Journal of the National Film and Sound Archive, Australia

Volume 1, No.1, Spring 2006

A charter of The archivist

• the General Guidelines of UNESCO’s
‘Memory of the World’ project;
and the curator
curatorial • the codes of ethics and definitions of
organisations such as FIAF, IFLA, ICA, While there is no universally accepted

values ICOM;
• the Code of Ethics of the Australian Society
of Archivists and of the Australian Institute
definition of ‘curator’ and ‘archivist’, a degree
of consensus on the key features of these
professions is shared by a number of scholarly
Paolo Cherchi Usai
for the Conservation of Cultural Material; and internet sources; among them are the
In October 2004, with the formulation • Time in Our Hands (Canberra: Department Association des Archivistes Français,
of a new strategic direction, the of Arts, Heritage and Environment, 1985); www.archivistes.org; U.S. Department
National Film and Sound Archive • Ray Edmondson, Audiovisual Archiving: of Labor, Occupational Outlook
began a process of transformation Philosophy and Practice Handbook (2004-05 Edition),
based on the development of a (Paris: UNESCO, 2005). www.bls.gov/oco/ocos065.htm; Isabelle
Lachance, ‘La profession d’archiviste au
curatorial structure. This new structure Québec’, www.ebsi.umontreal.ca/cursus/
seeks to integrate the existing skills
in acquiring, preserving, and making Curatorship vol5no1/lachan.htm; the Fédération Française

accessible the national audiovisual is an art, des Conservateurs-Restaurateurs,

www.ffcr-fr.org/ref; the US Office of
heritage with an added emphasis not a science Personnel Management,
on interpretation of the collection Modern curatorship is the outcome of www.pm.gov/fedclass/1015.pdf; the British
based on curatorial expertise and centuries of practice in archives and LearnDirect, www.learndirect-advice.co.uk;
the imperative to further cultivate museums, and of the ongoing interaction the Manual of Curatorship (London:
and promote the ethical standards of between history and society: the heritage of the Butterworth, 1986). These sources are used
audiovisual archiving. This paper is an past, the imperatives, values and trends as the basis for the definitions outlined in
overview of the main cultural principles of the present, the challenges and opportunities this section.
governing the activity of curators, provided by an educated forecast of the future. Archivists collect, organise, and maintain
with special reference to audiovisual Curatorial values are not the expression of control over a wide range of information
collections in the context of the a quantifiable science. They are a system deemed important enough for permanent
national and international archiving of ideas which find their expression in safekeeping. They maintain records in
community, and is consistent with three areas: the fundamental imperative to accordance with accepted standards
and practices that ensure the long-term
international best practice. preserve cultural artefacts and make them
permanently accessible; the expertise necessary preservation and easy retrieval of the
to interpret the recent and distant past; and the documents. Archivists often specialise in an
It should be stated at the outset that many of organisational structure necessary to protect area of history or technology. Their goal is
the ethical values of curatorship are already and develop the cultural manifestations of to ensure that all the works and materials
embedded in the NFSA. As such, they will history. It is in these areas that the curator put under the care of the organisation are
only be mentioned in condensed form in the exercises his or her role of interpreter of culture: treated according to coherent conservation,
appendix (adapted from existing literature on he or she is an intellectual bridge between the preservation, and access standards. From the
the subject) at the end of this essay, and may past and the future, endowed with the strategic viewpoint of an archivist, no work or material
be alluded to in passing throughout the text. vision necessary to decipher the traces of what accepted as part of the collection (whether it
has happened, to explain them for the benefit is a preservation or access element) deserves
The main focus here is the intellectual nature
of his or her community, and to anticipate a lesser degree of professional care than
of curatorship and its principal manifestations
the ways in which his or her present will be others; this does not contradict the archivist’s
in the audiovisual world.
understood and judged by those who will come prerogative of recommending acquisition and
Among the reference points for the views preservation priorities. Fluency in professional
outlined below are: after us. The curator is a messenger who has the
authority and the obligation to ensure that the practice related to the conservation,
• the FIAF Code of Ethics; preservation, identification and cataloguing
message itself will foster memory and creativity
• the UNESCO Recommendation on the at the same time. of the works and materials is an essential
preservation of moving images (1985); requirement of an archivist.

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A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

