Stationers’ visit the National Archives

The Master, Wardens. Court members, Honorary Librarian and Hall Charity trustee for the archives were guests, on Thursday February 11th, of Saul Nassé, Chief Executive and Keeper of the Public Records.

Since copyright legislation in 1911 removed the statutory requirement for registration at Stationers’ Hall, our registration records from 1842 to 1912 transferred to the, then, Public Record Office under that legislation.

Recognising our shared history, we reinforced the close working and strategic relationship that spans the Stationers’ records across both Kew and our archive. We saw behind the scenes and met the volunteers cataloguing those 19th century registration forms. One day we aspire to link all the records digitally. The transferred records are in good condition but are in boxes of original forms with attached examples of the design, poster or commercial drawing where relevant. As such they are a unique reference source. Last October, Sarah Castagnetti was just looking at random in one of the catalogued boxes and found the registration form for Bram Stoker’s  Dracula – timely  for Hallowe’en and  it featured on the TNA website!

Even more timely was the opportunity to hold and read John Norton’s original 1612 Will where he bequeathed money for “Cakes and Ale” for Stationers’ “widows and orphans” to be celebrated on Ash Wednesday after a service at St Paul’s. This Tuesday we mark this Stationer’s generosity and tradition again 414 years on. We all particularly liked the original seal on the Will that depicted two skeletons not apparent from the digital copy.

We will host the cataloguing team soon and look forward to lots of continuing collaborative working and engagement.