Richard Burton Archives mark decade of archive accreditation

This accolade recognises its top-tier standard in preserving valuable records and making them accessible to researchers and the public.

Established as the UK benchmark for archive services, the Richard Burton Archives became the first university in the UK and the first service in Wales to clinch accreditation after the standard was initiated in 2013.

Head of cultural collections, engagement and curation Siân Williams said: "We were honoured when we secured the accreditation as it defines good practice and identifies agreed standards within the archive sector.

"I am delighted to say that since then, we have gone from strength to strength and pride ourselves in always looking for ways we can expand our collections and improve the service we offer to users."

Home to more than 1.7 kilometres of documents, from photographs, audio cassettes, to paper and parchment materials, the archives indeed has a bounty to celebrate.

There is a large archive of items, including photographs and much more (Image: Swansea University)

As they mark the accreditation's 10th anniversary, the team is looking further into the archives to explore major events of the past ten years.

A key highlight is the rediscovery of the ‘lost’ Dylan Thomas notebook in 2014, which the University successfully bid for and was hailed as a thrilling find after the late poet’s death.

Other notable moments include the Union Matters project that digitalised and preserved the South Wales Miners’ Federation records (1899-1934). These records reveal critical historical moments like the 1926 General Strike and the 1930s economic depression.

During Swansea University’s Centenary in 2020, the Archives provided pivotal support in Dr Sam Blaxland's historical research on the university and an oral history project featuring the university's story between 1920 and 2020.

Moreover, the Archives has contributed significant pieces to the highly successful exhibition 'Becoming Richard Burton', which traced Richard Jenkins' transformation into acclaimed stage and screen star Richard Burton at the National Museum Cardiff.

Not only catering to staff and students, but the Archives also continues to support groups from various academic departments.

For example, students studying the MA module Communicating the Past: Public History using Historic Collections investigate archival items and generate an online website.

In the past, the Archives supported numerous researchers and media companies searching the collections to mark events, some commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Greenham Common protests and the 40th anniversary of the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike.

At present, the Archives' team anticipates the publication of Raissa Page: A Life in Photography, based on the Raissa Page Collection it houses, while simultaneously preparing for the commemoration of Richard Burton’s birth centenary in 2025.

For those interested, more about the Richard Burton Archives can be found on its blog as well as how to access its collections.