Handling History

Yesterday I was privileged to be given a tour of the National Archives in Pretoria, South Africa.
I left with a feeling of "Wow!"
This repository is one of many in South Africa and houses collections of the old Transvaal Province (pre-1994 history) and matters of National significance.
I was privileged to be shown around by a lovely, friendly lady called Belinda. She arranged for a reading room overview and orientation, a visit inside one of the 44 x double vaults and a visit to the preservation room.
Access to the archives has some strict rules to be followed. There is a locker provided upon signing in where valuable and extra’s can be stored. One may only take in a laptop, your cell phone, and your notes. No writing materials are allowed at all. No eating or drinking of any kind allowed in the reading room. Obviously, this is a measure to prevent any damages to the valuable, priceless and irreplaceable records they hold.
A researcher registers with the archives the first time they use the facility. You will need your ID for this purpose. Once in the reading room you sign in and complete the form requesting the records you would like to view. A staff member will then extract the holdings for you and you will be assigned a table number for the duration of your stay. A limit of 256 records per day has been imposed. Should you not finish going through your requested records on the first day and you wish to return the next day, you can request in writing that the records be kept available for you for the next day.
I found the staff to be very accommodating and friendly. My guide showed me the extensive card index in the reading room of the photos, periodicals and maps also held at the facility in addition to the Smuts Collection – a large collection of records held in their archives.
I was then shown into one of the vaults. It is a temperature and humidity controlled room with a very visible fire suppression system in place. In this vault (a double vault) and another 43 like it are held the books, files, maps, periodicals, photographs and other historically noteworthy items that are being preserved as part of South Africa’s legacy. I was shown a bible dating back to 1852 and a deed book for Heidelberg, Transvaal farms that had not yet been packed away from the previous day. The guide explained the difference between the registers which are held in the archives and the actual certificates which are held by the Department of Home Affairs. He also explained how light affects the records too and so the rooms are kept in darkness and sealed except when a record is being collected from the vault. This is to minimize deterioration and degradation.
I was then shown to the preservation laboratory. This was a huge “wow” part for me. On the table was a map about to be restored dating from 1895. The process is complex. The paper has to be relaxed (very necessary after having been kept folded in a box for years and they have become brittle). Then the map pieces are assembled like a jigsaw puzzle to determine if any parts are missing. It is illegal for them to replace missing pieces. It has to be preserved in exactly the way they have it. No retouching of anything. They use a Japanese tissue (available in varying thicknesses and grains) to replace any missing parts. Then the pieces are assembled onto a parchment type cloth and sealed onto it with a combination of special glue and resin and other protective substance.
There was another rolled up one which had just been restored. This took 6 people 2 weeks to restore the map and preserve it for future generations. It was a huge map larger than a king-size bed once unrolled and shown to me.
Lying on the table were placards from the 1976 Soweto riots which had been sent to them for preservation and to stop further degradation. Absolutely fascinating.
They showed me how they repair books and make special boxes to hold irreparable documents that are too fragile to be restored. All of these items are made from special paper and glues that will not affect the preservation of the documents they hold.
I left the archives with a newfound respect for the valuable work being carried out by the Department of Art and Culture. I am positive they have little funding and that many documents and artifacts are being lost in today’s throwaway society.
I have begun to look at my family history collection with new eyes, wondering if some of it should be sent to them for proper preservation and safe-keeping. Time will tell.