Going Underground

Though I was not able to visit Wales, the work done there in safeguarding the collections of so many institutions in the UK makes it worth mentioning.

I am interested in how libraries and archives survive in times of conflict. The factors involved in: the initial decision to move the collection, the choice of where to move the collection, the work involved in preparing the chosen site, etc. are all things that could lead to saving priceless works or the destruction of so much.

Many of the same places that house Britain's fine art also housed their library collections and archives.

One example of wartime relocation of fine art was The National Gallery.

Image from The National Gallery website

A slate mine in Wales was chosen and unused sections of it were converted into storerooms for the collection. The temperature controlled environments in these mines even led to adjustments to how works of art were stored and displayed once the war was over back at the museum.

The decision to move the artwork and some of the library provided an opportunity to update the catalog and did in fact prevent significant loss, as The National Gallery was damaged in the bombings.

Early on in the war, the collections were stored in country homes and other separate locations but the consolidation of the collections ultimately allowed for centralized care of the collections during the war by the staff.

Looking back at a choice that involved complicated logistics, precious items, and an unknown (at the time) outcome, parallels well with current conflicts that put culturally and historically significant collections at risk of destruction or significant damage.

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