In 2006, the Library undertook the collection and management of the Historical Archive of the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA). The Historical Archive was defined as comprising all kinds of records and documents (primarily produced by the institution’s administrative services) that reflect the history of ASFA from its early years of operation within the framework of the School of the Arts up to 1975. Today, the archive includes material dating from 1863 to 1990, with the core of the collection covering the years 1900–1970.
To date, the greater part of the archive has been recorded, and the catalog is gradually being expanded until all material is fully documented. The following remain unrecorded(*):
- the archive of more recent years (after 1990), which is limited and fragmentary
- the archive relating specifically to the library
- archival material that is not derived from the administrative services of ASFA but has, for various reasons, been incorporated into the archive.
The archive was not delivered to the Library in an organized structure, but was instead collected from various locations and services within the School. Its classification was carried out mainly according to the service that produced the material and the administrative procedures it supported. The archive has been organized into nine series:
- Protocol Records
- Financial Records
- Student Registers / Records / Competitions
- Minutes of Meetings
- Artistic Milestones
- Inventories / Records of Materials & Artistic Missions
- Architectural Drawings, Topographical Plans, etc.
- Loose Documents
- Miscellaneous Material (material that cannot be classified under the above categories, such as stamps, honorary diplomas, slides, etc.)
The archive has been cataloged according to the General International Standard Archival Description ISAD(G) and has been registered in the National Archive Registry maintained by the General State Archives of Greece.
The following Research Tools are provided:
- Index of the Historical Archive
- Detailed Descriptive Catalog
- Auxiliary Material and Indicative Bibliography
Of the above research tools, the last records supporting material (photocopies, preliminary inventories, etc.) collected in order to facilitate research and is classified as Auxiliary Material & Indicative Bibliography. The bibliography is indicative of the history of ASFA and is updated whenever publications and articles relating to the School’s history are identified.
To study material from the Historical Archive, researchers must electronically submit the Researcher Application Form for the Historical Archive of A.S.F.A.
(*) Unrecorded material is available to researchers with the assistance of Library staff
As a specialized educational and research art library, the Library of the Athens School of Fine Arts shapes its collection development policy in accordance with the educational and research objectives of ASFA. The Library’s collections provide a wealth of information aimed at broadening the knowledge and research interests not only of the educational and artistic community, but also of the wider public.