Karen Garvey

Bristol Record Office contains a treasure store of archival riches spanning 800 years of Bristol life; however, a few years ago, a realisation set in that despite the wealth of records, the city’s minority communities were not fully represented in the collections. We were concerned that a comprehensive picture of the city was not available for local and family historians, or future researchers and that minority communities did not visit as often as they might because they felt that their story was not told by the city archives and therefore they had no involvement in it. Consequently, a part-time archivist post was converted into a full-time outreach, inclusion & learning archivist post - something of a first for record offices in the UK. I was delighted to be appointed to this exciting position and, eighteen months later, it is very rewarding to carry out such interesting and essential work.

The creation of my post ensures that the Record Office has more scope for promotion of our service with a special emphasis on working with non-traditional visitors or depositors of records. It also allows us more time to act with council colleagues in helping groups at risk of social inclusion by offering archives as creative routes to engagement with the wider community and for learning basic skills. Having a passion for history that comprises all people and learning which is accessible to everyone, it’s satisfying to work for an organisation that upholds this policy.

Part of my job involves attending events that encourage people to explore their local heritage or family history, and which allow the Record Office to become an active partner of the community. One of the first events I participated in was Emancipation Day on 1 August 2004, set up by a community activist to mark the end of transatlantic slavery and to bring communities together. Combining forces with our colleagues from the Museum and Library services, I took along historical records and chatted to people about their own histories - we all need reminding about the importance of our own stories. This year’s theme was ‘motivation and enlightenment’, which was a wonderful vehicle for showcasing the achievements of local African Caribbeans captured in records and photos already in the care of the Record Office. People were fascinated by our display about heroes like Reuben Randolf St Claire, a platoon officer in the Home Guards during World War II, and Jimmy Peters, ‘The Champion Athlete’ who overcame obstacles to become the first British black man to play rugby at international level. Events like this reveal how archives have an important role to play as agents of social change - they uplift and inspire, overthrow stereotypes and revitalise public interest in local affairs.

The Emancipation Day celebrations occurred in Easton, one of the city’s most culturally diverse, vibrant neighbourhoods but one troubled by unrest, economic disadvantage and crime-related problems. As a way of sparking learning opportunities and nurturing community cohesion I have been representing the Record Office on a working group to build an innovative cultural/heritage centre in the area. Similarly I act for the Record Office on a steering group for Easton’s ‘World on Our Doorstep Festival’ which aims to foster pride in the locality. Thousands of people turned up for the first event and it was quite surreal to see traditional English Morris dancers mingling with Asian Bhangra bands and West Indian stall holders. I brought records, photos and maps relating to the locality and particularly recall a young Somalian transfixed by an old black and white photograph showing trams in the Edwardian period. It just goes to show that even recent arrivals can find the study of local history absorbing. This year I will be working with a museum colleague to engage local schools in an investigation of the area’s history. Interaction with archives provides a positive experience for young people, not least in motivating them to value the local environment.

I have demonstrated the Record Office’s support for local history activities by attending reminiscence sessions held in local libraries, for instance relating to the blitz, schooldays, leisure and work in particular neighbourhoods. As you can imagine, Black History Month in October is a busy time for us, which we have contributed to by hosting talks such as ‘Tracing Your West Indian Ancestors’ and the ‘Eighteenth Century Black Population of Bristol’, or attending grass-roots celebrations. This year we were fortunate enough to welcome the veteran civil rights activist, Paul Stephenson, who led the famous ‘Bristol Bus Boycott Campaign’ in which local African Caribbean people successfully challenged Bristol Omnibus Company’s bar to the employment of black people in 1963. One of our greatest coups this year was Paul Stephenson’s decision to deposit digital copies of his personal archives here, which include images of sporting icons, Muhammed Ali, Daly Thompson and John Conteh. I have worked closely with Paul by liaising with him over his archives and his partnership with the Record Office has generated plans to create a ‘Black Archives’ for Bristol, the first phase reflecting the experiences of African Caribbean people. Our first meeting with various Black agencies, individuals, Council departments and even HM Lord Lieutenant was very positive, with real enthusiasm for taking the project forward.

It is difficult to summarise all the various communities we have forged new links with over the past year and a half, but they include members of the Chinese community, Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers, the LGBT community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) and Sikh musicians. In early January I shall be talking to senior officers at Horfield Prison, Bristol about how archives can motivate prisoners and help to develop skills. We have also accommodated more traditional users of the Record Office with various exhibitions and tours. I helped to promote our participation in the national Archive Awareness Campaign, which aims to open up archives to everybody. Talks ranged from beginnings in house history, local history, family history and the study of old handwriting, to exhibitions on Nelson and the locality. During a special Open Day we revealed Bristol’s oldest and quirkiest documents, provided ‘behind the scenes’ tours, offered expert advice, and welcomed a group of West Indian elders who showed people how to make traditional quilts. Their aim was to inspire others to have a go at learning something new and we thought that their contribution was particularly relevant: local history is like a tapestry - the lives of local people are woven together to form a complete picture.

My work is wide-ranging and requires an ability to juggle several projects at once, all of which I find stimulating and exciting. As an example, in addition to more specific inclusion work, I’m a member of the contents development group for a proposed new Museum of Bristol, and I shall be rolling out a course I developed for beginners in local and family history. Archives are the foundation of understanding how we exist as a nation, a community or an individual, and I’m so lucky to have a job that enables me to promote that to everyone.