Abstract
This article summarizes observations on the “archive question” as it manifests itself in Argentina at the present moment. Based on a presentation delivered in Buenos Aires, it opens with a general appraisal of the multiple dynamics (political, disciplinary, technological) converging on this issue. Then, it focuses on a particular dimension of this process—namely, the impact of the digital archive on the reconstruction of the Argentine past.
Highlights
This article offers a number of observations on the “archive question”, as they appear from the point of view of a socio-cultural historian interested in the situation of Argentine archives, and the place of archives in historical research as a whole
Let us take note of the narrative approach to the archive by historians dedicated to communication outside the academy
The fact that studies on Buenos Aires newspapers become studies on illustrated magazines means that these newspapers are left out, distorting our understanding of the actual reading practices and public conversations, not to mention the other aspects of the newspaper as a structuring agent of nineteenth- and twentieth-century culture
Summary
This article offers a number of observations on the “archive question”, as they appear from the point of view of a socio-cultural historian interested in the situation of Argentine archives, and the place of archives in historical research as a whole. It is not based on any expert knowledge; I am neither an archivist nor a specialist by any definition. When evaluating applications for research agencies, for example, one notices a proliferation of projects that are true plans of recovery and access to old archives and libraries. I will focus on a specific diagnosis linked to my field, socio-cultural history, and what I see as a relevant symptom of the current relationship between archives and research
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