NAM Newsletter 17 (2013)

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Above: The Hon Evarist Barfolo, Minister

for Education and Employment during his official visit to the National Archives Head

Office in Rabat on 4 October 2013. Upper Photo shows national archivist Charies J.

Farrugia explaining the accessions proc­ ess, in particular, the recently received drawings from the Public Works Records Office. Also in picture: Dr william Zamm.it,

President of the National Archives Council and Mr lvan EIIul (right end), inspector of

records at the National Archives.

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Below: The Minister shown around the

conservation section by chief conservator Mario V. Gauci. Also in the picture Chief of

Staff Mr. David Caruana.

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Visi[hy[heMinis[elo[Educa[ionandEmploymen[HonEvaris{Bartoio On 4 October 2013 the Hon Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Education

and Employment responsible for the national archives entity visited the Head Office of the National Archives in Rabat. He was

accompanied by the Permanent Secretary Mr Joe Caruana and Head of Secretariat Mr David Caruana, Chief of Staff at the Ministry. The Minister toured the building and met both staff and

researchers who were carrying out research at the time. National Archivist Charles J. Famugia explained to the Minister the processes the documents pass through including the accessioning, conservation intervention, cataloguing, digitisation and opening of the records to the

memory of the nation. He emphasized that the country cannot afford to lose its memory, and that the national archive project

should be perceived on par with the biggest investments we have in Malta. He thanked the staff for their incessant efforts to offer a professional service.

Below: The message by Minister Bartolo on the National Archives' visitors' bcok

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public. At the end of the tour, the Minister was presented with a facsimile of the Instructions to Sir Thomas Maitland dated 16 July 1813. The

facsimile coincided with the 200 years from when Maitland started office in Malta. The diplomatic analysis of the facsimile, the restoration Of the original and all the binding

works were done by the staff of the National Archives. During his speech on the occasion the Hon Minister emphasized the need to invest more in the sector. He compared the national arohives with the guardian of the national

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We are living through some very interesting times where our archival heritage is

concerned.

Public awareness as to the oultural value of our nation's records has increased con­ siderably. We are witnessing some very ambitious projects where both public and private arohival collections are concerned. The notarial archives project is a major, though certainly not the only healthy example in this regard. Besides the obvious benefits of digitizing and uploading of digitized archival material to the professional researcher, exciting developments in this area also have the potential of making the non­specialist public gradually more aware of the richness of the Maltese archival

patrimony which has so much to offer where family history is concerned. This aspect of more immediate connectivity between our ecclesiastical and national archival heritage and the general public is perf`aps one area that should be further exploited to increase the general public's interest in and appreciation of our written heritage.

A number of issues need to be tackled and it is the intention of the present National Archives Council to do so with all means at its disposal. Foremost among these is that pertaining to more adequate premises for the National Archives. More space­ but also better services, improved environmental conditions and greater accessibil­ ityLrdll demand that this pivotal matter be addressed with urgency. Intimately related is the appointment of records officers within the civil service with the specific task of liaising with the National Archives to ensure the preservation and eventual access of statei)enerated records. These are two central issues that demand our immediate attention.

2

A word of appreciation is certainly due to all those

who have given their time and effort for the benefit

of our archival legacy. Among these are the past and present members of the National Archives Council, the Friends of the National Archives and so many others who often offer their services to a variety of Maltese archives on a purely voluntary

basis. Thanks to your sense of duty, persistence and determination the road ahead may not be so long and winding after all.

Aword[[om[heNa[ionalAlchivis[

Charles J. Farrugia Year after year we communicate with our audience through the publication of this newsletter. It is one of the methods of outreach we use together with our website, Facebook, Flickr, and the on­site

and off­site events. This year we have added both Twitter and Linkedin to our arsenal of communication tools. This is in line with

our belief that archives are created by the people, are about people and for the people.

