INTO THE ARCHIVE
As the National Gallery’s archive dates back to 1824, it’s easy to imagine that, as well as the actual paintings, it houses a vast archive of documents relating to the various works. These documents include trustee minute books1, acquisition files, exhibition files and press cuttings2, but also posters, other kinds of promotional materials and historical photographs showing the interiors of the gallery and its development over time. Thousands of people access the archive each year for research purposes, and somebody has to sort3 and catalogue all the material and put it into historical context so as to turn it into a useful and navigable tool. But if that brings to mind the image of some kind of librarian working in a dusty4 basement5, then think again. Nick Smith joined the National Gallery in April 2019 as gallery archivist. As he explains, an important part of his job is to host group visits to the archive and occasionally accompany paintings on loan6 to external exhibitions.
Nick Smith (English accent): Our primary user groups are academic researchers, students of art history or curation, people working within the art trade, auctioneers7, art dealers8, et cetera. Or people just investigating the history of paintings they have hanging in their homes. And we participate with an educational programme. This is aimed at high-school students, between the ages of fifteen to eighteen. And they use art as a way of increasing’ critical thinking and verbal skills. Quite a nice way of introducing people to the value and benefits of art historical research and interpretation.
THE DUCHESS
The job also involves quite a lot of detective work, which Smith says can be very rewarding9. Among his many fascinating anecdotes, Smith describes one centred on when the National Gallery acquired the company records of Thomas Agnew