Researching

[Peter]

Bonjour Monsieur Patrick Poirot,

I was imost impressed, and found your post of 10th November 2007 very interesting, and helpful.

Are you now allowed to use cameras in the The National Archives , or was it some clandestine affair you were carrying out? Did they charge you for using your camera?

Also I presume photographing causes less damage to documents, than photo copying on a machine, where the spines get bent and broken.

Sorry to hear you got tired though.
Best wishes, Peter.

[PMarione]

Thanks but it was 2 years ago so I'm fine now

At TNA they allow you to take all the pics you want for free (will probably change when they find that they can make money from it).
As you say it's far less destructive than photocopies and far more better quality when it comes to read bad 18th c writings.

The only prohibitions are the use of a flash or a tripod but it's not a great problem with a digital camera and you can use the reading lamps to light the book.
Another problem is that you have to keep the book on the table and so you have to stand in a very inconfortable position to take the pics (thence my tiredness and painful back).

The best place is in the map room upstairs where the tables are bigger etc but you have to be there at the doors opening otherwise all the places are taken.

The next time I go there I'll try to go with somebody so one person can turn and flatten the pages while the other is taking the pics.

A last point: don't forget that the copyright still belongs to the Queen and you have to get permission to publish their stuff.

@+P

[Langstone]

Yes, you don't have to be a spy and smuggle in your camera. The National Archives is one of an increasingly enlightened lot of archives that allows digital photography. You don't have to contort yourself - you ask to borrow 'snakes' - these are cloth covered lead strips that will weigh down the pages! (at least I think they have them: British Library has them, so does National Maritime Museum library) And talking of those last two, they DON'T allow digital photography. Awful!!! Hope they change their minds soon, as it really slows down research.

[PMarione]

At BL at least you can buy photocopies.

At NMM you are back to HN times: no photocopy and certainly no digital camera. I think they got electricity now and no more candles but just.

I have already been there 5 times to find stuff in the archives for a precise subject and copy it by hand. I still have only done half the research so I'll probably will have to go there 5 more times. At TNA I would have done the job in 1 or 2 days and having pics not to be bothered with misstyping!

Besides that the people there are very kind and helpful. They are not responsible for middle-age rules.

@+ P

[alexlitandem]

I know you part jest P!

My personal experience is that:

a) NA team = super helpful, once they know you know they know... and you're not leaving until they help! I'm joking. Superb team - never encountered anything other than real help. It is the other `researchers' who can be a pain in the Posh.

b) NMM Greenwich? Well, less perfectly `techno-ed' maybe, compared to NA., sure. But, great attitude and obviously a fantastic resource to buy Class A drugs.

c) I made that last bit up.

d) Portsmouth - the Library and the Medal collection. Just ask nicely, plan and link up with them before any visit and... rightly... you have access to nearly everything - but, better, the teams there try to anticipate what you SHOULD have asked them to help you with!

e) So, they pre-emptively dig out, and mark-up books, items, references...very nice, very cool.

Smugglin' stuff out is probably easiest in Greenwich.

That's another joke, M' Lord.

[PMarione]

I agree with you: smuggling is very easy at NMM. If I remember well there is a metal detector at the exit but you only have to take the door on the left to get out. Just take some very big satchel so you don't have to come too often.


At TNA they quite strip search you when you get out so all you can steal is a lot of old paper dust. Can be sniffed and send you higher than PCP. A great place to get a good nosocomial disease, a good allergy or some lead poisoning.

Show you how the searchers are risking their live everyday to dig up some useless knowledge!

I am joking too