During the past year we were highly active on the records management in departments' front. We have accessioned 1.5 kms

which will be fundamental for the study of Malta's second half of the twentieth century.

of new material and gave advice on the retention or disposal in 25

cases. This resulted in the controlled authorised destruction of 3

Following the general elections in March, and the election of the

tons of records. This will eventually help to get the message

new government, we started collaboration with our new Minister the

across that we are not after keeping all and any type of record but

Hon. Evarist Bartolo. We were honoured by his visit to our head

only a small percentage which is worth keeping for the memory of

office in October, and are now working with him on the strategic

our nation.

planning for the future of the sector. The same Minister also appointed the new National Archives Council which will this time

We have also registered increases in the number of on­site users and remote queries. More people are coming up with proposals of collaboration and in some cases donation of private records of national significance. At the moment we are working with the Office of the Prime Minister on a particular collection access to

around be chaired by Dr William Zammit. I take this opportunity to

augur to the new Minister, the new President of the National Archives Council and members on their appointments and look

forward towards incessant and valuable work in the interest of the Maltese archival heritage.

Fiienri§o[1heNaliona A[chive!

The Friends Of the National Archives Association condmued w.ith .its regular events and initiatives, all aimed at underiining the

supporting role it aims to provide the archival sector:

ln October 2012, one of the committee members, Ms. Melody

Morgan­Busher, was appointed to develop and re­launch the association's website. It was felt that such a tool was vital to keep in touch with existing members and also reach out to the general

public. The new webpage can be viewed at: http:// www.fnamalta.org/

A number of committee members helped to man the Archives stand during the National Book Fair, held at the Mediterranean

Conference Centre in November 2012. During this event the Friends also launched the third edition of their annual academic journal,Acki.v/.tt.

Following the dissolution of parliament in January 2013, the

committee of the Friends drew up a series of proposals and submitted them to the three main political parties for inclusion in

their electoral programmes. That same month an informative

meeting was held with a delegation from A#emattl.va Demokrafi.ka.

The proposals included:

• A new state of the art archive building, to provide centralised premises for all national archive holdings. The centre should have ample space where new acquisitions could be stored

before being incorporated with the main National Archives

collections. Moreover such an edifice should also cater for specialised vaults to accommodate the sound and film archives of the National Memory Project; • The granting of professional status for archival grades;

• The development of a records management policy for electronic records. Such policy should primarily be based on

• The introduction Of tax credits for archival bequests / donations.

In April 2013 a number of committee members were present to give a helping hand at the Banca Giuratale during the annual Medieval Fest held in Mdina. Since the archive is open for the

public all weekend during this popular event, there is always scope for extra personnel to help guide the large number of visitors that attend each year.

Last year the Friends had managed to secure a unique folk music collection of over 200 reels containing live tape recordings of leading Maltese givana, spanning from the eariy 1960s to the 1980s. The committee member behind this arrangement, Mr. Steve Borg, finalised the cataloguing exercise in May 2013. The next

phase is to have these tapes digitally restored, after which they will form part of the National Memory Project.

In June 2013, the Friends of the National Archives held their Annual General Meeting at the Banca Giuratale, Mdina. One of the

main items on the agenda was the election of a new executive committee to serve for a period of two years.

archival principles rather than simply Information Technology; 3

1., 2.) 22 April 2013, Mdina Festival, featuring Noel D'Anastas and Andrew Alamango;

3.) 19 November 2012 Visit by students from Institute of Maltese Studies to Mdina; 4.)

17 May 2013 Tour of the NAM with Dr Manuel Buttigieg UOM and Luther College

Students in Maltese History USA; 5.) 15 May 2013 Joseph Amodio addressing tour of

Juniour College students tutored by Ms. Simone Azzopardi; 6.) 24 November 2012

Musical concert in commemoration of Charles Camilleri on the occasion of donation of the music collection to the NAM; 7.) 5 April 2013 Giovanni Curmi Higher secondary

students during a practical session in the reading room tutored by Ms Evelyn Pullicino; 8.) 13 November 2012 St Martin's College students touring the premises with Mr Far­

rugia; 9.) 10 June 2013, students from St John's University USA accompanied by Dr Theresa Vann touring the premises with Ms Marlene Gouder; 10.) 7­11 November 2012 National Archives stand at the Malta Book Fair; 11.) 27 November 2013 Public

