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Inscriptions to UK Memory of the World Register announced

A never-released film on the last Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the wartime records of the Women’s Voluntary Services for Air Raid Precautions are among ten items and collections to be the first-ever entries on a list of the UK’s outstanding documentary heritage. The ten winning items come from across the country, span nearly 1000 years of history and embody the pivotal moments and periods that have shaped the UK.

These items are the first inscriptions to the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register, an online catalogue established in 2010 to help promote and highlight the UK’s documentary heritage across the UK and the world. The Register is managed by the UK National Commission for UNESCO and complements the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register, which is a catalogue of documentary heritage of global significance and outstanding universal value.

The international level register, which features items of global significance, includes items from the UK such as 1215 Magna Carta, the Mappa Mundi and the film The Battle of the Somme. Together, these registers are the public face of UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme. The programme was established in 1992 to promote preservation of and access to the world’s archive holdings and library collections. The vision of the programme is a simple but powerful one – the world’s documentary heritage belongs to all, should be fully preserved and protected for all and, with due recognition of cultural mores and practicalities, should be permanently accessible to all without hindrance.

The UK Memory of the World Programme is part of the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s work to promote preservation of and access to the world’s archive holdings and library collections. The 10 items and collections being inscribed to the UK Memory of the World Register are:

  • The Charter of King William I, circa 1067
  • Peterloo Relief Fund Account Book
  • The Women’s Voluntary Services for Air Raid Precautions (WVS) records, 1938 to 1992
  • Letter from George Stephenson to his son Robert, Feb 1827
  • Peniarth Manuscript Collection
  • Company of Scotland Trading to Africa & the Indies, 1695-1707
  • The Life Story of David Lloyd George
  • The Chepman and Myllar Prints
  • The Pont Manuscript Maps
  • The film St Kilda, Britain’s Loneliest Isle, 1923-1928

Find out more about each of these items and collections on the electronic register here.

Written: 13/07/2010 , last modified: 22/07/2010

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  • Image Gallery

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    • Image: Representatives of the first 10 inscriptions to the UK Memory of the World Register with select members of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, House of Lords, 14 July 2010

      Representatives of the first 10 inscriptions to the UK Memory of the World Register with select members of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, House of Lords, 14 July 2010

    • Image: Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture

      Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture

    • Image: Harry Reeves, Secretary General of the UKNC

      Harry Reeves, Secretary General of the UKNC

    • Image: Representatives of the City of London Corporation collect the award for Charter of King William I

      Representatives of the City of London Corporation collect the award for Charter of King William I

    • Image: John Hodgson collects the award for the Peterloo Account Relief Book

      John Hodgson collects the award for the Peterloo Account Relief Book

    • Image: Representatives from WVRS collect the award for the WRVS records

      Representatives from WVRS collect the award for the WRVS records

    • Image: David Stoker collects the award for the Letter from George Stephenson

      David Stoker collects the award for the Letter from George Stephenson

    • Image: Nia Daniel collects the award for the Peniarth manuscript Collection

      Nia Daniel collects the award for the Peniarth manuscript Collection

    • Image: Representatives from RBS collect the award for the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies 1695-1707

      Representatives from RBS collect the award for the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies 1695-1707

    • Image: John Reed collects the award for The Life Story of David Lloyd George

      John Reed collects the award for The Life Story of David Lloyd George

    • Image: The Welsh UK MOTW winners

      The Welsh UK MOTW winners

    • Image: Cate Newton with the awards for The Chepman and Myllar Prints, The Pont Manuscript Maps and St Kilda

      Cate Newton with the awards for The Chepman and Myllar Prints, The Pont Manuscript Maps and St Kilda

    • Image: The Scottish winners collect their awards

      The Scottish winners collect their awards

    • Image: Memory of the World logo

      Memory of the World logo

    • Image: Charter of King William I to the City of London, circa 1067, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      Charter of King William I to the City of London, circa 1067, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: Peterloo Relief Fund Account Book, 1819, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      Peterloo Relief Fund Account Book, 1819, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: WVRS records, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      WVRS records, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: Letter from George Stephenson, 1827, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      Letter from George Stephenson, 1827, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: Peniarth Manuscript, Llyfr du Caerfyrddin, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      Peniarth Manuscript, Llyfr du Caerfyrddin, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: Frontspiece of the journal of the court of directors of the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies 1695-1707, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription (Reproduced by kind permission of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group)

      Frontspiece of the journal of the court of directors of the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies 1695-1707, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription (Reproduced by kind permission of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group)

    • Image: Lloyd George Title Frame, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      Lloyd George Title Frame, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: The Chepman and Myllar prints, 1508, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      The Chepman and Myllar prints, 1508, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: The Pont Manuscript Maps, Elgin, Loch Spynie, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      The Pont Manuscript Maps, Elgin, Loch Spynie, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

    • Image: St Kilda film scene, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

      St Kilda film scene, 2010 UK Memory of the World Register inscription

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