Visiting TNA Kew for the first time - what do you need to know?

[b3rn]

The National Archives website has comprehensive information on accessing records and the reading room.

But any tips for the first time visitor? For example, food and drink during the day. What to take, what not to take?

I want to make the most of my time. I will be visiting over several days, hopefully, and by train.

Thanks in advance.

[keithmroberts]

You can get food coffee etc, and free water, and all can be consumed as well as your own sandwiches or whatever in the ground floor open  area, but none can be taken into any reading room, at a price.  You can leave your personal snacks and water bottle  in a locker.

If you think you will want to make personal copies of many items then despite their massive improvement I still prefer to take a decent camera and to reserve a camera stand.  Have a good time with your research.

[b3rn]

Thanks Keith, appreciated.

I will reserve a camera stand.

I have never used my SLR for photographing archive material, but will give it a trial over the next few days. Presumably you set the focus, then turn off auto-focus while paging through the document? 

[tootrock]

I know very little about settings on digital cameras, but I just set mine on Auto mode, attach it to the camera stand, adjust the height until the document fills the screen, and snap away. Perfect results every time (so far!).

Martin

[keithmroberts]

Depending on how much material you wan to copy, it pays to take your battery charger, and if you have one, a spare battery. If you have material that you want to read/make notes from,  rather than copy,and don't have a spare battery you might want to switvh between the two tasks  at intervals before letting your battery run too low; as a full recharge can be slow. You can charge your battery at your desk.

You may have to change the view quite often on your camera as for example war diaries often contain sheets of paper of varying sizes. The tagging of files can stretch your depth of field. if a file is too tight, but you can go to the help desk and ask them to ease it. 

Remember that for the Western Front many diaries are digitised, and free to download at present; you will probably?/possibly  be denied physical access to those anyway.  My interest is on the Macedonia campaign where nothing is digitised, so I can't be sure about access to files where a free downolad is possible, but why would you waste time anyway on such?

Many modern cameras can be controlled from your phone, tablet, or laptop, which can save quite a lot oj jumping up and down or stretching if you don't have a fold out viewing screen.

Keith

 

[MaureenE]

It may be of interest to look at some of the more recent pages of a long topic of 50 pages on WW2Talk Forum

http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/national-archives-kew-tips.11433/page-50  (this is a link to the last page)

Maureen

[b3rn]

Many thanks for the links and suggestions.

Keith, I hadn't thought of controlling the DSLR with the laptop. Will give it a try. 

[Buffnut453]

I don't bother with my SLR or a camera stand.  I just use the camera on my cell phone.  I find it pretty easy to go through files, photograph the pages I need, and then review them in detail once I get home.  Of course, I'm not planning on doing anything with the images I take other than to extract data from them.  However, I find I can go through a large number of files pretty quickly.

One recommendation I have is to always ensure you have documents on order.  It can take a while for ordered documents to reach the reading room and it can be very frustrating just sitting and waiting for them to arrive.  I typically order documents in advance so they're waiting for me....and then my first step is to order 3 more documents.  I then try to maintain having 3 documents on order throughout the day.  I generally find I'm able to keep a steady flow of new documents as I plough through those that are in the reading room.  This approach can be particularly useful if you're not 100% certain that the record will have anything useful in it (some of the document descriptions can be misleading to say the least!). 

As to vittles etc, there's a cafe in the building where you can get sandwiches, drinks etc.  Not a bad place to stop for a lunch break.  The bookshop onsite is also rather good with a broad selection of titles.    

[Interested]

IIRC there's a computer room, with free access to FMP etc, not sure about access to the Newspaper archive though.

Do you still need a Readers Ticket to get beyond the computers?  It's so long since we went I seem to be forgetting much.....

[rolt968]

1 hour ago, Interested said:

IIRC there's a computer room, with free access to FMP etc, not sure about access to the Newspaper archive though.

Do you still need a Readers Ticket to get beyond the computers?  It's so long since we went I seem to be forgetting much.....

I haven't been since the pandemic began (aim to get back this year). From what I remember you need a Reader's Ticket to see actual documents, microfiche and microfilm (and to order them). (They will try very hard not to let you see any actual documents which have been digitised.)

When you order documents, the system will help you to select a seat which suits what you want to do e.g. near to available light for photography, if avaolable.

There is a locker room. You will have to leave most things, including coat and jacket there.

I would try to reduce the amount of paper you take into the Reading Room to a minimum. They will check it. No pens are allowed in the Reading Room. They also do not allow pencils with erasers on the end. (At one time there was a security man who could pull the eraser off the end of a pencil if required - but he wasn't there the last time I was there.)

I used to take my small laptop in as well as my small camera. I could then check that the photos of documents were readable. (Security will probably ask you to open the laptop.)

