Practical Archival Skills Training: Introduction to Visual Collections

This half-day online workshop will introduce the range of visual sources held at The National Archives (TNA) which can be used for study of history and material culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These include registered designs, photographs, art, graphic design, architecture and film records, all produced or collected by government departments. The training will be held on Teams, and the link for the training will be sent two weeks in advance.

A significant collection of visual material can be found in our records of intellectual property. Under various Acts of Parliament relating to copyright, artists, designers, photographers, publishers and manufacturers sent samples of their work and products to government regulators to be registered. These samples are now held at TNA and include millions of textiles, wallpapers, trademarks, photographs, advertising and branding designs; creating a unique collection which reflects the economic, social and cultural history of the time.

In addition, British government departments also created a wide range of visual material for the purposes of documentation, publicity and propaganda, records of which are now held at TNA. These include architectural records, photographs, film, posters and other publicity material which offer researchers an insight into social and cultural history of the twentieth century.

This workshop will provide an overview of the range of visual records which make up these two areas of TNA’s collections and help students to identify which collections may be useful to their research.

Please note: The workshop focuses on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and does not cover medieval or early modern material culture.

Course outline

Registered designs

Records of designs registered for copyright protection in the UK make up a vast source for visual representations of material culture as well as data for industry, business and trade histories across the 19th and 20th centuries. This session will highlight key aspects of the collection which covers designs for textiles, wallpapers, furniture, appliances and other types of goods and decorative arts.

Architectural drawings and plans

The National Archives holds thousands of architectural drawings covering a wide range of buildings and other structures. These include plans, elevations, sections, perspective drawings and various other depictions and details of architectural works, including some iconic British landmarks and major engineering projects.

Photographs

This session will introduce the key TNA photographic collections, including photographs registered for copyright (1862-1912), government publicity photographs, and Colonial, Foreign and Commonwealth Office collections.

Art and graphic design

This session will introduce records of the registration of artwork for copyright protection (1862-1912), which include examples of fine art, illustration, graphic design, advertising and ephemera. We will also cover government publicity posters, leaflets and other print media of the twentieth century.

Film

Government has used film to educate, inform and influence populations at home and abroad. The National Archives collections can be used to explore the development of public information campaigns relating to social issues such as health and race relations.

By the end of this workshop you will have an understanding of the range of visual material held at TNA and the research opportunities the records present. You will know which collections might be most useful for your own research project and where to turn next to find out more.

If you have any questions or for more information, please see our website or email the team at past@nationalarchives.gov.uk