus and works generally about the place. The students' room is large enough to accom- modate nine students, allowing ample space for each. It is provided with desks, on which the documents under inspection rest. The tables are of the best quality, and are covered with inlaid cloth. In the same room is a bookcase containing inven- tories of classified lists of the documents stored in the building, and dictionaries to help the students in their work of elucidation. Every student places his name in a register, and at the end of the year a report of the work done by.them is sent to the Central Archives at Brussels. Next to the students' room is the room occupied by the assistant keeper. A window in the partition enables him to supervise the students without unnecessarily disturbing them. Behind the assistant's room is another for the exhibition of treasures, and behind that again is the office of the Keeper of the Archives. All these rooms are well supplied with windows, which open out on to a lawn and garden. The caretaker's quarters, which are very com- fortable, overlook the Place Door Verstraete. The rest of the building is used for the storage of archives. The main idea in the minds of those who designed the building was the pre- vention of damage by fire or water. There is a little wood in the rooms for the officers and students, but hardly any at all where the archives are stored. The walls are built with brick, the floors are fireproof material throughout — mosaic on the ground floor and tiles on the floor above; staircases, floors, shelves, most of the window frames, and pipes for the circulation of air are made of iron ; the supports for the shelves are composed of a material called beton arme, and the windows are of wired plate glass made in London. There are windows enough to afford plenty of light on dull and misty days, and no artiflcial light is allowed in any of the rooms where archives are kept. The building is open to students during the day only, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The choice of a site for the building shows the same care to prevent damage by fire. In front of the building is the wide open Place Door ; on one side is a street, on the other a garden, and though the back adjoins another building, a protecting wall has been built ui between and made as fireproof as possible. From the loftiest part of the building wires descend, along which lightning may be conducted to the earth. Inside the building, again, on each fioor are water pipes, and attached to them is a hose long enough to enable them to play on the nearer houses, in case they took fire. At various places inside the building there arc conical-shaped vessels containing a chemical that Is used to smother fire. The precautions against fire are so complete that the officers consider the destruction of the building by fire is practically impossible. Damage caused by water from scrubbing or from the use of hose is, as usual, guarded against by raising the lowest shelves a few inches above the floor. The same precaution is taken in the Record Office, in London. The rooms in which the archives are stored are just high enough to permit of the attendant reaching the documents on the topmost shelf without the use of ladders. In order to make the light as effective as possible all the shelves and supports are painted white ; and the supports holding the shelves are grooved in such a way as to enable them to store documents of any size, the grooves being one inch apart. Many of the oldest documents were originally bound in jTarchment ; and a few are bound in morocco; these are well preserved. Other important single documents, such as those to which seals are attached, are folded separately in paper and placed in boxes in chronological order. Old documents that have been repaired are also kept in boxes. But the great majority of the archives are placed in brown paper covers. This paper is the best and strongest of its kind procurable in Antwerp. It is cut so as to extend a little further than the lower edge of the documents, so that they may not touch the shelves. It is a cheap and, on the whole, a fairly effec- tive way of keeping the documents — parchment covers would be too expensive. In one corner of the building is an elevator, by which the archives are carried from the ground floor to the floor above. When the documents arrive from the country they are taken out and classified very roughly for the first time in a room close by ; then they are taken in the lift to the first floor, where a second classification 9 is made, iuul later ou a third and final classification before they are taken to their permanejit places in the building. The scheme of classification is set forth in the pamphlets, and in its final stages it may take years to complete. in the cellar is a boiler for heating water, over which the air passes before it The apparatus for enters the pipes and circulates through all the rooms. The pipes are of iron, and regulating tumpera- traverse the inside of the building on both floors, and there are openings in them *"''''■ at regular intervals, so as to liberate the warm air and allow it to spread freely over the room. This artificial heat is used during the winter months only, up to about the middle of April. After that time the temperature is regulated by open- ing and shutting windows. The main object in making use of this artificial heat is the preservation of the documents. But a good deal of ditference of opinion exists concerning the necessity for it, even in the damp climate of England. The British Museum is not far from the Record office, in London. In the PSritish Museum an even temperature is maintained throughout the year by artificial means; in the Record Office no artificial heat is used. v.— A PRACTICABLE SCHEME FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Desirable as such a building would l5e in South Australia, it is not to be expected that the Government of the State will sanction the expenditure necessary for such an up-to-date buildmg at the present time, or even in the near future. Public opinion is not yet educated out here to a proper appreciation of the value of these important documents, and besides this, we are participators in one of the most terrible and extensive wars ever waged in the history of mankind. Hard times are ahead of us, educational institutions will feel the strain severely in many ways while the struggle for life continues, and if the war proves to be a protracted one, as is all too likely, we shall not recover from its disastrous effects for years. It would be unreasonable, under such conditions, to ask the Government to expend upwards of £15,000 on a building and fittings, and to make provision for the annual upkeep of such an institution. For a separate institution of this kind, properly maintained, and made accessible to students, would require a staff of competent