British Records Association

Author: Michael Edwards

  • Visit to Eton College Archives, Tuesday 21 June 11.30

    Following the fascinating talk at the BRA Conference last November ‘We will play with a ball full of wynde’: sport at Eton since the 15th century’ which was given by Eleanor Hoare, Eton College Archivist, the BRA has arranged a visit to the College.

    Eton College was founded by King Henry VI in 1440 for the education of 70 King’s Scholars. In addition to the King’s Scholars housed in ‘College’, there are now over 1200 ‘Oppidan’ boys at the school in 24 other boarding houses, making Eton the largest boarding school for boys in the United Kingdom. The College Archives are a rich record of Eton’s history, and include the founding charters and statutes, accounts from the 1440s to the present and records of the College’s estates, as well as documentation of King’s Scholars from 1660 and of all schoolboys from 1791.

    On display in 18th College Library, will be a selection of treasures from the archives, Eleanor will give an introduction to the collections and the documents on display, as well as answer questions. Then, if time permits, there will be a chance to see some of the College itself. Space is limited so a maximum of 30, members only, may attend. The cost will be £12 per person – cash or cheque in advance or on the day – please email  info@britishrecordsassociation.org.uk to book.  Closing date to apply is June 10th and the sooner you book the more likely that you will be to get a place.

    It should be noted that there is no step free access to the Library. There is a lift which cuts out the vast majority of the steps, but there will still be two or three steps to negotiate.

    Event is now open to ALL.

    Eton Collage image: “Reproduced by permission of the Provost and Fellows of Eton College”

  • Statement of Editorial Policy

    The British Records Association (BRA) promotes the preservation, understanding, accessibility and study of our recorded heritage for public benefit: the nation’s records preserved, accessed and interpreted for the benefit of all.

    The Association’s journal, ARCHIVES, supports these aims by providing information about the whereabouts, interpretation and historical significance of records in all media. It publishes essays, commentaries, case studies and reports on all aspects of the care, preservation, accessibility and use of archives. It welcomes submissions from archive users, archivists, historians and other professionals including established and newly emerging scholars that:

    • provide case studies in the use of archival resources;
    • promote scholarly analysis of the history of archives and the impact on users of record keeping practices, past, present and future;
    • report projects and discoveries, including the research potential unleashed by significant new accessions and cataloguing projects;
    • provoke discussion of archival issues within the user community;
    • provide guidance about the use and meaning of archival resources and the linkages between them;
    • communicate archival trends, theories and practices to a wider audience.

    ARCHIVES includes short edited documents as well as reviews of recent publications, web sites and archival exhibits (physical or virtual).

    ARCHIVES is a peer reviewed journal. It is published simultaneously in print and digital form by Liverpool University Press.  There is no upper limit on the length of submissions but it is anticipated that very few will be longer than c.8,000 -10,000 words including notes. It is published twice yearly.

    Submissions must be the original work of the author(s) that have not been published previously or are soon to be.

    Articles sent to ARCHIVES for consideration for publication should not be submitted simultaneously to any other journal or journals.

  • Event: Gerald Aylmer Seminar 2016

    London, Greater London

    The Gerald Aylmer Seminar 2016: The Experience of the Archive

    By: Institute of Historical Research

    Location: Wolfson Conference Suite, IHR
    Registration: 09:30-10:00

    This seminar will focus on the critical questions which surround the individual, personal and community experience of the archive and the ways in which that experience affects how the archive is understood and used. Just as the production of the archive is not neutral or static, the use of the archive is a matter not only of the content found there but also of the process by which the archive is experienced. In a digital world, the experience of ‘reading’ the archive may be very different from the traditional engagement which required a scholar to travel through time and space to read the archive. Is there something of the physical experience of being in the archive which is still valuable? What other insights does the experience of the archive bring? …. to read more and register, click this link.