Curators formulate and develop the

intellectual and cultural policy of archives
This balance of power ensures that no
curatorial decision is made without proper The permanent
and museums. They direct the acquisition, consideration of the safety and integrity of access to history
preservation, and exhibition of collections, the collection. The first imperative of curatorship is to
including negotiating and authorising ensure that the traces of history embodied
It should also be pointed out that while an
the purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of by the works in a collection will not be
archivist can exist and successfully operate in
collections. They are also responsible for altered, manipulated or modified under any
certain contexts without a curator, a curator
authenticating and evaluating the significance circumstance for any reason whatsoever, be it
cannot fulfil his or her obligations to society
of the works in a collection on the basis of of a political, racial, religious or economic
in the absence of an archivist or at least of
agreed parameters and in compliance with the nature. While new works may be created
a thorough archival perspective. Even the
institution’s Collection Policy (for a definition through the use of one or more existing items
organiser of a temporary show needs to
of ‘significance’ of a cultural artefact, see the in the collections (something which should
identify, locate and retrieve artefacts existing
UNESCO ‘Memory of the World’, always be encouraged by curators who believe
somewhere, be it in a private collection or in
www.amw.org.au). Curators oversee and in the archive or museum as a catalyst of
the warehouse of another organisation.
help conduct the institution’s research projects invention), their creation will never entail the
and related access and outreach programs. However, the archivist and the curator have alteration, manipulation or modification of
An increasing part of a curator’s duties also a distinct set of responsibilities which the collection items.
involves management and administration. make their dialogue a necessity. To understand
In this respect, the archivist and the curator
Curators must be intellectually and this, one must bear in mind that a cultural
are powerful allies, in that they are both
operationally flexible because of their wide artefact is not a monolithic entity. It is a
committed (the former from the perspective of
variety of duties. Leadership ability and complex reality resulting from the interaction
the custodian of the artefact, the second from
business skills are crucial, while marketing between its three key components:
that of its interpreter) to the protection and
skills are valuable in increasing attendance • the work, as defined by the carrier – availability of the work in its original form.
and potential funding. when it exists – and its content;
A widely shared view among curators in
• the environmental, social, cultural and
all disciplines – recently echoed by British
So what’s industrial context surrounding its creation;
• the way in which it was and is experienced.
film director John Boorman apropos Stanley
the difference? In curatorial terms, ‘content’ deprived of
Kubrick’s intention to destroy all surviving
prints of his first feature film Fear and Desire –
Given the above definitions, isn’t there its context or experience is just a matter is that, from an ethical and cultural perspective,
an overlap of desirable skills for curators of consumption, a commodity (hence the when a work becomes part of an archival or
and archivists? Don’t they both collect, preferred use of the terms ‘work’ or ‘artefact’ museum collection, it no longer belongs to its
preserve and make accessible a collection? in the archival and museum world); a context makers nor to its custodians, but to history and
The answer is yes: curators must actively and an experience of a work scrutinised to posterity. Copyright protects the intellectual
contribute to the development of archival or recreated on the basis of a distortion and financial interests of a creator, but does
standards, and archivists are expected to make or absence of the content and its original not give the right to distort history when its
recommendations to the curators in matters medium is at best an incomplete and at worst material evidence has been consciously put
pertaining to their expertise. The collaborative a misleading way to interpret and explain under the care of a collecting organisation. An
nature of the relationship between curators society, very much like a biography written audiovisual artist who is keen to further modify
and archivists is key to the life of a collecting with no evidence nor witnesses. The archivist or dismember the original expressions of his or
institution. The archivist is the custodian of collects, preserves and makes accessible the her past work should do so with copies from
the standards governing the management works – that is, the contents and the identity the original work, or not give the original work
of a collection; the curator is the collection’s of their media. The curator interprets the to an archive at all.
spokesperson. These roles are necessarily work both in its ‘media’ (or ‘carrier’) and In the audiovisual world this means two
intertwined, as a curator is expected to ‘work’ (‘content’) manifestations. At times, things: first, no destruction, alteration nor
embrace archival standards, and an archivist she or he explores and determines the past, manipulation of the work (even by its author)
should be aware of, and be able to promote, present and possible future context of its is allowed if it entails a permanent alteration
the cultural significance of the collection. presentation, and ensures that the experience of the historical record: George Lucas may
Before deciding on a given policy, the curator is organised in a way that is both consistent well recut and put a new soundtrack to his
must consult the archivist in relation to its with the historical identity of the work first Star Wars movie, but its 1977 version
compliance with the best available archival and with the opportunity to generate new should still exist and be available as such.
practice. Curators and archivists have distinct knowledge from it. Hence the reciprocal The second principle, derived from the first,
and yet complementary roles; from this bind (at times a creative tension) between the is that no duplication whatsoever of the
standpoint, they have equal professional professions of archivist and curator. original work should be made without prior
standing in a collecting organisation. adequate measures to ensure the stability of the
collection item. This means, for instance, that
a gramophone disc in the collection should not
be played before the sound recording has been
transferred to another accessible medium, and

The collaborative nature of the relationship that a nitrate print should not run through a
projector or telecine equipment before having

between curators and archivists is key to been transferred to another stable component.
Access activities should be implemented only

the life of a collecting institution. on access materials.

 NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006

 A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

Acquisition, into account suggestions coming from other

staff members or from outside the archive,
No reproduction, transfer or migration of
the original work for preservation or access
preservation, they are personally and ultimately accountable purposes will be allowed on other formats
access: for their choices. or media before a work is accessible in its
original format or medium, insofar as
a balance of power They will strive to acquire complete works,
in their final and/or commercially released
the original format or medium exists
The notion of the equal importance of and is available.
versions, primarily in the media in which
acquisition, preservation and access in an they were intended to be experienced by
audiovisual archive is a pivotal feature of the
curatorial vision for the NFSA, as defined
their audiences. The curators also have
the sole authority to assess the exceptional
Access
in the five-point document distributed in circumstances under which it may be Curators are responsible for maintaining
late 2004. According to this vision, none of advisable or necessary to acquire elements permanent accessibility as the ultimate goal
these concepts taken individually should be other than complete works (such as rushes, of the acquisition and preservation processes.
developed to the detriment of the others. This outtakes of moving image works, or They have overall responsibility for access
could be described as something similar to the unreleased sound recordings), or to acquire policy implementation and for coordinating
balance of power between legislative, executive works in formats or media other than the the efforts of other staff, including but
and judiciary in a democratic regime: through original ones, in the event that acquisition not limited to the staff of preservation and
a complex system of checks and balances, of the original works proves to be impossible technical services. Mindful of the inherent
each component of the political system to achieve. compromise between acquisition, preservation
supports the others and ensures that none of and access, the curators will:
them is allowed to exercise absolute power. Other than in the special circumstances • commit to maintain a clear connection
While some of them (such as the judicial described above, curators will decline offers between the display of an audiovisual work
function) are also expected to act in complete to acquire works in non-original formats and the mission statement of the NFSA;
independence from the political party or or media purely for access purposes, unless
• ensure that the inclusion of a work in an
coalition holding power at a given point in a corresponding element of the work
exhibition or access program is consistent
time, all of them obey to agreed rules of the in its original format is already part of
with the intellectual integrity of the
democratic process. the collection, and they will notify their
exhibition or access program itself;
supervisors of any undue pressure exercised
The same applies to the curatorial process, upon them to act in ways contrary to • provide the widest possible access to the
in that acquisition must comply to agreed their mandate. collections through both formal exhibitions
collection policies which include provisions and a wide variety of other methods;
for preservation and access; the preservation • serve as a resource for teaching, research,
process must take into account the nature
of the works acquired and the need to make
Preservation scholarship, inspiration, entertainment and
creation of new works;
them permanently accessible; the demands The curator’s main mission in relation to the
preservation process is to ensure that any • be limited only by good preservation
for access to the collections will influence practice, respect for intellectual property
the preservation policies, but cannot alter preservation work is:
rights, and the unique characteristics of
nor compromise their underlying • reversible;
each collection.
fundamental values. • avoids further alteration of the
original work; The NFSA curators have the authority to limit
The curator is the arbiter of this balance, the access to works in the collections only in the
• is carefully documented in order to allow
person who has the responsibility of ensuring event that:
others to evaluate the choices made and
that each of the three components of the • the material is judged to be too fragile
the procedures chosen, and take corrective
process finds its best possible expression, to handle;
action if necessary.
individually and as part of a whole.
• the material is extremely valuable and rare;
Curatorship is by all means a heavy practical, Curators are responsible for deciding, in
political and moral burden, requiring a consultation with their supervisors and • the NFSA does not have a preservation
unique mix of stamina, judgement, strategy, the staff in charge of the preservation or master or preservation element of the work;
diplomacy, knowledge and vision. To provide conservation facilities, the preservation • the requestor has demonstrated carelessness
an idea of what this entails, let’s now look procedures to be implemented towards the or has otherwise put collection material in
at some of curatorship’s most obvious collection as a whole or towards some specific jeopardy during previous instances;
manifestations, formally articulated in the components of the collection. Curators are • the requestor refuses to comply with
archive’s collection policy documents. At expected to gather advice from staff in charge archival policies or procedures;
first sight, they look more like protocols and of preservation and conservation facilities • there are donor- or depositor-imposed
practices; however, curatorial values are so about the costs of preserving, restoring, restrictions on access;
deeply embedded in them that it is important duplicating or reconstructing any given work • there is insufficient staff available for
to briefly describe them in this context. for special purposes, and about the technical adequate supervision of access;
implications of their decisions. • there is risk of damage to, or loss of, the
work in the collection.
Acquisition Curators are also responsible for ensuring
that the works in the collections are preserved
Curators are responsible for deciding which according to the highest possible technical and
works will be acquired for the collection. intellectual standards available at the time,
While they are encouraged and often required and that the works will be remain accessible
to use the experience and expertise of other for as long as possible in their original format
colleagues in their curatorial staff, and to take or media for future generations.

NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006 

A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

In addition to responding to access requests, it is a key ingredient for providing the accessible under strictly monitored curatorial
a curator must exercise a proactive role in most appropriate data for the needs of the conditions; however, the curator is personally
highlighting the significance of undeservedly collecting institution. responsible for making the choice.
neglected works in the collection. Archives
Take the (analog) example of Alfred
What is an
and museums often have important items that
Hitchcock’s Vertigo, available in a huge
nobody knows anything about, either because
they are not yet catalogued, or because their ’original’ artefact? number of analog and digital copies. What
should an archive do if a copy of this film is
very existence is virtually unknown.
As soon as a work becomes part of a part of the collection or may be acquired? The
national collection, each of its components answer depends on the nature of the copy
Deaccessioning is potentially an ‘original’ and should be
treated with all the care necessary to ensure
and the curatorial determination of its use.
According to film preservationist Robert A.
Deaccessioning works from the National its survival for future generations. At first Harris, for many years the Cinémathèque
Collection is a grave decision, which must française in Paris had a stunning 35mm
sight, this notion contradicts the well-worn
be evaluated with extreme caution. Curators print of this title. Convinced that the film
theory of ‘film in the age of mechanical
are responsible for determining, subject to was not rare, the film archive’s curators
reproduction’, that is, the notion that
final approval from their supervisors, which projected it on a regular basis in its theatre,
elements should be deaccessioned, with a an audiovisual work may be reproduced
indefinitely, especially in the digital domain. and frequently loaned it to other archives,
clear and well-documented explanation of the on the assumption that it would be easy to
reason for their actions. However, recent practice has demonstrated
obtain another print in the event that the
that such a notion has its flaws.
In general terms, an item may be existing one was damaged or lost. When
deaccessioned from the collection for one or No matter how ‘common’ an audiovisual work Harris undertook the restoration of the film
more of the following reasons: is today, if an archive or a museum decides on behalf of Universal Pictures, it turned
• because the material is decomposed beyond to acquire it for the collection, the curator out that the original negative of the film
repair, reproduction and/or exhibition, and has the responsibility of determining what was no longer available in its entirety; that
no meaningful information or audiovisual the possibilities are of locating another new very few vintage prints survived; and more
experience whatsoever can be obtained element of that work, and deciding whether importantly, that the Cinémathèque française
from it; or not it should be used for access purposes. print was the only surviving copy of the film
in its original VistaVision format. By the time
• because the NFSA already has other
Harris got hold of that print, it was in such
elements of a given work in its original
poor condition that it could no longer be
medium and format, and has compared the
projected nor used for the restoration project,
item with other holdings and determined
and the final result of his work is a film with
that it is inferior in all respects;
significant differences from the 1959 version.
• because of the excess number of duplicate
elements of the work, well beyond the A similar instance can be found in Charles
needs of the NFSA for preservation or Chaplin’s classic Keystone, Mutual and
access purposes; Essanay short comedies. Thousands of
• in the case of a work created in a non- copies in all formats were produced since
analog format, because the carrier in which 1915, and film archives never bothered
the digital-born work was created can no protecting what they had because they
longer be used. thought it would always be possible to acquire
new prints. At the time of the first major
Chaplin preservation project, it soon became
Data management clear that very few archives, including the
Chaplin Estate, had a complete print in good
The collection, organisation and availability The Rink (Charlie Chaplin, US 1916) condition for any of these comedies. Had we
of data – implemented through guidelines
Thousands of copies of Chaplin’s short preserved at least one copy of each of them
informed by international standards – affects
comedies were produced, but at the time soon after their first release, we would now
all the key functions of an archive. The
of the first major Chaplin preservation possess a set of cultural treasures!
accuracy and availability of these records
project, it became clear that very few
is a shared goal, and a responsibility for all The Chaplin example is indirectly linked
archives, including the Chaplin Estate,
people involved in creating and capturing had a complete print in good condition with the prehistory of the NFSA. In the
information about the collection. Curators, of any of these films. 1930s a small Sydney distributor, National
accessioners and cataloguers must agree on Films, acquired a set of duplicate negatives
data entry standards and the criteria for data Courtesy of Association Chaplin of the Chaplin Mutuals with soundtracks
quality. The responsibility for management – the versions produced by the Van Beuren
of these standards and criteria lies with Corporation. In the 1970s, Dorothy Tayler,
As a rule, the ‘original’ (determined as such by
the cataloguers and accessioners, while the the widow of the owner of National Films
curator’s distinctive strength is in the ongoing the curator) should never be touched except – which by then had closed – was disposing
provision of the descriptive and contextual for the creation of preservation elements; nor of the company’s stock in trade, and much
data needed to identify an audiovisual work should it be assumed that a single access to of it was offered to the National Library.
and in the assessment of the intellectual and an ‘original’ does not compromise its overall Ms. Tayler offered to the National Library
technical nature of the work. This relationship integrity. It is possible for an archive to be so the Chaplin negatives, but the offer had to
between curatorial and cataloguing staff technologically advanced as to ensure that an be declined because of shortage in storage
is sometimes taken for granted; however, original element can occasionally be made space. The National Library put Ms. Tayler

 NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006

 A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

in touch with the staff of the American Film

Institute, who gladly received them. The AFI What deserves
later claimed that these negatives were the best preservation?
surviving material on the Chaplin Mutuals. Archivists and curators have complementary
Later, Blackhawk used them as source material interests in addressing this question. Both
for their own releases. from an archival and a curatorial perspective,
Another example related to recorded sound the answer is clear: as soon as a work is
may further illustrate the point. It was formally put under the responsibility of an
recently discovered that some Edison cylinder archive or a museum, it becomes as important
recordings can be played back in genuine, if as any other work already in the collection.
accidental, ‘stereo’. Sometimes two acoustic This is not to deny that certain works may
masters were made of the same performance be highlighted as ‘treasures’ of a collection;
with the horns placed in different positions, however, from the perspective of the aim to
so each has a different orchestral balance. ensure the integrity of the works formally
The purpose was simply one of productivity accepted by a collecting body, there are no
– double the output. The masters had the same layers or degrees of citizenship in an archive
serial number with an A or B suffix. Someone or museum: insofar as a deliberate decision
has now figured out the real significance has been made about their acquisition, a copy
of the suffix from a modern viewpoint: the Pacman was one of the earliest of a 2005 ‘easy listening’ music CD is not
idea of stereo would have been commercially videogames ever produced, and the less important than the earliest recording of a
impracticable at the time the recording was experience of playing it is not easy famous Australian soprano. Each deserves to
made, even if it had actually occurred to to reproduce without the original be treated with the same care and according to
anyone. If the original carriers had not been technology. the same professional standards.
kept, no one would ever have made this
© 1980, 2003 NAMCO LTD. While it is true that some works are more
discovery by listening to copies.
rare than others and that there may not be
It should not be assumed a priori that a enough resources to treat all works according
digitally created work is immune from this The videogame Pacman, one of the earliest to the highest possible standards, these are the
kind of challenge. A cause célèbre in this respect ever produced, offers evidence that a transfer standards we should aim at, irrespective of
was raised by the partial loss of the audiovisual of the original electronic ‘content’ to a more the cultural status of what has been put under
data used in the film Toy Story (1995) during modern medium does not guarantee by itself our care. Curators and archivists also agree
the backup process of the digital masters, but future accessibility to this work, as playing that certain collection items require special
there are other common instances of data the game requires an apparatus endowed precautions, but this by no means contradicts
degradation and loss of information during with a specific material and environmental the ‘democratic’ approach to the maintenance
digital compression. There is an inherent risk identity which is now very hard to represent, and care of a collection.
in each migration, and the risk is multiplied even after only a few years since the demise of
in the likely event of massive periodical the game. An author of virtual reality shows Where the curator and the archivist part ways
transfers of large amounts of audiovisual data. was recently invited to exhibit his creations is in the set of intellectual and operational
In essence, curatorial values are independent in a German museum. Digital copies of the decisions about the choices to be made in
of the transition from the analog to the software had been made; however, it soon order to interpret the collection and about the
digital world. became clear that it was impossible to activate acquisition, preservation and access priorities
the programs without specific accessories such to be determined accordingly. Given the scope
and size of a national collection, it is very
Why should a work as joysticks, keyboards or other devices no
longer available in the market. These objects likely that its archivists and curators do not
be preserved in its were eventually found through contacts with have the technological and financial resources
necessary to give adequate exposure to all
original medium? private collectors worldwide. In an archive or
museum, a curator is responsible for deciding works at the same time. Moreover, it is in the
As the interpreter of history through the whether or not to be concerned about their very nature of curatorial work to exercise the
audiovisual collection for the benefit of present collection and preservation. authority and the responsibility necessary to
and future generations, the curator must ensure make informed choices within a body of work
that the work is experienced in a form as close so vast as to require a hierarchical approach to
as possible to the way it was intended to be their treatment. To further pursue the political
seen and/or heard at the time of its creation. metaphors, all citizens are deemed to be equal
but some of them are chosen to represent the
This does not exclude at all the notion that values of a society for a given period of time.
the same work may be also made accessible in
other media, as long as:

As soon as a work is formally put under

• a choice is always given (insofar as possible)
between the experience of the original

the responsibility of an archive or a

medium and of a new one;
• clarity at the intellectual and experience level

museum, it becomes as important as any

is provided about the difference between
the original presentation of a work and its

other work already in the collection.

modern ersatz.

NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006 

A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

History is the most selective, powerful and skills such as the ability to take into account In the meantime, curatorial decisions must
often unforgiving curator of the cultural conflicting interests and allocate the efforts be made as to what portion of the audiovisual
heritage, as it determines (through a series and the financial resources in a way that is heritage can and should be acquired,
of events ranging from cultural trends and consistent with the cultural choices he or she preserved and made accessible in its entirety.
economic influences to wars, genocides and has made. It is quite possible, for instance, Again, this is a matter of assessing the cultural
natural catastrophes) what posterity will have that the curator may reach the conclusion value of the audiovisual works and their
an opportunity to experience and what will that a certain collection should immediately potential significance to posterity within the
be bound to disappear forever. The curator be copied into the digital domain because economic resources currently available. The
doesn’t have the same overwhelming power, its value is limited to the ‘content’. How to extreme complexity of this task and of the
but he or she has the responsibility to decide make such decision without contradicting criteria influencing them defines curatorship
what should be preserved first in the historical or betraying the notion of adherence to the as an art. Mindful that these criteria evolve
timeframe within which he or she operates. medium is only one of the many challenges over time, curators are expected to have
This prerogative should not be taken lightly, facing curatorship in the digital world. the professional strength to make difficult
and requires a refined sense of judgment, choices, and be accountable for them. In
strategy and opportunity. In giving shape to doing so, they are assisted by a collection
their vision, curators will give equal weight to Preserving policy document that is periodically revised
a dual set of considerations.
everything in order to ensure its consistency with best
archival practice. The collection policy is
The first is part of a territory shared with the
archivist: how soon will the work become
vs selecting another tool for the achievement of a balance
The mandate of the National Film and Sound of power within the archive, in that it gives an
inaccessible forever if it is not preserved? In
Archive is to acquire, preserve and make opportunity to challenge curatorial decisions
determining the best course of action, both
accessible Australian audiovisual heritage (a and to avoid external pressure or interference.
the archivist and the curator will evaluate the
collection from a technical standpoint and discussion on the definition of ‘audiovisual Some indicative yet concrete examples may be
assess the risk of physical decay of the works heritage’ may be found in Ray Edmondson, of some help in explaining this point. It is fair
in the collection. Audiovisual Archiving, cit., p. 22). Ideally, to assume that a national audiovisual archive
the NFSA should apply this principle to the should have all the music CDs and all the
The second set of criteria is of a cultural entire body of works produced in Australia; feature films and television works (with the
nature: given a number of works equally in in other countries in which Australians who corresponding scripts) commercially produced
need of preservation, which ones should be had a creative reputation before they left in Australia, as they largely determine the
given priority? Choosing work A instead of B Australia – or who are temporarily abroad cultural reputation of a country and its
does not mean deliberately condemning B to – are featured; and by other audiovisual influence in relation to the economic forces
oblivion: it means declaring that: makers in the Australian territory. The NFSA surrounding it. As their number is relatively
• under the present circumstances, should also apply its efforts to works exhibited limited in Australia, this could be seen in
• given the already existing heritage, or distributed in Australia that have had a theory as a reasonable goal.
• in view of a presumed future landscape significant influence on the cultural life and
of the collection and the cultural context development of the Australian people. Let’s also assume that the curators will
surrounding it, A curatorial selection of foreign audiovisual determine that it is important to acquire,
preservation of A must take priority over works is now part of the NFSA’s preserve and make accessible all the short
treatment of B. collecting agenda. films and television programs made in
Australia, but that completeness cannot be
This is by all means a value judgment, In relative terms, the creative audiovisual achieved within the means currently available.
the expression of a coherent system of output in the first category is more modest In such a case, the curators may want to adopt
thought, and the curator has a heavy than in other countries such as India or the a dual strategy involving:
burden in applying it in a responsible United States. However, the exponential
• the acquisition of a representative selection
manner after consulting with the archivist growth of works produced through digital
of these works, and
and the preservation technician, whose technologies makes it extremely difficult to
achieve even the first task, both on a practical • an effort towards the creation of
knowledge of conservation practices is a institutional mechanisms for the negotiated
necessary prerequisite of any informed and a financial level. Bearing this in mind,
curators should never lose sight of their ideal or mandatory deposit of these works.
curatorial decision.
goal. They should not only explore every Finally, let’s imagine a third layer of
This is also what makes the curatorial opportunity to come closer to it: they should audiovisual works including all radio
profession so inherently challenging, as it also prepare the ground for future curators programs and all Internet works produced in
requires a multiplicity of skills, ranging and help them increase their capacity to fulfil Australia, and assume that there is currently
from historical expertise to knowledge in the mission of the NFSA. no realistic way to acquire them all. In this
technical and legal matters, and managerial instance, curators will adopt the same dual
strategy, the only difference being that the
body of work in question is much larger and
the necessary selection process is aimed at
acquiring a much smaller percentage of the
History is the most selective, powerful entire production.

and often unforgiving curator of the This process may be graphically represented
by a pyramid in four or more segments: the
cultural heritage. top segment describes that part of Australian
production which NFSA will commit (under

 NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006

 A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

the above hypothesis) to acquire in its entirety sense. Ideally, an archive should not just The issue of ‘redundancy’ may also be
every year; the second segment includes that acquire discrete programs, recordings or films. examined within a nation’s own boundaries.
part which can be acquired in a significant It should also be acquiring their context in Ray Edmondson has pointed out that the
percentage; and so forth. At the very bottom the same way: for instance, a whole 12-hour NFSA and the Australian War Memorial
of the pyramid there is the galaxy of all or 24-hour slice of the output of television or have, to some extent, duplicate collections
audiovisual works produced in the world, radio stations on a cyclical basis, so that the of World War II era Australian newsreels.
from which the curators will pick a limited context of discrete programs – the television That’s because NFSA received the Cinesound
but meaningful number of rare, unique or or radio experience – is captured.) Movietone library, and the AWM acquired the
representative items. ‘official’ footage from the then Department
of Information as government war records.
Example of curatorial decision: acquisitions
Preserving a work The holdings are far from identical – there are
already preserved many subtle differences – but there is overlap.
However, the crucial difference is one of
Australian CDs,
elsewhere perspective and context. The NFSA preserves
feature films and scripts To further complicate matters, there is the fact them as cinema newsreels, that is, as part of
(100% of production) that a national audiovisual archive is part of a Australia’s wider cinema and newsreel culture
broader community of sister institutions with and history. The Australian War Memorial
similar goals and objectives. While this is of preserves them as government war records
course a positive thing, it does not simplify an within a quite different institutional context.
archive’s work in that the boundaries between
Australian shorts,
the responsibilities and prerogatives of the
television
(50% of production) members of the archive, museum and even Curatorship
library community are not clearly defined,
and are constantly shifting. In deciding
and ideology
The curators’ responsibility is not limited to
whether or not an audiovisual work in the
the development of a collection according
collection should be fully preserved even if it
to the current intellectual values of a society.
Australian radio, is already known to be preserved by another
Internet They must also represent values endorsed by
institution, the issue of redundancy should be
(5% of production) cultural, political and religious minorities,
carefully considered.
or promoted by individuals and groups
For many years, prints of films by Satyajit Ray whose viewpoints are a direct challenge to
have not been preserved outside India because the predominant trends of the present, or
it was assumed that they had already been alien to the beliefs of the curators themselves.
International protected in their country of origin. This may In operational terms, this means that
(representative
have been at least partially true; however, a curators should maintain a clear separation
works)
recent incident at a film laboratory destroyed between what ‘is’ and what ‘should be’,
part of the preservation work already done, thus demonstrating an equal degree of
and archives undertook a desperate search commitment to the acquisition of works
for the few surviving vintage prints. As a generally recognised as significant, as well as
Two caveats are in order here. First, the layers result, several Satyajit Ray films available works which do not correspond to their views
in this pyramid are by no means uniform, in today are the result of a preservation work or to the common opinion.
that curators should exercise their authority based on sub-standard elements. The NFSA
in deciding that a certain cluster of works A curator who is not keen to acquire, preserve
has recently acquired a 35mm of a film by
should be given priority over the others or give access to an audiovisual work because
Alejandro Jodorowsky, the European cut of
within the same layer (for example, a curator he or she is afraid of being identified with
Santa Sangre (1993). This is a very recent
may decide that Indigenous radio programs the ideology portrayed in it does a disservice
film, and yet it is not clear whether or not any
should be given a higher priority in relation to to the field and to society. For instance, the
major archive in the world holds a projectable
all the radio programs produced in Australia). German propaganda documentary Triumph
copy of Jodorowsky’s underrated allegorical
Second, the layers of this imaginary pyramid des Willens (1934) is a great film and the
work. A curatorial decision would dictate in
are not fixed in time, and curators must be document of an aberrant ideology. Another
this case the redefinition of the NFSA copy
ready to adapt their acquisition priorities cinematic example drawn from the Australian
as a ‘master’ element, or at least as a print for
to cultural and practical circumstances and context is The Birth of White Australia (1928),
restricted access.
events, and be flexible enough to modify an important document on the perception
their own acquisition, preservation and access In curatorial terms, the default option is to of national identity in the early twentieth
priorities accordingly. The emergence of a treat every unpreserved collection item as a century and an aggressively racist film; while
new medium, format style, genre or mode master copy. It is the curator’s prerogative, taking both perspectives into account in the
of audiovisual experience is an opportunity based on his or her knowledge of the contextualised presentation of this work, a
and a challenge for curators, as they can preservation history of a given work and curator should not prevent an audience from
begin preserving what society hasn’t yet the current international context, to decide experiencing it because of the curator’s own
deemed worthy of long-term preservation, which kind of audiovisual elements may be beliefs. The curator’s job as an interpreter does
although they may not possess the conceptual moved from the preservation category to the not extend to the right to think on behalf of
framework necessary to integrate the newborn list of works available for access; hence the the audience.
works within the audiovisual tradition with importance for curators to keep abreast of the
which they are familiar. (The term ‘work’ activity of their colleagues abroad.
should be used here in its most inclusive

NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006 

A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

In 1905, the destruction of films, phonograph

and the printed scores of operettas was
seen not only as inevitable: it was taken
for granted, very much as happened with
newspapers. Film and popular music were
not considered as cultural works, let alone
as forms of artistic expression. Those who
saved early films from destruction were
inadvertently the first curators of the
audiovisual world; similarly, those who kept
cylinder phonographs after the advent and
overwhelming success of the gramophone
record made an unconscious curatorial
decision: they saved what society deemed
unnecessary, thus creating the conditions for
their availability to posterity. The same criteria
ought to be applied today to more recent
media and formats: is there a virtual reality
museum? How many institutions preserve
the hardware necessary to operate a
1984 videogame?
The Birth of White Australia (Phillip Walsh, Australia 1928) is both an important
A curator is like a cultural antenna, in that
document on the perception of national identity in the early 20th century and an aggressively
racist film. While taking both perspectives into account in the contextualised presentation she or he must constantly monitor and
of this work, a curator should not prevent an audience from experiencing it because of the participate in the developments of audiovisual
curator’s own beliefs. creation in order to readily adapt or modify
the current acquisition policies. In qualitative
NFSA Collection; title no. 594224 terms, the growth of a national audiovisual
archive is not a linear process. Its development
criteria must be constantly verified against
By the same token, the curator is responsible There are successful artists who have the principles and practices of the audiovisual
to posterity in that he or she must possess occasionally produced works generally culture and its modes of production, so that
the vision and sense of history necessary dismissed by contemporary audiences: these the manifestations and the consequences
to imagine what the audience of a distant are the works the curator should aim at of changes still undetected by the majority
and therefore unimaginable future may first, because the likelihood that they will be are promptly incorporated into the fabric
ask of a collection of national significance. lost is comparatively high. When deciding of the collection policies. In their exploring
The measure of success of a curator’s preservation priorities, curators will pay the opportunities and challenging the limits
endeavour is far more than the mere notion attention not only to those works, media presented by these policies, curators act
of ‘completeness’; it is the recognition from and formats which are in greater demand, like the cultural meteorologists of a
posterity that he or she has anticipated needs but also to those which may be deemed to collecting institution.
which were not immediately foreseen at be of significant cultural value in the future
the time and in the context of the curator’s and which are not necessarily perceived as
professional life. Hence the ongoing question such by the current dominant taste. The ideal
curators must constantly ask themselves: goal of the curator of a national audiovisual
is there an aspect of today’s culture which collection is the awareness that no stone has PAOLO CHERCHI USAI, Director of the
is being totally neglected but may become been left unturned to draw an understandable National Film and Sound Archive, Australia, is
significant, useful or necessary to the compelling portrait of the society where he co-founder of the Pordenone Silent Film Festival
audience of tomorrow? or she lives, giving appropriate weight to and of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film
the mainstream and the independent, to the Preservation at George Eastman House. His
consensus and the creative marginality, to the experimental film Passio will premiere at the
canon and its meaningful subversion. 2007 Adelaide Film Festival.