officers, including a keeper, an assistant, and a clerk, as well as a caretaker and general servant, and the officers in such an institution must be well trained in the handling of documents and versed m three or four languages, before they can properly classify the documents that constitute the material for the history even of this State. The best purpose that can be served at present in furnishing a report of the most up-to-date building in Europe is to give us some idea of the right sort of thing to aim at ultimately. That will, at least, prevent waste of money on useless experiments that take no account of experience in other countries where documents have been stored for hundreds of years. The best way for us to make a beginniiig is by utilising such material and ability as are already at our disposal, with as little expenditure as possible over and above that incurred by the Public Library. And, fortunately, both as regards building and expert service, we are in a position now to make a beginning without any considerable outlay. At the back of the new wing of the Museum building is an old church-like structure, built of stone, recently occupied as a military stores depot. With as many alterations as the Government can aff:'ord that building could be made a temporary repository for the original historical material that is now taking up a considerable amount of space in the Public Library. More windows will be needed to let in the light, for the reading of these old documents is trying to eyesight. Shelves will have to be erected, and some furniture provided to enable the students to carry on their work. In a dry climate like ours there is no need to bother about artificial heat, and no artificial light will be required, if, as is desirable for many reasons, the building is kept ope7i only in the day time. One of the officers in the Library would, no doubt, be able to spend some of his time in arranging the material on a rough and temporary method of classification; but that would necessitate the appointment of at least one more cadet in the Public Library, so as to make up for the time lost there, and if in the early stages some supervision and direction were required, I would gladly give a few hours each week of my time if the Government desired to make use of my services in an honorary capacity, and if the University Council and Board of Governors of the Public" Library approve. But it must be distinctly understood that my services would only be available until the time at which the Government might reasonably be expected to make due provision for a properly trained Keeper of the Archives.' Under the temporary sj'stem here contemplated there is no reason why the Department of Historical Records should not remain under the direct control of the Library Committee of the Board of Governors of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery, as heretofore. It may be found desirable at a later time to have a committee exclusively for this work, but if so, it could be appointed each year in the regular way by the Board of Governors. Expenditure neces- sary for such a building not justified in South Australia at present. We may begin by utilising buildings and ability already available. A workable, inexpensive, temporary scheme. VI.— THE B— No. 46. 10 Reasons lor restrict- ing tlie use of these documents — (1 ) their vahie. (2) thi' eonlidential and private nature of some of the contents. Rules in the Record Office and the British Museum In our own Library concerning duplicate dispatches. VI._THE USE AiND HANDLING OF DOCUMENTS. Ill all the European archives which I was able to visit care is taken to limit the use of these documents to bona fide students. There is good reason for this. Original tlocuments may lie repaired, but they cannot be replaced. Facsimiles may be taken, aud the utility of facsimiles is great, but the value of a facsimile is not to be com- pared with the value of an original document. By frecjuent or careless handling the wear and tear of documents is considerable ; the writing becomes illegible, aud the edges frayed. And this is much more the case with modern than with earlier docu- ments : the paper is not so good, for in some cases it is made of wood pulp, and easily crumbles away. It would be an expensive error to allow casual visitors to handle these docmnents. But there are other reasons why the use of original documents should be restricted to buna fide students. Many of these documents, especially those of recent date, contain information on subjects of a more or less confidential nature, and others deal with the private affairs of men of standing in the community. Unless they are used with discretion in.jury may in some cases be inflicted on the descendants of those individuals who are now living in the State. Sometimes it may become necessary to expose the unworthy tricks of selfish individuals who have tried to use the trust reposed in them for personal aggrandisement. But there are some irresponsible people who are unable to distinguish between history and scandal. They should not be allowed access to such documents as these, and precautions are taken in every library to exclude them. In the Record Office in London, for instance, the notes taken of a certain class of documents have to be submitted to the officer in charge for inspection. No copy of any allusion to the secret service of the Government is per- nutted, and "no document of a personal or confidential nature calculated to cause pain to private individuals or injury to the public interests of this (Great Britain) or other countries may be copied or ([uoted. " In the British Museum special appli- cation must be made for admission to the manuscripts room, the particular purpose of investigation must be specified, and the application must be supported by a recommendation from some responsible person who has personal knowledge of the applicant. In our o\\'n Library we have rules as stringent as those in the Record Office or the British Museum to ensure that only bona fide students shall enjoy the privilege of consulting the dispatches that have passed between the Governors of South Australia and the Secretary of State in London, and it is important that these rules should be enforced; but something might be added to ensure that these valuable documents shall be handled with care, so that the wear and tear raaj' be reduced to the minimum. In copying important documents only the best hand-made paper available should be usecl. Methods of repairing old and worn documents in tho Keoord Office. And the British Museum. Trouble in preservation arising from the modern use of inferior paper. VII.