Lecture "Challenges for Archives in an Olympic year" by Andy O'Dwyer Technologist /

Project Manager BBC Research and Development; 12.) 21 h|erch 2013 Public lecture

by Dr J. F. Grima; 13.) 11 January 2013 Mr Michael Bonnici volunteer at the NAM

conducting tour for Universit of 3rd Age Students; 14.) March 2013 Students working on Tourism Exhibition project that was launched at Auberge d'ltalie; 15.) October 2013 Mr Farrugia in Vilnius, Lithuania with other EU national archivists who attended the

EBNA and EAG meetings.

14..­ /

Forty years have passed since two young men from both sides of the Irish border committed themselves to spend three successive ones documenting Malta's most complex indigenous folk instrument I.i­Zaqq, the Maltese bagpipe. The publication of their findings in The Galpin Society Journal in 1977 remains the most

The 1970s Malta which they had forayed in was largely rural, and the folk they encountered held little social esteem within their own

communities. Partridge and Jeal refer to their awe of finding that

Mosta and Naxxar, two hotbeds of Zaqq playing, had provided a multitude of capable musicians who had remained undocumented

Frank Jeal had found this Maltese folk instrument on the verge of

and passed away in obscurity. They recall meeting the very last exponents of this age­old

extinction with only nine living players, and only one still active,

musical heritage in Mellicha,

authoritative source to date. In 1971, Dr. Karl Partridge and Prof.

Toni Cachia ll­Hammarun. They claimed that their research

Dingli and Sio8iewi. They

indicated that Zaqq activity had long since ceased on Gozo. Their

also managed to record an ghana session, held in Marsa, as a farewell

findings had also been one of the inspirations behind the founding

of modern folk group Etnika in 2000. One of its founders, Steve Borg, had been given a copy of their research by a visiting bagpipe

to a folk singer

enthusiast, Professor Richard Cannon from East Anglia University.

emigrating to

In turn Borg handed their research document to another Etnika co­

Australia. AIl material

founder, Guzi Gatt who sought the hitherto inactive Zaqq player

is available at at the

Toni Cachia ll­Hammarun, whose expertise teamed with Gatt's zeal

National Archives

to build new chanters and bagpipe bags ensured this instrument's survival.

On, Thursday 16th May 2013, Partridge and Jeal had been the main speakers in a unique event held at the National Archives in

Rabat for a presentation to the Maltese nation of their field documents and several Maltese folk instruments, including a Zaqq.

This is presumed to be the oldest known surviving chanter in Malta.

The bequest includes photographs of Zaqq, frame and friction drum musicians and sound recordings of oral interviews and music. Dr

Partridge interspersed his talk with soundbytes from several recordings, including a folk tune which he considers as probably

the most very significant example that he has recovered for posterity.

Above: The Jackson Folk Group together with Dr Kari Partridge, Prof Frank Jeal and Mr Steve Borg; Right: Zaqq player Joe Vella from Naxxar 1972 ­NAM collection

e at the 5th meetin g of the Dublin­4Apiil2013 by­ Mario V. Gauci

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trii­s is a yearly meeting that brings togethe[ the Heads of Conservation of European member states to discuss a topic relevant to ,:.`` Conservaton practises. This year's topic vyas­r ` {„ Tiirhij=S: Maluld and. Dust'. ThQ medimg vya€ ' \,.:. dividedrifii~­sessions, namely bresentat.i6ns ref `­.`+I:

lated to the subject chosen, delegate'§ reports, a ' discussion on the day's presentations and `visits to the ...., _ C

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Irish National Archives and Trinity college university. i. „

Variouspointsemergedfromthi;meeting,mostimportantlythataproperguide­ lineontheapproachtothecleanin8&+Ofdocumentsneedstobeimplemented;theiinbortanceofwearingprotectiveclothlngandface/

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respiratoryprotectionwhendealingtwthdustandmould;andthatArchivesshoulddemandthatcollectionsshouldbeassessedandcleaned beforetransfertotheNationel Holdings. t fa + fa3# i

