Taming the big, beautiful and often unwieldy: Exploring arrangement and description of architectural archives, a case study

Abstract

This project investigates the arrangement and description of architectural archives in order to assist with establishing appropriate processing guidelines for the Architecture Archive, University of Auckland Library.

The Alfred P. Morgan architectural drawings and papers serve as a case study to facilitate this investigation. A significant sample of the collection is documented in a hierarchical finding aid, using the archives management system ArchivesSpace. Discussion includes the intellectual and physical arrangement of the collection, the appropriate level and form of description, the descriptive standards selected, key access points, archivist’s influence, signs of custodial intervention, challenges associated with large format materials, and ArchivesSpace functionality.

Controlled vocabularies are determined to describe architectural project records, particularly drawings. These include project types, e.g. multiple dwellings, factories, competition entries; the physical description of a drawing, particularly its medium and support, and/ or reproduction technique; and the method of representation depicted in the drawing, e.g. elevations, sections.

The project immeasurably improves the access and control of the Morgan collection. It also identifies and establishes evidence based processes and guidelines for the ongoing archival arrangement and description activities of the Architecture Archive. It is acknowledged that these procedures reflect the conditions under which the project was carried out. As such, it is recommended that they should be regularly reviewed and revised in response to changes in technology and circumstances.