Archivists and martime collections at GUAS - A cautionary tale
Lesley Richmond
(First published in Dunaskin News, March 2002)
Introduction
Archivists are custodians of memory, the archives they manage, repositories of historical sources. Archivists also shape memories as they are not neutral custodians of remembrance but are active players in the collection, classifying and exploiting of memory. Despite protestations to the contrary they do consciously or unconsciously choose, based on social and cultural factors, what is worthy of permanently preserving - of archiving. Any subsequent archive reflects realities as understood by the archivist.
Archivists also select what is, and what is not, kept. This will dictate what will be remembered, as neither the memory of an individual or society can retain everything. Society and people only remember a small amount, a great deal is forgotten. The archivist chooses what is to be kept and thus changes the context and meaning of the collection and the items retained therein.
The historian not only requires to understand the social, cultural, political and economic contexts that led to a record being created in the first instance but also must understand the cultural and social factors at work when archivists collect, appraise, arrange and describe records and when they themselves use such archives. Archivists have for many years prided themselves on appraising records, not just on their past evidential and representative value, but also for their future value for historians - another layer of context for the user to understand.
Archivists have a duty to document the decisions, methods and assumptions that they have used to collect, appraise or weed records when creating an archive. Unfortunately, archivists, until very recently, have not had a set of standards to follow to undertake such documentation and there is still little consensus as to the depth that such documentation should go. The new descriptions of collections held by Glasgow University Archive Services appearing on the GUAS web site, do document some of the decisions, methods and assumptions made by the archivists managing these sources but many are already lost as they were never recorded. It is with such counsel that the sources listed below for maritime cultural heritage are offered.
The presence of water can exert a profound influence on a regional landscape, and, consequently, upon the lives of people who dwell there. As a maritime environment shapes local natural resources, so too does it shape cultural resources within local communities. Of the many communities on the west coast of Scotland, shaped by the sea and inland waterways, Glasgow is itself a supreme example of maritime influence. The dictum ‘Glasgow made the Clyde and the Clyde made Glasgow’, sums up the combination of natural and human influences that made the city of Glasgow. The original shallowness of the River Clyde gave the initial impetus to the growth of Glasgow but when that shallowness threatened the continual growth of the city, the City developed the Clyde into a major seaport and commercial centre. Equally Scotland’s influence on the maritime history of the world from the eighteenth century to the modern day has been enormous and out of all proportion to the size of the country.
The maritime culture of Glasgow and the west coast of Scotland is studied by a wide range of specialists, including anthropologists, archaeologists, cultural geographers, folklorists, historians, historic preservationists, and sociologists. Each lend perspectives on culture and methodologies for the collection and analysis of data that are characteristic of a particular discipline. Each discipline has made valuable contributions. The information the resources contain are also helpful to non-professional researchers and community groups contemplating the exploration of their own maritime cultural heritage.
Glasgow University Archive Services is rich in sources for maritime culture in the following areas of research. The following lists are merely examples of the material we hold. (Note that the links will take you to a more detailed collection description by searching our catalogue)
GUAS Collections
Landscape/Environment
Collections of maps and plans, from the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, illustrating the changing landscape of the Clyde. These show the development of new housing and industry as well as the urban landscape.
Navigation
The importance of the River Clyde and tributaries as a man made navigation and its impact upon the urban and rural landscape. Our collections which most clearly illustrate this are the River Cart Navigation Trust and Clyde Navigation Trust.
Labour
The records of business and industry illustrate the state of industrial relations with the major employers along the river. Other collections tell of personal involvement with strikes and labour disputes. For example Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Shop Stewards Committee transcripts and audio tapes; Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Work - in BBC transcripts and audio tapes; S Barr, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Yard Convenor; and Clyde Shipping Co Ltd.
Housing
The development of housing associations and social housing can be charted through many collections, including the construction records of building contractors. The following have relevant material Glasgow Workmen’s Dwelling Company Limited; Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd; and Cardonald Housing Corporation.
Social
Records of social provision for workers along the Clyde and their dependants and examples of philanthropy can be clearly seen in the records of the Sailors Orphan Society of Scotland; Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co; and Lithgows Ltd.
Shipping
The development of quays and docks was driven by the increase of shipping traffic along the Clyde. Large passenger vessels docked at the lower reaches of the river and earlier trade had been conducted at quays within Glasgow. Ships that berthed at Glasgow had come from and were travelling to the Four Corners of the world carrying passengers and cargo. Smaller vessels plied their trade within the coastal waters of the British Isles. Shipping was a major employer of all kinds of workers from stevedores to ships’ masters. We hold the records of major shipping companies such as Ellerman Lines and Anchor Line that carried passengers across the Atlantic and around the world. We also have records of the Clyde Shipping Co Ltd, which operated services along the Clyde.
Shipbuilding
The University of Glasgow collections consist of records, including photographs and plans as well as written documentation, of shipyard and shipbuilders all along the course of the River Clyde from Govan to Greenock and Kelvinhaugh to Dumbarton. The industry had a major influence upon the built environment along the river, from dredging the Clyde to embanking and cutting the river course. The derricks and cranes of the yards dominated the skyline, and as well as the yards themselves the worker needed to be housed and have access to all amenities, leading to great changes in the ‘hinterland’ around the yards. The collections record the production and working practices as well as staff and industrial relations. The period covered ranges from the mid-nineteenth century until the late twentieth. We are custodians of the records of: John Brown, Clydebank; Alexander Stephens, Linthouse; William Beardmore, Dalmuir; James Lamont, Renfrew; Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow; Simon-Lobnitz, Renfrew; Scotts, Greenock; Denny Brothers, Dumbarton; Napier of Lancefield; and Ferguson Brothers, Port Glasgow.
The records are open to all regardless of University affiliation. In preserving these records we are not only serving the needs of the academic community but all who have an interest in maritime history and culture.