Topassonthetechnicalinfomationthatwasacquiledfromthismeetinganin­housetrainingsessionintheformofapowerpointpresentation washeldattheNationalArchivestoacquaintthestaffwithsafepracticeswhenhandlingandcleaningArchivalcollections.Thispresentation +11 ,,,­ '` ' _ _ _ , waswenreceivedbythestaffanditalsohelpedtocreateanagvarenessoftheimportanceofthenatureofourviorkinthefactthatwearethe

I ­.­­­­­. I­­I ^^ ^i ir ahhr^arh tn the r:nllectioms determines their Present and future Wellbeing.

guardiansofourNationspatrimonyandsoourapproachtothe

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Da[Labasemovw`ailabl­e [il'bcy:|ls!!lj[Aaj!dl|o I in p0rtant Acq u isj[jaQ!H§ Duringthelastmonths,therecordsmanagementunitcontinuedto

The year 2013 presented a number of challenges and significant

work on collecting public records of enduring historical value from

achievements for the National Archives of Malta in the area of the Archives Processing. One important access database used by

variouspublicentities.Amongothers,currentlywearefocusingon

T#s'::I­ih:r:VFi:`.€6rr­e­:;ondan_c_e_betweenG_o_yp.r.TLprs^.of,^y^a!t^a^ 'aGn%at`hu8'.65io;;Jdifi;i,­T6d6­186.o,wasmerg?a__W..l.!P+a=,rp,S?:he£. version till 1911. One of the ongoing processes carried out by this

section of the archives is the updating of the Office of the Prime Minister's database. This database is consulted by researchers and we are making our effort to input au the files tin 1979. The

priorityofthissectionistohelpasmuchaswecantheresearch­ ers with finding aids. Our research facilities also include the very first records of Maltese music database, consisting in. ever 200 tracksofearlylocalrecordings(c.1931),ofvariousmusicianswho travelledfromtheportofVallettatoTunis.TheMalta'sLostVoices project was published and launched in conjunction with the Na­ tionalArchivesofMaltaandtheMinistryofEducation.Theeffortof

the author of this project, Mr Andrew Alamango, focuses on pres­ ervation of folk and popular music, establishing an audio archive andcreatingpublicaccessforthesakeofposterity.

collecting the records of the Malta Police Force. These records consist Of the Commissioners Occurrence Books, Magistrate Books and various records which are still being held in Police Sta­ tions and other police buildings scattered around Malta. One par­ ticular collection was the one that was held at the Zurrieq Police Station. During the first months of this year au the records held in thispolicestationweresorted,listed,boxedandtransferredtothe National Archives. These records which date back to the year 1900, are of an imperative importance for our social and localities hietnrv nile to the history. Due to the sensitive nature of

these records we ap­ plied the 70 year clo­

sure period that means that till now these re­ cords are open for public till the year 1943.

Police records ­ before and after process

Notabile Road, Mriehel BKR 3000

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aeFThESEFTE`Clu¢NODceowENI The Conservation Laboratory

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by Simon Dimech and Leonard Callus r­ rl rl

The Conservation Laboratory of the National Archives has carried

out a conservation intervention on the Mi.notes of Evi.dence from the Commission of Enquiry on the events of the 7th & 8th June 1919

(GMR,]4511­24) and Unregistered Papers ln Common With June fti.ofs (GMR,745/25)

Condition Before Treatment The corpus of the Minutes of Evidence is made of 437 typewritten

made using acid free Japanese paper. A 5g/m2 RK0 tissue was

single sheets, foolscap folio size, divided into 16 folders. The first 7

used as a support while the Kozu Shi 23g/m2 paper was used for

of these folders had metal staples on the left hand side while the rest of the folders consisted of loose sheets, some of them held

the in fills. The reason for using this type of paper is due to their

with metal paper clips. These metal fixtures were mostly rusted and have hence stained the folia and in some cases also caused

high conservational quality and their strength resulting both from

brittleness and losses in the folia. In the case of the unstapled

the natural fibres used to produce them and the fact that no chemical additives are used during their manufacturing process.

Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose was used as an adhesive for the repairs.

folders several tears, splits and creases at the edges of the

This is an inorganic archival adhesive which is easily reversible,

documents were present. Light damage including yellowing of the

safe from insect attacks, does not alter chemically due to aging,

paper, foxing stains and in some instances fading of the text was also present.

transparent when dry, does not leave any residues after removal and has a neutral pH, thus giving a guarantee that the documents will not be badly affected in the future due to our intervention.

The Unregistered Papers consist of 56 single sheets , foolscap folio

sized, 2 newspaper inserts and a few other loose papers of a smaller size. The folia were all unbound kept in a single file. The

damage present in this file was similar to that found in the Minutes of Evidence, that is: light damage including yellowing of the papers

and foxing stains, rust damage from metal fixtures, ink acidity,

splits, tears, creases and brittleness of the two news paper inserts.

Subsequently new acid free folders were created and the documents were sown in, keeping the same order and format they previously had, with the difference that instead of using staples, archival quality unbleached cotton string was used. In some cases,

especially the smaller loose folia, a guard was created in order to permit sewing without interfering with the script on the original

documents. For the newspaper inserts archival folder sleeves were created and sewn in with the rest of the documents; this will permit easy handling without doing any damage to the doouments.

Through this intervention, we have eliminated all the metal fixtures

and acidic folders which were contributing to an accelerated decay

process, made the required repairs in order to avoid any losses

Conservation Treatment Following the photographic documentation, the first step in the

conservation of these documents was the removal of metal fixtures, which included staples, paperclips and needles. Dry mechanical

cleaning, using a soft brush and a conservation sponge was then

carried out in order to remove any surface dirt present on these documents. Repairs and in fill of the splits, tears and lacunae were

8

while facilitating safe handling of the documents and gave better

protection through the new folders, thus reaching our aim of preserving these documents while making them safely available for public research.

Historical Background

investigate the same Government, considering that an examination of

On Sunday 8th June 1919, the day following the first Sette Giugno

the local administration was necessary to investigate on the origins of the riots. Mizzi concluded by calling for a Royal Commission, to be "assisted by the exponents of public opinion".(7)

riots, Acting­Governor Major General Walter Charles Hunter Blair, accompanied by a Maltese delegation that included Filippo Sciberras, Enrico Mizzi, Sera fin Vella, Enrico Dandria and

The Minutes of the Proceedings of the Commission(8) indicate that

Giuseppe Depiro, addressed a crowd from the balcony of The Palace. Hunter Blair promised the gathering that their request for

the first meeting was held on Monday 18 August 1919. During this

an inquiry, that would include Maltese representation, about the

Commission, while Major Edward J Briffa was appointed interpreter

riots and about what led to them, as well as that no person involved

and translator. The Commission held 26 meetings at the Examination

will be allowed to leave Malta, was going to be met.

meeting Frederick Tortell was appointed secretary to the

Hall in St Cristopher Street Valletta and 150 persons, including the

Lieutenant Governor, Maltese personalities, policemen, british

This inquiry is not to be confused with the proceedings of the Court of Enquiry that started immediately on 16 June 1919.

soldiers, eye witnesses, injured submitted their evidence together with some who asked to testify. A large number of documents,

On 22 July 1919, the Lieutenant Governor W.C.F. Robertson

the Commission.

including newspaper articles, were also submitted and examined to informed the Council of Government that Governor Lord Plumer

was going to set up a Commission to be presided by Alfred Pamis, the Senior Judge, and to indude "two senior military officers, who

On 13 September, the Commission started concluding the report that was handed to the Head of the Government on 18 September 1919,

will be sent out from England"(1) and "two leading citizens"(2). The

while the enclosures were to be submitted on the following day,

commission was to "enquire into and report on the events of the 7th

Apparently these Appendices were not published.

and 8th of June and the circumstances which led up to them."(3)

On 7 August Robertson informed the Council that Lieutenant Colonel Brooke and Lieutenant Colonel Tilney were to arrive in

