Archives Assistant Stephanie Basford-Morris reflects on her experience of going ‘back to school’ as an adult with a distance learning MA Archives Administration course, and highlights material giving an insight into adult learning over the decades in the Richard Burton Archive collections. Do you remember the particular joy of buying new stationary for back to school? This childhood … Continue reading Back to School: Archives & Adult Learning
The #ExploreYourArchive theme for this month is firsts, so we’re going to look at our namesake, Richard Burton, and some of his premieres a.k.a. first or opening nights! Some thoughts about first nights, stage and screen, are found in his diaries which form part of the Richard Burton Collection- ‘We went to London for the opening … Continue reading Premieres and the red carpet in the Richard Burton Collection
On the anniversary of Raissa Page's death, archivist, writer and researcher, David Johnston-Smith gives an update on activities to celebrate the photographer's life and work. Today is the 10th anniversary (28 July 2011) of the death of photographer, Raissa Page, whose archive we were lucky enough to receive in 2014, and which was later catalogued … Continue reading Remembering Raissa
Our Archives Assistant Steph Basford-Morris follows the trail of the Explore Your Archive theme this month - #ArchiveMystery - leading her to discover links with pioneering ITV mystery drama! Photo by Andre Moura from Pexels The starting point for this mystery trail was the papers of Elaine Morgan, part of the Richard Burton Archives' Welsh Writers in English … Continue reading It’s A Mystery!
Lifelogging and bloggers who record their daily events are not just a twenty-first century phenomena. Archives Assistant Sarah Thompson explores examples from our Archive collections to look at ways in which people have been recording their daily life throughout the centuries. One of the earliest examples of daily life in the local area was discovered … Continue reading Daily Life Records in the Archives
Music played an important part of cultural and community life in the South Wales Coalfield. Brass bands, choirs, jazz bands and operatic societies were formed to raise money and spirits. Talents were showcased at local or National Eisteddfodau and miners' galas. Choirs and Operatic Societies The Ystalyfera and District Choral Society at the Royal Jubilee … Continue reading The land of song- music in the South Wales Coalfield
We hold a number of letters patent and patent specifications in our collections, but knew very little about them, or the innovations they might reveal. Do they hold much research potential? Surely they would only contain minimal details, to protect from imitations? We did some digging to find out more... Very basically, a patent gives … Continue reading Investigating innovation
Since 2018, the historic Mumbles Pier has been undergoing a £3.2 million refurbishment including an upgraded pavilion, boardwalk extending out into the water, and plans to convert the former lifeboat house into a restaurant and visitor centre. Archives in the South Wales Transport Collection show that it’s not the first time the Victorian Pier has … Continue reading Disputes & Dancing – Mumbles Railway & Pier
Guest post by Aleksandra Ferek, a first-year student at Swansea University, studying English Literature with Creative Writing. She joined us on a Swansea Employability Academy placement, and was tasked with looking through the private journals of Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn (1814-1892). When I was younger, I used to write diaries. I needed … Continue reading Diaries and Daily Life
For this month's #ExploreYourArchive theme, 'Business & Manufacturing', we're looking at advertisements in the student newspaper collection, and take a journey back in time to explore local businesses in Swansea. Advertisement for R.E. Jones Ltd catering company, DAWN student newspaper, 1927/28 In the earliest student newspapers from the 1920s there are adverts for R.E. Jones … Continue reading Back in Time For Business
