Abstract

The paper will focus on the methodology and outcomes of interpreting the John Murray Archive, a major 19th century publisher's archive. Including works by authors as diverse as Austen, Byron, Darwin, Ugo Foscolo and Herman Melville, the multi-million euro project threw up radical challenges to demonstrate contemporary relevance and access for modern audiences. Radical solutions were required, involving an experimental approach to developing a new set of ways of looking at archival material. These solutions ranged from new technologies, cross-disciplinary collaboration and creative activity to completely rethinking the basic systems and procedures of a National Library, demonstrating the enduring transformative power within forgotten texts.