RM

[Keith_history_buff]

The banks of computers on the first floor can be accessed by anyone, regardless of whether or not they have a Readers Ticket. Free access to the 1921 Census has been in place since the start of 2023. There is a limited access to UK-related datasets from Ancestry that can be accessed on TNA's computers. If you bring your own device, you can connect to the network, access FMP and even download to your own device. 

The price of food has gone up since the reopening of the canteen with a new contractor. If you are operating on a budget and need food, there is the nearby Kew Retail Park, I went to Boots and got a sandwich meal deal some time ago.

[alantwo]

You will have booked a place/seat through the web-site and if it is a first visit you will be given a temporary Reader's Ticket number that allows you to reserve items. When you arrive at Kew, at first floor, there is a customer reception where you will need to get a permanent reader's card. They will take your photograph and with your ID produce a Reader's Ticket, about the size of a credit card, which you use to gain access to the Reading Room, reserve more files, book return visits etc. The issuing of the Reader's Ticket doesn't take very long unless you are in a queue behind half a dozen others.

As others have mentioned above I've found the food was okay, though I think hot food stops around 2.00pm. Personally I now tend to take a sandwich and on a nice day sit outside and watch the swans and ducks.

I did try using a camera connected to a laptop on one occasion, but I found it a bit slow though of course that may simply have been the computer I was using. I've given up with my SLR following a disastrous visit and a lot of blurred images. My camera phone works the best and although it didn't quite fit the holder on the stand the images came out well.

You haven't mentioned when you will be coming over, but if you are there on the 22nd of this month can you not pinch the files I've ordered for that day !

Best wishes

Alan 

[keithmroberts]

One update: unless you specify a disability the system will just allocate you a reading room seat. To ensure a camera stand please ask for one when you book. For those who have not visited post pandemic, you will never have two adjacent seats allocated these days, there is always  one left free between visitors.

I tend to save my photos, and find that using a camera stand ensures that they can all be pretty well aligned to limit the need for future editing. I'm pedantic enough to tidy my photos up afterwards, and the advantage of a stand that enables the images to start at least  consistently parallel to the surface on which they are based makes it easier for me when I return to some of them, even years after my original visit.

I have wasted a few images over the years by rushing to turn the page too quickly, when an automatic exposure has actually been a long one.

certainly the main reading rooms are never as busy these days.

 

 

[rolt968]

I expect it is mentioned in the information online. However just in case: You will need two pieces of evidence of your identity to obtain a reader's card One of them must be recent evidence of your address. A utilty or credit card bill is acceptable.

i didn't use my camera attached to the laptop but every so often uploaded all the photos to my laptop and did a quick check on legibility. (It also gave me a backup.) I wouldn't think it necessary with a camera on a stand, but I was using a small hand held camera.)

RM

[Buffnut453]

I always take my computer into the reading room with me so I can see my entire document list and update it as I review files.  I have a running list of literally hundreds of documents which I access in priority order based on the focus of my research.  I used to rely on the printout of documents I'd ordered but I found, over time, that I had failed to update my main list....so I ended up ordering documents twice.  

If you only have a small number of documents, then the above comment is entirely useless to you.  

[Keith_history_buff]

On 13/03/2023 at 00:22, b3rn said:

The National Archives website has comprehensive information on accessing records and the reading room.

But any tips for the first time visitor? For example, food and drink during the day. What to take, what not to take?

I want to make the most of my time. I will be visiting over several days, hopefully, and by train.

Thanks in advance.

I think there has been some pretty good advice on this thread, in relation to your second paragraph. There is ample space in a locker for a coat and a rucksack. There are random bag checks whereby every nth person is stopped and searched, but that doesn't take too long. I'll usually stop mid-afternoon and grab a coffee on the ground floor, prior to going back for the last leg. I believe they stop serving food at about 2,30 If I've had a particularly productive day, then I may get a post-research pint and bite to eat in the charming pub next to Kew Gardens tube/overground station.

Your first paragraph does make a good point in that the TNA website does provide comprehensive information. 

One of the plus points for me is that there are some rare out-of-print books that can be accessed on the first floor. I have found this particularly useful. Several of Howard Williamson's books can be consulted, for example. The finer points on certain campaign medals can be consulted in books like "British Battles & Medals".
https://tna.koha-ptfs.co.uk/

One of the big selling points of being at Kew, from a WW1 perspective, are the volumes of Army, Navy & Air Force lists. As much as I am grateful to NLS for their digitisations, you cannot beat leaping from one volume to another, when tracking the movements of an officer.

It's worth taking some time out to browse in the bookshop & gift shop, which has an impressive array of titles on display.

[petwes]

If you are taking lots of pictures from various files make sure you remember to photo the cover of each file with the reference number on it, before you start on the contents.  I speak as someone who forgot once with a stack of officers' files and had a complete mare sorting them all out when I got home!

