Dr Allan G Minns, Mayor of Thetford, Norfolk 1904-5-6. It is believed he may have been the first black mayor in the U.K. Crown Copyright 2008, Norfolk Record Office.
The Archive Awareness Campaign has launched its fifth annual campaign to celebrate community archives and the roles that individuals have played in shaping local history.
This year’s ‘Take Your Place in History’ theme focuses on the importance of communities and their role in the making of this country’s history.
The public’s use of archived materials has doubled in the last ten years and there are more than 2,000 archive centres in the UK.
“Archives have something for everyone,” explained Jeff Pick, Chairman of the National Council on Archives.
Mary Wheatland, the Bognor bathing woman, 1903. Crown Copyright 2008, The National Archives
(Above) Mary Wheatland, the Bognor bathing woman, was a well known Bognor Regis character who hired bathing machines from the east of the pier. She taught children to swim and saved many lives for which she received medals and recognition from the Royal Humane Society. Born in 1835 at Aldingbourne, she later moved to Ivy Lane, South Bersted, Bognor and died at the age of 89 in 1924.
“We hope this year’s campaign will help the public discover the history of their community and enable many more people to realise the role and contributions women and black and ethnic minorities have played in making that history.”
Archives have teamed up with community groups, organisations and artists to offer people the chance to connect with their local history and learn more about their community.
Image supplied by Archif Menywod Cymru / Women's Archive of Wales.
(Above) Marjorie Edmunds, in Llanelli, South Wales - Women's Auxiliary Air Force engineer, on the nose of a Spitfire she'd just serviced at Dunsfold airfield during WWII.
And throughout the autumn, archives across the UK will be hosting special events celebrating the wealth of their collections, highlighting the importance of archives as guardians of history.
Archive Awareness is spearheaded by the National Council on Archives and funded by The National Archives and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
For further information on events taking place in archives across the UK over the next few months, visit the website www.archiveawareness.com/events
