Custodial History or How the Custodian Matters: The Consequences of Custody for Archival Information

Abstract

The aim of this article is to demonstrate that custodial history is fundamental to understanding archives and to archival research and description. It uses a theoretical and methodological approach, highlighting how custody – the act of storing, protecting and maintaining the integrity of documents – is fundamental to ensuring the authenticity and integrity of archival information. To achieve this goal, the concept of custodial history is analysed from the history of the concept to the most recent post-custodial approach, without forgetting the terminological analysis and technical operations that result in the information produced for archival description.