There was a fire at the 17th century College of Arms in central London on 5th February which served as a stark reminder of the fragility of historical documents. More info on the fire by the BBC and the Evening Standard.
Thankfully, none of the irreplaceable heraldic records stored at the College appear to have been destroyed in the fire. But their vulnerability to loss or damage is again revealed, as it was when faced with previous threats such as the 1666 Great Fire of London (when the original College building was gutted) and the Blitz (when the current building was badly bomb damaged).
Fortunately, on both occasions, the records had been moved to safety beforehand. In addition to its priceless contents, the College itself, which sits in splendour below St Paul’s Cathedral, is a rare treasure being one of the earliest surviving buildings in the City of London. Not that it hasn’t faced down its own threats.
In the early 19th century there were plans to move the College to the more fashionable West End of London. Then in the 1860′s some typically ill-advised town planning drove the new Queen Victoria Street through the college buildings, destroying one side of the original quadrangle and slicing off the remaining wings. The digitisation of records (including our own small contribution at My Family Silver) will safeguard their knowledge but can never replicate their beauty.
There is also a growing debate among institutions about the projected lifespan of digital records. Even whether we will be able to access records saved now using technology which will be outdated in the future.
So, regardless of the convenience and utility of digital records, we will always need the original sources. Another reason, if needed, is to celebrate their recent close escape and the careful custodianship of today’s heralds.
John Culme, who for many years has been connected with Sotheby's Silver Department, is author of several books and articles, including The Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, 1838-1914, published in 1987, and co-author with Nicholas Rayner of The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor. He is also a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths' Company, London.
