The new website for the Barclays Group archive is now online. It will doubtless be a wonderful resource for scholars who want to access the archival materials held by this global banking giant. Over the last few centuries, 250 financial institutions have merged to form this huge group. As a result, the corporate archive in Manchester holds the papers of a large number of firms.
This story is best told through our rich archive of photographs, ledgers, letters, minute books, equipment and a range of, in some cases unexpected, curiosities housed in the Barclays Group Archives in Manchester, UK. The material in these archives is unique, irreplaceable and priceless. They don’t just tell the story of Barclays’ businesses around the world, they also communicate the strength and depth of the Values that have underpinned Barclays from the very beginning.
The archives in cover 1.5 miles of shelving and are held in secure, environmentally-controlled strong rooms. Our oldest artefact dates back to 1567 and new material is added every day. Every precious bit of history is listed on a searchable database which you can access when visiting the archives. A small specialist reference library of Barclays and external publications on the history of financial services is also open for daily use by appointment.
I get the impression that the creation of this website is largely due to the energies of Maria Sienkiewicz, although I might be wrong about that.
The Past Speaks 
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