The Importance of Having Archives

                Most people who visit the Daly House Museum have no idea that we are also an archives and research centre. The Stephen A. Magnacca research centre, which occupies the third floor of the Daly House Museum, houses hundreds of documents pertinent to the history of our city. Researchers are always welcome to visit and take advantage of these important resources.

                While archival documents have a reputation for being inherently boring, the truth is they contain a wealth of fascinating information. Little known interesting facts about our city’s lengthy history can be found in every folder.

                Why is this information and evidence about Brandon’s past so important?  One of the reasons is the lack of pride so commonly seen in our citizens. Many people do not realize that Brandon was one of the first major cities in Western Canada.  A pocket atlas found in our archives reveals that at the turn of the century, Brandon was much larger than either Calgary or Edmonton.  Brandon was also the location of the first medical clinic in Canada.  The clinic was opened by three local doctors, all of whom we have documents from!

                Without archives, many of these resources would likely have been lost or thrown away long ago.  However, we do much more than simply store documents.  We do two main things at the research centre: keep the archives safe and in a controlled environment so that they are preserved for future generations, and organize and catalogue the records so that researchers can easily find what they are looking for.

                Every document that is accepted as a donation for the Stephen A. Magnacca research centre goes through a lengthy process.  First, we must determine whether each document has historic value and is suitable for our archives.  These items must be unique, local, and from the early days of the city.  We have documents related to people, places, businesses, and various organizations.

                After documents are accepted, they must be stored in a safe way.  We handle documents with cotton gloves and keep them stored in a cool, dry environment in acid-free boxes and folders.  We remove any materials that might be corrosive.  Photographs and delicate documents are placed carefully in a material called Mylar, a transparent plastic that is acid-free.  Preservation can be a lot of work, but without it our city’s most valuable documents would fade and even fall apart.

                The other important step in archiving is making easy to use descriptions so that researchers can find what they are looking for.  Every folder we go through is described.  Then, when someone comes in to do research, one of our staff or volunteers can go through the database and find items that are useful to the researcher. 

                Many Brandonites do not know that the Daly House Museum has a research centre, and yet much of the work done by our staff, volunteers, and summer interns is directly related to the archives. We are just as proud of the archives as we are of the beautiful displays our visitors enjoy every day.