Remember VHS?

For many people, the first thing they will think of when they think of archives are documents – perhaps a minute book, or a letter – but archive collections can be in almost any media format, from an ancient wax tablet, parchment deed, or map, to a glass-plate negative, 16mm film, or digital file. As regular blog readers will know, here at Brent Archives we hold a small collection of films relating to the borough’s local history, and have recently been part of the London’s Screen Archives Project to digitise and catalogue film and moving image collections from archives and museums across the capital.

A basic list of the films in our collection is already available through the LSA online catalogue, but we’re currently working on more detailed descriptions. When they are uploaded to the LSA database, they will make the catalogue far more searchable and ensure that anyone interested in the content of one of our films can find what they are looking for. Films can then be viewed by visitors to the archives, and even online, as the digitised recordings are being made available on the London’s Screen Archives YouTube channel.

Technology has moved so fast in recent years that even relatively recent films are often on obsolete formats of media. Luckily, we retain viewing equipment to ensure that we and our users can access the films, which provide a fascinating record of the borough’s past. Archives Assistant Rachel is currently watching hours of VHS footage of past events and activities in Brent, and making notes to be added to the online catalogue. When she has finished working on the collection, they will be stored, alongside our other film material, in a climate-controlled cool store, which will help to prevent the deterioration of the films so that they can be enjoyed and used in research for many years to come.

Posted by Kate