Press Release - 1st December 2003

Guide to City's Archives

Wolverhampton City Council's Archive Service which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year has published its first ever guide to the collections in its care.

Wolverhampton's first Archivist was appointed in 1978 and the current incumbent is just the fourth to hold the post.

Over the last 25 years many hundreds of thousands of manuscripts, photographs, maps and films have been added to the city's archive collections. The collections range in date from 1439 up to the present day and fill over 25,000 boxes at the archives base in Snow Hill.

Councillor Peter O'Neill, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said : "Our City has a proud history. In 1848 it was granted Borough status, then in 1864 it held its own Quarter Sessions Court, and in 2000 it was award City status to mark the new Millennium.

"Major local government re-organisation in 1966 saw the Borough of Bilston and the Urban Districts of Tettenhall and Wednesfield come into Wolverhampton. With them came significant additions to the archive service's holdings of local government material. "As a place of deposit for Public Records appointed by the Lord Chancellor's Department the service also holds national government records relating to our City. These, together with the many items generously deposited by local groups, businesses, charities and individuals form a unique resource for anyone who wants to know about our history.

"This guide will give access to this unrivalled collection of information about us and our forebears in one handy volume. It would make an ideal Christmas present", he added.

The guide has 132 pages (with index) and priced at £4.99 (£6.25 incl. p&p) it is available from the City Archives, 42-50 Snow Hill, Wolverhampton, WV2 4AG. Tel 01902 552480.