— THE REPAIR OF DOCUMENTS. In the Record Office in London and m the British Museum there are portions of the building in which documents are repaired. In some of the old documents of the earliest years of Parliamentary government in England the •writing is almost illegible, and the parchment is falling to pieces on the edges and corners. Sometimes these records are asked for by Parliament, and before they can be used much mending has tO' be done. The writing is made more distinct by the use of aimnonium sulphide, and the worn portions are restored hy the following process: a piece of wax tissue paper is placed on a board, and the document to be repaired is laid upon it, over the worn part of the document gauze is impressed, and the whole of the portion treated is stiffened with size made from parchment cuttings. By this treatment a document may be restored so as to last for any length of time, but it is an expensive way of effecting repairs, because of the price of gauze, which ranges from Is. to Is. 6d. per yard, and it can only be used in the case of valuable documents. Much less expensive is the process in which glazed or transparent paper is used. Of this paper there are two kinds generally in use in the British Museum, the one supplied by Spicer Bros., of London, the other a Japanese tissue paper, which is tougher. This paper is pasted over the surface of the worn document, and although it makes the print or writing fainter, it does not make it indistinct, and the document will last for a considerable time. This matter of repairing documents will need consideration here before very long, because, though our records are comparatively recent, the paper used is far inferior in ((uality to that used in earlier times, and some of the newspapers show signs of crumbling even now. Much, however, can be done to prevent wear and tear by keeping the shelves closely packed, and by stiffening the edges of the more important documents with size. Loose documents should be placed in boxes instead of being rolled up, the rooms in which they are placed should be kept thoroughly dry, and the temperature as even as possible. Something, too, may be done by using vacuum cleaners instead of dusters, so that the records may not be shaken or disturbed too frequently. When documents are valuable enough to bind, buckram should be used rather than calf ; it is less expensive, and more durable. Morocco makes very good binding, but it is far too expensive. VIII— THE II VIII.— THE VALUE OF ORIGINAL HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS. It would be well, before concluding this report to give some idea of the care which is devoted to the preservation of archives and historical documents in European coun- tries. Only those who have investigated archives or tried to purchase original (locuments have a proper appreciation of their worth. A few concrete statements may help others to understand. In the British Mu.seum is a copy of Florio's Montaigne, which contains what was once supposed to be a signature of Yfilliain Shakespeare. Experts are still divided in their opinion, but if the signature is not genuine it is certainly a very cunning forgery. Only on special application can it be seen, and when the attendant brings the book, opened at the proper place, the applicant is not allowed to handle the volume at all. With the aid of a magnifying glass he examines the signature without touching the page on which it is written, and during his investigations he is luider the supervision of a responsible officer in the Library. At the Guildhall Library there is a legal document with Shakespeare's signature and seal attached, it is carefully framed, and placed in a fireproof chest inside a spacious strong-room, and it is only displayed on special application. A Shakespearean signature is, of coiU'se, a valuable possession for any library, but so are original historical documents, and this is fully recognised in every European counti'y now. No students are admitted to the Department of Manuscripts hi the Ih'itish Museum imless they are bona jidc students, and in rule 9 it is set down that they are "expected to use" the manuscripts with care, and specially to avoid placing the hand on the page before them." Any student who removed a manuscript to another room without authority would be prosecuted. In all countries the most elaborate precautions are taken against damage by fire, not only in the construction of the buildings and fittings, but also by regular patrols of police or other officers. Nobody who has visited the archives of the older eoimtries will ever have any doubt afterwards concerning the value of tliese documents ; and in more recently settled countries, such as the United States and C'.anada, a vast amount of money and time is being expended, not only in preserving their records, but also in supplying stu- dents with knowledge of their contents and the way to use them. And, indeed, it only requires a few years' experience in the collection of these documents to realise their value in the opinion of responsible people. It is known that there are documents belonging to the history of South Australia m many parts of the British Empire. For many years past the Board of Governors of tlie Pulilic Library, Museum, and Art Gallery have been trying to arrange exchanges with Cape- town, Sydney, Auckland, and the Royal Colonial Institute in London, m order to get some of these records into our own collection, but without avail. It, has been found impossible to get in this way even the letters and diaries of an Adelaide citizen. Tills is in itself sufficient indication of the value placed upon even the less important papers, provided they rank as origmal documents, and it ought to teach us to esti- mate at something like their real value such documents as we have. The truth is that these documents have a value which cannot properly be measured by money at all. They are the ultnnate material on which a study of the country's history must be based, and if they are lost they cannot be replaced. io safeguard them and collect them in some central place in the State is a duty which we owe to the world. Even now manv students visit these lands tor the purpose ot studying our historv and institutions, and there will be many more in the tuture. We ought to be able to place before them such material as we have in the inost con- venient way. They do that for us; we should do it for tlieim 1 ns is in itself a duty which would more than justify the establishment of a Department of HistorLal Records in Adelaide, apart altogether from the claims of our omistudens who are beginning to display a keen interest m the history of their own State, the Commonwealth, and the Empire. ^^^ ^, jj^NDERSON. Adelaide, March 20, 1915. Facta indicative of the value placed upon original documents in the British Museum and GuildhaU Library. Rules governing the use of manuscripts. The extraordinary difficulty in acquiring original manuscripts by purchase or exchange. The collection and preservation of South Australian documents is a duty we owe to the world as well as to our- selves and posterity. No. 46. ^jlh ■'