An archive is a place in which various forms of primary sources for information are stored. This can be in the form of photographs, letters, notes and various other sources. These records are stored as evidence that an event occurred often including an explanation of how these events happened and or why usually for personal or financial reasons. These records are generally accepted to be documents that have been naturally generated as part of various commercial, administrative or regal purposes. Archives make their distinction from libraries in the sense that the documents contained in an archive are typically unique and unpublished documents. As such, archives tend to act as a central location for the storage of various memories and cultures by giving an insight into the lives of those involved with the events surrounding the various documents stored. Photography within archives serves both a documentative and artistic purpose. Photo’s initial take for an artistic purpose can be used as documentation of the artists lives/ surroundings in a different time.

The use of archival imagery will allow me to improve my personal study as it helps give a better insight into the lives of those in the occupation and the time period as a whole. The archival imagery provides a primary source for research about the topic at hand. The use of archives is a resourceful method of research as archives primarily store documentation that isn’t recorded elsewhere, as such it provides fast access to information that would otherwise take much longer to find through secondary sources of information.