A curator is like a cultural antenna,

in that she or he must constantly monitor
and participate in the developments
of audiovisual creation in order to
readily adapt or modify the current
acquisition policies
 NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006
 A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

Appendix: 1.7 All research undertaken in the archive

should relate to the institution’s
3.2 On no account may a curator solicit a
personal gift or bequest from a member
The ethics of collections or objectives. of the public.
curatorial practice 1.8 A curator has a clear duty to consult
professional colleagues outside his/
3.3 Dealing (buying and selling for a profit)
in material which is collected by the
The following is adapted from John M.A. her own institution when his/her curator’s institution is an unacceptable
Thompson et al., Manual of Curatorship expertise and that of his/her immediate practice for all curators and their staff.
(London: Butterworth, 1986), pp. 530-537. colleagues are insufficient to ensure the
welfare of items in the collection under 3.4 A curator must be fully aware that
his/her care. to undertake identification and
1. Management authentication outside his/her duties
and care of the 2. Accessibility
for personal gain with the intention
of establishing the market value of an
collections of data object, is fraught with danger. If it
1.1. It is a curator’s duty to take all is to be done, a curator must declare
possible steps to ensure that a written 2.1 It is a curator’s responsibility to such intention beforehand to his/her
acquisition policy is adopted by the safeguard the confidentiality of sensitive supervisor, and be at pains to
governing body of his/her archive. It data contained in the records which he/ observe the highest standards of
is therefore his/her duty to recommend she maintains. Sensitive data consists academic objectivity.
revisions of that policy at regular of information to which uncontrolled
3.5 A curator is not normally qualified
intervals. He/she must ensure that the access might put at risk rare, unique
to undertake valuations and must
policy, as formally adopted and revised or vulnerable material and of personal
therefore be aware of any implications
by the governing body, is implemented, details and statements the disclosure
of using his/her position for direct or
and ensure that his/her colleagues are of which could lead to legal action. A
indirect personal profit. In the course
fully acquainted with it. curator may disclose such information
of his/her duties, a curator will, from
only to enquirers whose reputations,
1.2 It is a curator’s primary responsibility time to time, be required to have
interests and intentions he/she has
to do all in his/her power to fully regard to the financial value of objects.
established beyond reasonable doubt
protect all items in his/her care against In such circumstances he/she must
to be consistent with the needs of
physical deterioration whether on always pay attention to the possible
conservation.
display, in store, subject to research or implications arising from this practice.
conservation procedures or on loan
3.6 A curator must obtain the written
elsewhere. A curator must apprise his/
her supervisor of the recommendations
3. Personal activities consent of his/her supervisor before
undertaking private work from which
made to him/her by specialists in 3.1 The acquiring, collecting and owning
personal financial gain may accrue.
the field and enforce all safeguards of objects by a curator for his/her
Even when consent has been obtained,
subsequently adopted. own private collection is not in itself
such activities should not be allowed to
1.3 All items within a curator’s care must be unethical, but it should be discouraged.
interfere with the discharge of his/her
recorded, including the circumstances Serious dangers are implicit when a
official duties and responsibilities.
and conditions of acceptance and curator or his/her staff collects for
such other information as is necessary themselves privately objects similar to
to complement the object, in an
appropriate, secure and permanent
those which he/she and others collect
for his/her archive. In particular,
4. Responsibilities
form capable of easy retrieval. no curator or curatorial staff should and services to
1.4 There must always be a strong compete with their institution either
in the acquisition of objects or in any
the public
presumption against the disposal
of specimens to which an archive personal collecting activity. Extreme 4.1 The acquisition of archive items
has assumed formal title. Any form care must be taken to ensure that no from members of the public must be
of disposal, whether by donation, conflict of interest arises. conducted with scrupulous fairness to
exchange, sale or destruction requires On his/her appointment, a curator or the seller or donor.
the exercise of a high order of the member of a curatorial staff with a 4.2 Although circumstances exist wherein a
curatorial judgement and should be private collection must provide his/her curator may refuse to identify an object,
recommended to a curator’s supervisor supervisor with a description of it, and as a general rule he/she is expected to
only after full expert and legal advice a statement of his/her collecting policy. do so when, in the course of his/her
has been taken. Any agreement between a curator employment, he/she is asked by a
1.5 A curator may not delegate curatorial and his/her supervisor on matters member of the public. A curator must
functions to persons who lack the concerning his/her private collection not withhold significant facts about
appropriate knowledge and skill. must be scrupulously kept. the object or deliberately mislead the
1.6 A curator must never discourage enquirer. If a curator’s knowledge of
legitimate research into the collections the object is incomplete, this should
under his/her care by those qualified to also be stated.
perform it.

NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006 

A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

4.3 In compliance with the UNESCO to trade with one organisation to the
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting exclusion of others. Equally, in the
and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export course of his/her duties, should a
and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural curator be asked to advise a member
Property, a curator must not identify, of the public on an appropriate
accept on loan or acquire by any means, commercial organisation to be
an object which he/she has good reason approached, the utmost care must
to believe was acquired by its current be taken to ensure that no personal
owner in contravention of the terms of prejudice could subsequently be
that Convention, or by any other inferred from such advice.
illegal means.
5.2 In the area of industrial sponsorship,
4.4 A curator must not reveal information there will be an agreed relationship
imparted to him/her in confidence between the archive and the sponsor,
during the course of his/her professional and a curator must ensure that the
duties (see also 2.1). standards and objectives of the archive
are not compromised by such
4.5 Archive objects on public display, with
a relationship.
all forms of accompanying information,
should present a clear, accurate and 5.3 When providing information for the
balanced exposition and must never media, a curator must ensure that it
deliberately mislead. These principles is factually accurate and, wherever
apply also to books and information possible, enhances the reputation of
published or otherwise disseminated the archive (see also 4.5).
by the archive.
4.6 Material sold in the archive shop should
be of a standard and nature relevant
6. Relationship with
to and compatible with the aims and professional
objectives of the archive service. colleagues
4.7 The curation of material of ritual 6.1 A curator’s relationship with professional
significance is a sensitive undertaking colleagues should always be courteous,
and a curator must be aware of the both in public and private. Differences
possible impact of such activity of professional opinion should not
on humanistic feelings or religious be expressed in a personal fashion.
beliefs. He/she must therefore take all Particular care must be taken to avoid
reasonable steps to avoid giving rise any dispute coming to public notice
to public outrage or offence in his/her so as to bring discredit on the persons
management of such material. concerned and the profession
4.8 In cases where his/her professional at large.
advice is sought, a curator must ensure 6.2 When acquisition policies and collecting
that such advice is consistent with areas overlap, the curators concerned
archival or museological principles and should draft a mutually satisfactory
as far as possible in the best interests of agreement. This should then be referred
the enquirer. to the governing bodies concerned for
approval, either as a substantive change
5. Relationship or as an appendix to their acquisition
policies. Where conflict with other
with commercial archives over the acquisition of an object
organisations is likely, curators must take all possible
steps to ensure that the issue is
5.1 It will often be a legitimate part of a amicably resolved.
curator’s duty to work with commercial
6.3 In the course of his/her duties, a
organisations, whether they be vendors,
curator forms working relationships
suppliers, producers, distributors,
with numerous other people, both
exhibitors, auctioneers or dealers,
professional and otherwise, within
in respect of possible acquisitions,
and outside the archive in which he
potential sponsors, or the media
is employed. A curator is expected to
(press, radio, television). However, in
conduct these relationships with courtesy
all such dealings, a curator must never
and fair-mindedness and to render
accept from such sources a personal
his/her professional services to others
gift in whatever form which might
efficiently and at a high standard.
subsequently be interpreted, whether
rightly or wrongly, as an inducement

10 NFSA JOURNAL Volume 1, No 1, Spring 2006

RESEARCH
FELLOWSHIPS
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Centre for Scholarly Senior academics, scholars,

and Archival Research writers, filmmakers, artists
(CSAR) at the National Film and archival professionals
and Sound Archive (NFSA) from Australia and overseas
has been established to are encouraged to apply. The
encourage and facilitate fellowships involve a residency
research into Australia’s at the NFSA in Canberra, with
historic and contemporary accommodation supplied.
moving image and Fellows can use the NFSA’s
recorded sound culture. collections to stimulate or
otherwise inform an academic
The NFSA is seeking applications publication, a new sound or
from established researchers moving image work,
and audiovisual practitioners or a live event.
with a record of significant
achievement for the inaugural Applications for the
CSAR Research Fellowships. inaugural fellowships close
30 November 2006.

Further information
including application
forms can be found at
www.nfsa.afc.gov.au/csar
A CHARTER OF CURATORIAL VALUES

From
the editor
A collection of artworks constitutes only we will be open to other contributions
one half of the treasures of an archive or a from colleagues, students and practitioners
museum. The other half is the expertise, in the field. There will be no geographic
the scholarship, the creativity of those who boundaries, no chronological barriers, no
work in the organisation. Creativity provides off-limits territories of curatorial research.
meaning, understanding, interpretation to More importantly, we don’t have to agree
what would otherwise be perceived as mere with what’s being published in our pages.
content, the equivalent of a product on Even in the areas of recorded sound and
the shelves of a cultural supermarket. The screen culture, we firmly believe that the most
National Film and Sound Archive has given desirable cultural landscape is the one where
itself a new structure based on the principle of freedom of debate is seen as important
curatorship, precisely because it believes that as consensus.
a dynamic interaction between the collecting
institution and the public is a key element of We are deliberately starting on a small
its mandate. scale. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have
ambitions for the future of our journal;
This journal is the expression of our however, its success will depend on our ability
commitment to develop such dialogue to demonstrate that our work can speak to
through the discussion of recorded sound specialists and non-specialists with equally
and moving image culture from an archival compelling arguments. We see no reason
perspective. We will do so without any why a technical paper should make itself
concession to nostalgia, technical jargon, or inaccessible to someone who is interested in
theoretical elitism. Our aim is to make the the topic but is unfamiliar with technology;
work of the NFSA – acquiring, preserving conversely, we don’t believe that a subject is
and presenting moving images and sound too popular to deserve curatorial attention.
recordings – accessible to a wider audience.
We will be open to all kinds of scholarly What matters to us is being able to convince
and intellectual perspectives, as long as their that an archive of moving images and
underlying ideas are expressed clearly and in recorded sounds can be the coolest thing on
good faith. earth if you open its doors with curiosity and
enthusiasm. True knowledge always begins
The four collections of the NFSA (Documents with a sense of surprise.
and Artefacts, Indigenous, Moving Image,
Recorded Sound), as well as the philosophical True knowledge
rationale behind its activities, will be our
main areas of concern, and the NFSA always begins with
curatorial team will be directly engaged in
the development of the journal. However,
PAOLO CHERCHI USAI
Director, National Film and Sound Archive a sense of surprise.

NFSA Journal
Journal of the National Film The NFSA Journal is published quarterly.
and Sound Archive, Australia If you would like to subscribe, please contact
Volume 1, No.1, Spring 2006 us at [email protected]

ISSN 1834-0970 Editor – Paolo Cherchi Usai

© Australian Film Commission Editorial Board – Meg Labrum,
The National Film and Sound Archive Ann Landrigan
is part of the Australian Film Commission
Curatorial Advisors – David Boden, Matthew
The National Film and Sound Archive is Davies, Michael Lim, Elizabeth McNiven,
a member of the International Federation Graham Shirley
of Film Archives (FIAF), and of the
International Association of Sound and Technical Advisors – Ian Gilmour,
Audiovisual Archives (IASA) Joe Kelly, Mick Newnham, David Watson
Design – Zoo Design
Production – AFC Communications www.nfsa.afc.gov.au