Destruction of Records

[loo]

Just last night I was searching through images of old newspaper articles online when I came across a photo of two young men who were serving in the First World War. It should have been a wonderful treasure but instead the photo was almost completely black due to the way it was microfilmed. This is the rule rather than the exception when viewing old newspapers on microfilm -- and in most, if not all cases, the original newspapers were destroyed after they were microfilmed. This is the case for articles and photos that are of personal interest and also of historical import.

Even records that have been captured more recently using more modern technology often come up short because they were done in bulk by people who had to meet a deadline and therefore couldn't afford to fidget and fuss with each image. And if you don't have the originals to go back to, you might be stuck with unreadable documents, which again might be relevant to a few individuals, or to the world at large.

Regards,
Josephine

I know what you mean, and it's very frustrating.
Sometimes there are depositories of the original photographs which can still be consulted.  They may reside with the library of the newspaper in question if it still exists, or they may have been donated by the paper to an archive, or in some cases a particular newspaper photographer may have an archive somewhere. 
In addition, in some cases the original newspaper print copy still exists but may not be well advertised as such.  For example the Toronto Public Library has original copies of Toronto newspapers as well as microfilm, but they don't advertise this fact.  If you ask, you can see them, no restrictions;  and then you could at least take a digital photo, which will surely be better than the microfilm.  And if the newspaper itself is still operating, it may also have a set of originals.

You may already know this, but I thought it might be worth mentioning anyway.

I even know of a couple of newspapers which, mercifully, has never been microfilmed and are still in publication, so they have kept them all, but they are in small villages in somewhat remote locations, and you have to go there in person or send an emissary!  I got very lucky with one of the latter once.  I didn't even know the newspaper existed, but my contact knew its owner and was able to access their INDEXED(!) photo collection, retrieving one that was abt 70 years old of a great-great-aunt of whom no other photos were extant.

[a chesters]

I believe that even some of the "new" paper is not very good. The heat treated paper will fade over a few years.

In Australia, there are a lot of records from the early teleprinters which are stored in Canberra, but are of no use as the printing has faded. BUT under the law, they cannot be destroyed as they are the "originals"

Also much of the USA tax records are "preserved" on punch cards. Guess what has happened to the readers, sold for scrap

[Josephine]

Excellent advice, loo; thank you!

Regards,
Josephine

[loo]

You're welcome, Josephine.  Glad I could contribute something.

There are now computer museums emerging, and the people who run them seem keen on restoring the old machines.  We may need them!  Between that and 3D printing, perhaps we can eventually reproduce the machines we need!

There is a computer museum in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, with quite a few old computers that they are restoring or have restored, and the people who run it are very friendly.

[bibliotaphist]

Re the destruction of the original paper 1939 registers - what about the right-hand pages of the registers which have not been digitised? Is there any information at all held on those pages?

[bibliotaphist]

Re the destruction of the original paper 1939 registers - what about the right-hand pages of the registers which have not been digitised? Is there any information at all held on those pages?

Found the answer to my own question:

"The right hand page of the Register which we haven't digitised or indexed contains sensitive medical information that we're forbidden from publishing online. If the medical information of an individual stretched over two lines on the right, that person was duplicated on the left. If you see your relative on two lines with identical information, this is why.

"If a note exists on an individual's record that refers to another page, click the arrow on the right to be taken to that page in the image."

https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/watch-1436591498.html

So - if the original registers are pulped, presumably the medical information will be lost for good.

[a-l]

My thoughts are simple, never destroy originals. I still refer to the paper IGIs that I had printed at various offices forty years ago. You never know what has been overlooked and I suppose I'm old school , I prefer paper in my hand. Digitise by all means but no destruction of originals.

[a chesters]

Soon after I retired, I requested copies of my training records from my old employer. All the paper records had been destroyed, without any digitisation. There were "new" records on the website, but I was the only one with the "old" records, and not the full information about what each was.

A great idea.

[Redroger]

Soon after I retired, I requested copies of my training records from my old employer. All the paper records had been destroyed, without any digitisation. There were "new" records on the website, but I was the only one with the "old" records, and not the full information about what each was.

A great idea.

As I have a possible industrial injury claim outstanding, on retirement I thought it prudent to get a copy of my service history from the railway. They have all been pulped!!
HMG and successor authorities are certainly taking a risk with future possible claims I feel, but that is their problem; good luck to the claimants.
All that was available is an electronic list of depots I was employed at, grades and rates of pay; this I accepted in lieu. With this they can't say I was never at the place where I may have been injured c1960.