Collections · A guide to the archive
Explore objects, letters, certificates and photographs through remembered journeys, recorded custody and decisions about access.
Begin with the record’s own description and its documented route into a collection or family account. A remembered journey, an institutional catalogue and an archival policy answer different questions. Compare what is identified, what remains unknown and whose decision is needed before further sharing. The readings can be used with published material and do not require disclosure of a private family archive.
An intentional selection
Interpret trunks and household belongings through attributed family accounts and museum research, keeping remembered events, later journeys and display distinct.
Plan access to refugee letters and family papers by recording provenance, discussing privacy concerns and distinguishing research access from online publication.
Read school certificates beside recommendations and personal recollections to trace educational journeys, institutional locations and the limits of each record.
Compare two catalogued wedding photographs to separate named people, dates, clothing descriptions and unidentified participants when researching family history.
Read museum labels beside acquisition histories and documented return requests, preserving uncertainty and distinguishing a transfer narrative from a settled claim.
How we use sources, explain uncertainty and correct mistakes.
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