In paragraph 52 of the report the Commission expressed its "regret"(9) that it did not have the "opportunity of hearing Lieutenant

Malta to sit on the Commission together with Massimiliano

Shields" and thus had to rely "on the evidence given by him before

Debono, Vice President of the Camera degli Awocati. Roberstson

the Military Court of Enquiry and other evidence taken by that Court

stated that Filippo Sciberras was asked twice to sit on this

and evidence produced by this Commission."(10) Lieutenant Shields

commission but he refused "on ground of ill health"(4) and that the

has given an order to fire a shot near the offices of the Malta

Governor was waiting for the reply of Mr Joseph Hamilton,

Chronicle. However, the Commission met on 19 September in the

President of the Executive Council Imperial Government Workers' Union who was approached. Mr Hamilton declined the request and

afternoon on the orders of Governor Plumer to hear the evidence of Lieut Shields that had arrived in Malta. His evidence was added to

Prof G Caruana was asked to sit on the Commission who also

the 18 September report. In fact, when published it was titled

turned down the request. Eventually, Magistrate Luigi Camilleri

Reports of the Commission appointed to inquire into the events of the

accepted to sit on the Commission.

7th and 8th June 1919 and into the circumstances which led up to

those events ­18th and 19th September, 1919, namely "Reports", On 13 August 1919, the Government Gazette published

Government Notice 323 stating the appointment of a Commission "to enquire into and report on the events of 7th and 8th June 1919 and the circumstances which led up to them"(5) as well as its composition were announced. In this notice, Lieut Col Tilney

(mentioned by Lieutenant Governor Robertson on 7 August) is missing and instead there is Lieut Col Bromfield.

The next day, the Council of Government debated the bill entitled

An Ordinance to confer certain powers on the Commissioners appointed by His Excellency the Governor to enquire and report of the events of 7th and 8th June 1919 and the circumstances which led up to them. During the debate, Enrico Mizzi stated that he was voting against since the Council was not consulted on the composition of the Commission and because it was "absurd"(6) that the Government nominates the persons that were to

rather than report, with reference to two dates.

The Commission's reports are mentioned in the sitting of the Council

of Government of 310ctober 1919. Andrea Pullicino stated that the

Elected Members have not yet referred to the report because they

"have not yet studied all the relevant documents" and they "intend to answer separately".(11 ) (1 ) Dobatos of the Couneil of Government of Malta 1917­1921, pg 630.

(2) ihid' pg 630.

(3) ibid, pg 630` (4) ibjd, pg 631.

(5) Government Gazette.13 August 1919

(6) "d, pg 647.

(7) ihid, pg 647.

(8) NAM GMR 746

(9) Reports Of the Commission appointed to inquire into the events Of the 7. and 8n June 1919 and Into the

drcumstances which led up to those events ­18. and lou Soptedeor,1919, Maha ­Government Printing Offke 1919` pg 10.

(10) toid` pg ,0.

(11) bid, pg 667

Amy Slater recounts her experience "Working at the National Archives Of Malta has been one of the

best experiences ever. It's an absolute joy to be able to work there, interact with history and make sure that the history Of Malta and its records survive, from the major events to local newspa­ pers and the people's personal lives. It's been amazing working with all the staff at the Archives, who have welcomed me and

treated me as a friend, I consider myself extremely lucky to have had this opportunity."

During the year 2013, several people volunteered to work at the National Archives. Thanks go to Anthony Bonello, Michael Bonnici, Melissa Boand Glass,

Danny Mainwaring (in photo) and Amy Slater (in photo) and everyone else who helped in one way or another.

The National Memory Project is proud to have in its custody the opus of one of Malta's best known music composer, Charies Camilleri who died in 2009. A considerable 300 compositions to his credit,

of which more than half this music has been published and performed locally and abroad, were recently presented to the National Archives of Malta by his widow Doris. The collection is being

catalogued and preserved for research and performance.

