Subfonds ARC - The Archive and Portrait collections records

The College employed its first part-time professional archivist in 1955, primarily to produce more detailed documentation about College estates. This was not, of course, the first attempt the College had made to preserve its records and document their contents. Reference has already been made to the continued concern of the College to preserve and record its endowments, Dr Caius' scheme for the creation and preservation of corporate records, the removal of certain 'treasures' to the Library for safekeeping, and the work of John Venn to document the history of the College. The appointment did mark the start of the emergence of the Archive as a separate function within the College; with a commitment not only to a more systematic approach to preservation and documentation, but also to providing better access to the College's archival holdings. The College appointed its first full-time professional archivist in 1989. The traditional connection of the Archive to the Bursary has been retained, with the Senior Bursar being the line manager of the Archivist. The Archivist reports twice per year to the College Records Committee.

Since 1990, the Archivist has also acted as Deputy Curator of the College's portrait collection; taking responsibility for documenting, administering and arranging the conservation of College pictures and reporting to a Curator of Portraits drawn from among the fellowship.

(For further information relating to the history of the Archive and its holdings, see Anne Neary, 'Bare Bones and Living History' The Caian, 1990; and J. Venn, Biographical History of Gonville and Caius College introduction to Volume I and the chapter on College records in Volume III).