Archival Analysis

Archival Analysis and Invention

Archival analysis always involves invention and is not a simple description of the contents of an archive. Despite the benefits of archival research, an archive cannot provide an unambiguous reflection of history. The very structures of archives necessarily involve choices, and those choices always conceal and reveal different aspects of the past. First, many archives are top down. People and organizations with power and influence tend to have preserved records, and it is more difficult to find archival records of those who were disempowered. For example, every U.S. president since Herbert Hoover has a presidential library and museum, and state and federal government records are systematically preserved. However, groups of people who have been historically hidden (such as people who are illiterate or gay, lesbian, or transsexual) are less likely to have preserved archival records.

Also, some records are preserved, but many records are not saved. Thus, an archive contains the artifacts considered important enough to be saved, but much communication remains ephemeral or too insignificant to be preserved. According the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, for example, only 1–3% of federal government records are deemed significant enough to be preserved. In some cases, potentially embarrassing material has been deliberately destroyed or hidden.

Finally, the very act of indexing and organizing archival material shapes its meaning. Archivists are tasked with preserving and organizing a vast amount of material. Thus, most archival records are grouped and will typically be provided to the researcher in a box or folder. However, the very act of grouping and organizing can shape meaning. A single photograph, for example, may include both a person and a specific location. If the photograph is grouped with other images from that location, then the place is highlighted while the person becomes less significant. While organization is necessary, archival analysis necessitates a critical engagement with existing organizational structures.

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