Peter

[Buffnut453]

22 minutes ago, petwes said:

If you are taking lots of pictures from various files make sure you remember to photo the cover of each file with the reference number on it, before you start on the contents.  I speak as someone who forgot once with a stack of officers' files and had a complete mare sorting them all out when I got home!

Peter

 

Peter, 

That's a great point.  I've taken to photographing the yellow slip of paper with the document reference number before I dig into the contents.  It helps me associate the right content with the right file.  

And, yes, I've done the same thing as you...and sorting without the references can be a nightmare!

[QUEX]

I work using an iPhone, an iPhone holder that fits a standard camera stand screw, and a remote trigger for the iPhone camera. Every so often I break and download the images to my laptop. These are the sort of thing I mean.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Bracket-Smartphone-Samsung-Rotation/dp/B07DZHXPL6/ref=sr_1_3?crid=38UU68UG4ZCRR&keywords=iphone+holder+for+tripod&qid=1678808156&sprefix=iphone+holder%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shutter-Control-Bluetooth-Wireless-Technology/dp/B07C7YJS9M/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2WT033MPUIVEX&keywords=remote+iphone+camera+trigger&qid=1678808236&sprefix=iphone+camera+trigger%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Lots (but not all) of the standard reading desks now have light weight stands that will hold an iPhone, but not a heavier camera. You can, of course, book a desk with a pukka high tech camera stand.

So set up iPhone, open file, click, turn page, click, and so on ....

The one tech annoyance is the power sockets on the standard reading desks - these are so positioned that if you have a power adaptor where the cable emerges from the bottom of the adaptor it may be a very tight fit between the socket and the table top. Lots of other places around where you can get a charge e.g. in the open access areas.  But it can be a minor pain.

 

[QUEX]

5 minutes ago, Buffnut453 said:

 

Peter, 

That's a great point.  I've taken to photographing the yellow slip of paper with the document reference number before I dig into the contents.  It helps me associate the right content with the right file.  

And, yes, I've done the same thing as you...and sorting without the references can be a nightmare!

I do that - and I also take 2-3 images of a empty table top at the end of each file - the 2-3 blanks and the yellow call slip at the start of the next file really help spotting the change of file when you're sorting a few hundred icons.

[Buffnut453]

1 hour ago, QUEX said:

I do that - and I also take 2-3 images of a empty table top at the end of each file - the 2-3 blanks and the yellow call slip at the start of the next file really help spotting the change of file when you're sorting a few hundred icons.

Good idea QUEX.  During one particularly profitable visit to Kew I came back with well over 800 images of pages from documents.  Keeping track of all that across potentially dozens of files requires some forethought...and processes to ensure things don't get muddled. 

One of the reasons I don't fuss around with a camera stand is because many of the files I've accessed contain all sorts of different sizes of notes, papers etc.  I'd rather just hold my camera to get the best possible image of each page and move on.  Others may find the camera stand approach better.

We all have processes that work for us given the scope of our research and any constraints that apply.  For me, living outside of the UK, I have to make the most of every minute I'm in the reading room...and my processes reflect that.  Others may want to pore over an individual page for hours in the reading room.  So long as the process works for the individual, then it's a good process.  

Edited 14 March , 2023 by Buffnut453

[b3rn]

Thanks all for the excellent advice.

• I picked up a bluetooth shutter for my Google Pixel phone, plus a sturdy holder. Thanks @QUEX
• I tried attaching my DSLR to the laptop, and got the remote view/shutter working. Might use that when photographing photos, to get max quality. Thanks @keithmroberts
• Good to know about the navy lists, thanks @Keith_history_buff
• I've got a long list (which needs some editing and prioritising) so will keep in mind ordering more if I'm ahead of schedule.
• @alantwo you're safe, I hope to spend a few days there in April and June, but it'd be great to have a Gallipoli meet-up.
• Yes, always a good idea to photograph the catalogue number before getting excited and photographing the contents.
• I'll take sandwiches. And try that pub at the station.

A question about number of records, and daily limits.

Presumably this counts as 1 item? https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12298297

[b3rn]

Just to follow up, I found the SLR connected to the laptop a fantastic workflow. Easy to see how the document was framed, then one hand to turn the page, the other to hit space on the laptop and take a photo.

Mounting the camera on different stands, and getting the lighting as good as possible, took a few minutes at the start of each day but worth the time.

My digital SLR is old (an early model) and the shutter was a bit noisy. Perhaps a mirrorless camera has no mechanical sound. When copying several hundred pages, I felt a bit bad for my neighbours!

I preferred the bulk reading room on the second floor.

The cafe is good for a quick bite but for lunch, go early or late, or you might have to spend 10 minutes in a queue which could've been spent on the records!