Conference Agenda

In an era where misinformation spreads rapidly, audiovisual archives play a crucial role in safeguarding historical integrity. Archive currently is working on an interactive educational resource for high school students, aiming to equip them with the skills to critically analyse audiovisual materials. Through digital resources, students will engage with extensive archival collections, learning to assess document authenticity, recognize propaganda, and identify manipulative alterations. By working hands-on with historical records, participants will develop essential media literacy, empowering them to navigate and challenge historical falsifications in the public sphere.

Many historical image collections from private and public archives and organizations lack clear copyright information, complicating access and reuse. This paper presents a proposal of risk calculator designed to assess copyright risks based on two variables: the image's content and context (metadata like authorship, date, location, artistic intent) and its intended use (e.g. online exhibition, commercial use). This tool would assist the archival community in navigating copyright uncertainties and promote safer, informed use of historical images.

Abstract of the panel paper: The Visual Archive of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima - Photographs and Films in 1945 is a candidate for UNESCO's "Memory of the World". This archive consists of 1,532 photographs and two films related to the atomic bombing, taken by 27 people and two organisations. The application was made jointly by the city of Hiroshima and three newspapers and two broadcasters who have been involved in its preservation and use.

the State archives preserve numerous audiovisual documents with unstable supports, so they must be migrated to digital media in order to guarantee their preservation and dissemination. At the same time, the Archival Information System (PARES) must provide a standardized description of these documents, as well as means of reproduction to make them available to users. This panel will explain the challenges that the State Archives will have to take on in the coming years.

The modern zoo emerged around 1800 in Europe. By 1900 there were over a hundred zoos on all continents. Nowadays there are thousands of these institutions. For over 200 years the zoo has significantly shaped our vision of “exotic” animals and more broadly our relationship with nature. The historiography about zoos is booming yet its basis, the archival record, is uneven, often in a precarious state.

There are some long-standing archives that focus on zoos, aquariums, and conservation; these include the WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) Archives which include the archives of many New York institutions and the ZSL (Zoological Society of London) Archives. Some zoos have no proper archive at all (no specific space, no personnel, no protocols how to deal with older documents); others do but with different degrees of commitment and available means (in terms of funds, space, and personnel). The degree of organisation and accessibility of the sources vary greatly. However, many zoos are starting to seek out information on how to establish an effective archive.

This session is organised by two zoo archivists and two zoo historians. Natasha Wakely and Emma Morse both work as archivists at ZSL and ARTIS (Amsterdam Royal Zoo) respectively and have offered each other support with regards to their archives and work but have both been approached by various institutions within their countries for advice on the establishment of a zoo archive. The need for a network where individuals and institutions, in any stage of their archival work, can gain advice and seek counsel from others in this field is evident because of these many inquiries. Oliver Hochadel and Takashi Ito have amply published about the history of zoos in a global and comparative perspective. The academic interest and need for zoological archives is clear with many researchers looking into all aspects of zoos. Therefore, it is urgent to identify, preserve, and catalogue the historical legacies of zoos. This session will argue for the creation of a Professional Section within the ICA. Such a section would help to connect zoo archivists, provide guidance for historians and other interested parties, and ensure the safeguarding of such archives worldwide.