Curatorial and archival approaches to the National Gallery archives

Abstract

The article considers recordkeeping at the National Gallery, from the Gallery’s foundation in 1824 to the present day. It explores the relationship between the archive and the paintings which form the Gallery’s collection and considers how this relationship has influenced the arrangement and use of the archive. An assessment is made of the status of the archives and how they have been perceived by a variety of members of staff. During the early nineteenth century, Gallery records were maintained in a small number of broad series such as the minutes of the Board of Trustees and letters in and out. Key moments in the Gallery’s history are shown to have affected the archive, such as the reconstitution of the Gallery in 1855, administrative reforms in the early twentieth century and initiatives to produce new catalogues of the paintings after the Second World War. Such moments in the Gallery’s history are noted for the manner in which they expanded the series of records being created and maintained. A wider professionalization of roles at the Gallery, particularly in the 1970s, is shown to have had a significant impact on the archive and its administration. At this time, a meaningful engagement with the Public Record Office was entered into and this activity would ultimately lead to the archive being arranged and listed. The professionalization of roles is also shown to have been the catalyst for the appointment of the Gallery’s first permanent archivist in 1994. The article concludes with a consideration of the post-1994 work of staff which demonstrates how the archive has become increasingly embedded in the activities of the Gallery and has moved away from an entirely subservient relationship with the collection of paintings.