During summer 2013, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra performed the Ma/tese Dances at the Girgenti Palace under the auspice of the Prime Minister, Dr. Joseph Muscat and Mrs. Muscat. The brilliant executed performance was conducted by Mro Michale Laus. The Ba//ef Suite Kni.ghfs of Ma`ra, directed by Mro Brian Schembri was performed by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in the annual

concert to mark the anniversary's celebrations of Malta Independence. Also,

selection from the Maltese

Opera 'll­Weghda' has been

arranged for band and performed at the Siggiewi's festa by Mro Ronnie Debattista. All works are well

preserved at the National Archives.

Songs of an Infant Species A five song cycle written by Peter Serracino lnglott for music by Charles Camilleri on

the occasion of the UNESCO Congress on the Teaching of Human Rights in 1987.

Written for soprano with

piano­accompaniment the music evokes echoes of Near

and Far Eastern, of African

and American, as well as of European cultures. The

composer believes that music, which is capable of texturing the immensely varied strands of the total heritage of mankind, can lead us to

repose in a state of "freedom from all our man­made

prejudices and class­ distinctions."

Each section is independent from the others, together they aspire to an overall `oneness'

journey. The cycle starts with a low dark C on the bass of

the piano to combine with the

first word of the first section "dark" and ends on a high C,

sung by the soprano expressing the awareness, clarity and creativity of a sublime light in "heaven".

rentastore malta TG Complex, 1 Brewery Street, Mriehel BKR3000 Tel: 21243777; W: rentastore.com.mt; E: info@rentastore.com.mt

Enga!emen[sandweldin!§inGozopasI :'jyL J. Bezzirw "There is nothing that solidifies and

strengthens a nation like reading the nation's history, whether that history is

The thirteenth exhibition at the NAG

into two sections, each of which is

customs, institutions, and monuments."

made up of 24 items commemorating

This dictum by Joseph Anderson (1836­

the 24 years of the NAG. The first

1916), an American writer, states one

consists of interesting docunenfs related to the subject; the second compliments the sources by a number Of engravings and paintl.ngs ralated to

should treasure its papers in archives.

Up to the 1980s the state of affairs in

Ti,.=:,3i.ni,"f.I.,.= af j¢.t_Irfu'. FL4JL..­.,. if..,

i I I u strates Engagements and Weddi.ngs i.n Gozo Past. It is divided

recorded in books, or embodied in

reason why every nation in the world

­­­ gr .f ."i_i:,,:I ; ff,.4.1 .`.; frfy:i: •4tt S.a

the subject.

Gozo vis­a­vis archives was catastrophic.

When records of a public nature were no longer in use, they were put away in a

Worth of mention in the docunenfs section is a copy of the eariiest

basement and left to rot. It is known that

wedding record in Gozo. It goes back

in the late 1940s, hundreds of documents

to 25 December 1556, just five years after the total devastation of Gozo by the Turks. Another describes //­

belonging to the Uni.vers/.fas Gaud/.si.i., the

regional Government of Gozo, were handed over to the owner of a fireworks factory so that he could use the paper in

Qafoi.//a, the mock wedding during carnival, amply recorded by Gozo

EXH)BmoN .t the N.tbel ^ninh.es ee® Trlq Vajrtno. , Vlctorla­Gozo 29 l\lovember ­ 31 D.aernl).r 2013

c#awELto+%###tr¥iJEEtrgin ­ce!

the production of petards. These

historian GPF Agius de Soldanis in

documents had been shifted from one

the 1760s. A third is about Maria

place to another for close to four hundred years.

contracted: a total of four.

The initiative to put an end to this utter

T_+e s!a.r. exp.lb.lt .ln the engravings and paintings sectiion `is The Wedding Procession by

destruction of Gozo's collective memory

Gianni Vella, an oil on canvas, on loan from the National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta,

was taken by Anton Tabone, the first

being exhibited in Gozo for the first time. This second section includes a full collection of the

Minister for Gozo. On the twenty fourth

Micallef (born 1738), who holds the Gozo record for the number of marriages she

coincidence with the Archives Awareness

p?jm..lags dep.i_ctimg _the Wedding Of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Joseph and The Weddt'ng af Cana found in the churches and chapels of Gozo ­ at the Cathedral, the National Sanctuary of Ta' Pinu, Gharb, Xaghra, Qala, and Gf`asri. A number of these hiterto

