The Allure of the Archives

In her 1989 work Le goût de l'archive, translated here into English for the first time, Farge (dir. of research in modern history, Ctr. National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris) writes eloquently about the thrills of undertaking archival research and offers advice on how (and how not) to write about history. She cautions against distractions, tangents, and feeling overwhelmed by sources, all dangers inherent in the research process. These reflections are interspersed with brief chapters that evoke the more mundane aspects of researching in archival collections: filling out request forms, choosing the best seat, fixating on the quirks of fellow researchers. She writes specifically of working with judicial records of 18th-century France, but her observations have wide appeal. Natalie Zemon Davis's (history, Univ. of Toronto) new foreword underscores the ongoing relevance of Farge's book, particularly in an age when many people wrongly believe that everything is digitized and available electronically for their easy access. Especially intriguing is the translator's note that the French word dépouiller, used by archivists to mean unpacking and sorting records, has its roots in "to unveil" or "to plunder."