2023 in the Archives

The Connie Ford Archive ready to return to storage

It’s been a productive year in the archives, with a particular focus on adding more collections to our online catalogue. This involves sorting and listing archival documents, before creating online catalogue descriptions to aid discoverability. The documents are then rehoused in acid-free folders which assists their long-term preservation. This year’s biggest project was the archive of Connie Ford, an accomplished expert in cattle disease and fertility. Weighing in at some 350 items, Ford’s archive (pictured here) includes correspondence, notebooks and many published research papers created by herself and others.

1970s catalogue of veterinarian clothing

Also completed this year was the archive of the Society for Women Veterinary Surgeons. Established in 1941, the Society sought to promote the advancement of the veterinary profession with particular emphasis on the contribution by women. Their archive contains reports and legal papers, plus correspondence with many associated organisations. Another recent addition was a collection of building plans, designs and legal document relating to RCVS’s premises dating between 1874 and 1962. Details of these and many other collections can be found on our online catalogue, search function available here: https://www.rcvsarchives.org/Advanced.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog

As well as collection-based work, we continue to support the work of researchers through enquiry-response work and by facilitating onsite visitors at our temporary home at the City of Westminster Archives. In addition, we been active on social media, updating our wider research community with interesting and unusual items from our collections, such as this 1970s catalogue of veterinary clothing.

Looking ahead, 2024 promises to be an exciting year as we plan our move to new premises in Hardwick Street. Meanwhile there will be more cataloguing, more researchers and more interesting discoveries.

Watch this space.