ICCROM Historical Archives

Type Fonds

Content: The Archives are the trusted custodian of the memory of ICCROM. They are essential to the good governance of the organization as they provide evidence, explanation and justification both for past actions and current decisions. The heritage that they preserve is unique and, if lost, cannot be replaced.

Currently the Archives store over 800 linear meters of records produced by ICCROM from its inception in 1956 up to the present. These records testify:

- the activities undertaken by ICCROM all over the world, such as missions, programmes and projects for capacity building, advice, advocacy and research concerning the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide;

- the interactions with Member States, partner institutions, communities and individual professionals;

- the policymaking work of its governing bodies: General Assembly, Council, Office of the Director-General; and the finance and administration of the organization.

The Archives preserve not only textual records (both analogue and digital) but also architectural drawings (around 4 500), posters, images (including over 230 000 analogue photographs), motion picture films and audiovisual recordings (over 10 000), and didactic and scientific materials, such as heritage material samples (over 5 000 from the Sample Collections of Paolo and Laura Mora, Giorgio Torraca and Rodolfo Luján-Lunsford).

Consultability: The rules governing access to records in ICCROM Archives are as follows: 1) ICCROM records are open and publicly accessible when 20 years have passed from their creation date, and no restrictions are applied to them; 2) Access to records which are less than 20 years old may be granted if the prior agreement of the relevant Unit of the Secretariat (Director General or Unit Manager) has been obtained.