HISTORICAL PAPERS: A PLATFORM FOR RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Historical Papers research archive, situated in the William Cullen Library, was established in 1966. We are a friendly, vastly used, valued and popular service as well as unique and accessible hub for human rights research serving civil society, scholars and researchers. Historical Papers is one of the largest and most comprehensive independent archives in Southern Africa. We house over 3300 collections of historical, political and cultural importance, encompassing the mid 17th Century to the Present.
Our primary aim is to serve the broader community as well as the university and to transform archives into accessible centres for research. Included are the records of many human rights NGOs, trade unions, labour federations, political parties, women's organisations, churches and church bodies, and the papers of human rights activists. We are also home to a huge volume of political trials, photographs, press clippings, oral interviews, and material collected by several research institutions and individual researchers.
With generous funding from the Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation we are continually building up our web-based delivery of digitized resources. More
On the 17 February 2011 Historical Papers and Museum Africa jointly held the opening of the FOSATU exhibition and the book launch of " 'The future is in the Hands of the Workers' A History of FOSATU". You can now download the book for FREE.
NEWS
Digitised collections of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa
We have recently embarked on digitising collections from the archive of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa, of which Historical Papers is the official repository. These particular collections are held on microfilm only, and are now available online.
Picture above: Bishops Court, Cape Town, Painting by Tinus de Jongh. Bishops Court is the official residence of the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa.
One of the crucial projects for the work of Historical Papers was the establishment of a fully fledged Digitisation Centre. In February this year the Centre finally opened its door and our Digital Archivist and her staff members moved into the new space. The Wits Digitisation Centre is situated in the William Cullen Library. It is equipped with the latest technology for the digital archiving of collections, as well as a small conventional conservation area. Eventually the Centre is set to serve not only Historical Papers and the Library, but also the University.
New collection of the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa received
The collection of the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa has now been made available for researchers. The papers relate to the activities and projects of the Foundation for the period of 1996-2005.
The South African Post Office has released a special edition postage stamp depicting the Delegation of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) to England in 1914. The image originates from a photographic collection, which is held at Historical Papers. The South African Post Office had approached Historical Papers to use this famous photograph for one of their special postage stamps in 2012, in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the ANC.
THE STAR newspaper has deposited their Barnett photograph collection with Historical Papers. The collection of photographs by Joseph and David Barnett comprises more than 2000 glass negatives and photographic prints from the turn of the last century.