Week, the NAG is hosting an exhibition

unknown and forgotten paintings are being evaluated in this section for the first time.

anniversary of the inauguration and in

between 29 November and 31 December 2013, thus providing the possibility to the

As usual, the NAG has published an exhibition catalogue, kindly sponsored by HSBC Gozo,

hundreds of Maltese who visit Gozo

as well as a commemorative postcard. Both are available at the venue of the exhibition at

during the Christmas holidays to pay a

the NAG, Triq Vajrin8a, Victoria­Gozo.

visit.

The National Archives GoZo yDr.j.ijc4zina The awareness that the NAG­National Archives (Gozo) preserves

The number of group visits to the NAG also increased, amongst

the collective memory of the people of Gozo is slowly but surely

which there were groups of Sixth Formers specializing in history at

going up. The number of researchers increased to 293 during the

the Sir Mikelang Refalo Post Secondary (Mar); students from the

past year (2012), a significant rise of more than 28°/o on the

Gozo College Giris Secondary (Mar); students from Sacred Heart

previous year 228 (2011 ).

Minor Seminary (Apr); visitors from St Jean­Baptiste de Fayence,

D6partement du Var, France (Apr); members of the Friends of the During 2012­2013, the newly acquired GM­Guljana Masini section

Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, St John' University,

was by far the most popular among local researchers as well as

Collegeville, Minnesota, US (Jun); group of former employees of

foreign visitors who travel to Gozo to look up for information on

the Bank of Valletta (Sep); students from the Gozo College Sannat Primary (Oct); Sixth Form students from the Ostrersund Wargentin

their ancestors and research family trees. However, during 2012,

the most consulted section proved to be the PM­Plans and Maps

School, Sweden, and sixth form students from Gozo (Oct); and

section. This was due to a cross­section consultation of the whole fond by five foreign students from the Bari Pol*echnic. Next in the

other smaller groups.

list is the MH­Medical and Health section, which contains building

Photos: 1 ­Exhibition Poster (designed by Paul Falzon, an employee of the NAG);

permits and house plans from the late nineteenth century onwards.

2 ­Group from the sacred Heart Minor seminary; 3 ­Friends of the Hill Museum; TT

4 ­ Ostrersund Wargentin School

Ahistorichandawhiferfuralamun{Oi

Valleth'spohaRealeandEnvirons The National Archives of Malta has published `Valletta: Porta Reale and Environs'

by Architect Michael EIlul, an expert in Maltese architectural history.

This book documents the history of Valletta's main gate and its environs, explaining

the various construction processes. It features unique drawings and photos of the developments.

A copy of the book, costing 15 Euros, can be obtained from the National Archives at Rabat, the Legal Documentation Section at the Bance Giuratale in Mdina and from the Archives in Gozo.

One may also order a copy via e­mail: g±±±tomercare.archives@govL±m±

Opening Hours:

Head Office; Hospital Street, Rabat RBT1043 Tel(+356)2145­9863 Opening hours: Mon­Tue­Wed­Fri 8.00 am ­2.00pm Thur 10.00am ­2.00pm & 3.00pm ­7.30pm(excluding Aug), Sat 8.15am ­12.45pm

Published by the National Arohives of Malta

The national entity responsible for archives

and records management Legal Documentation Section; Villegaignon Street, Mdina MDN1193 Tel(+356)2145­9919

Opening hours: Mon 8.00am ­2.00pm & 3.00pm ­7.30pm,

Tue­Wed­Fri 8.00 am ­2.00pm, Thur 10.00am ­2.00pm, Saturday closed Gozo Section; Vajringa Street, Victoria VCT1313 Tel(+356) 2155­8833

Opening hours: Mon to Fri 7.30am ­ 1.30pm, Wed 7.30am ­5.30pm (October to May) Sat 8.15am ­1.00pm

E­mail: customeroare.archives@gov.mt www.nationalarchives.gov.mt Editor: ChariesJ. Farrugia

ISSN 1605­7058