A £1.2 million refurbishment project at Swansea University to create the Richard Burton Archives was celebrated on Friday.
The new state-of-the art archive facility – named The Richard Burton Archives, in honour of the Richard Burton Collection generously donated by Sally Burton in 2005 – is due to be completed by the end of the summer.
The Archives, located within Swansea University’s Library, has over 2 kilometres of shelving available to store the University’s archive collections under strict environmental conditions; ensuring their long-term preservation. A new reading room will also be available for researchers to consult the collections.
Speaking from Perth in Western Australia, the actor’s widow, Sally Burton, said: “I am thrilled that the donation of Richard’s archive to Swansea University has resulted in the creation of this magnificent world class facility for researchers and the local community.
“I am truly disappointed that I will not be able to attend, with Richard’s much loved friends and family, the inaugural Richard Burton Lecture presented by my friend, Professor Chris Williams.”
Professor Chris Williams, Director of the Richard Burton Centre for the Study of Wales at Swansea University, is currently preparing a scholarly, annotated edition of Richard Burton’s diaries for everyone to have the opportunity to read the journals of one of Wales’s most fascinating and famous cultural icons. It is anticipated that the diaries will be published in their entirety at the end of 2012.
Speaking ahead of the event, Chris West, Swansea University’s Director of Library and Information Services explained: “The donation of the Richard Burton Collection by Sally Burton has acted as a catalyst for a number of vital developments. These include the major refurbishment of the Library, to create the Richard Burton Archives, and the establishment of the Richard Burton Centre for the Study of Wales at the University, to act as a focus for world-class research on Wales.
“Richard Burton loved books and scholarship. I’m sure he would have been delighted with what we’ve achieved.”
In addition to the Richard Burton Collection, the Richard Burton Archives will house the South Wales Coalfield Collection; the Raymond Williams Papers; and other major collections on the local area and the University.
Professor Richard B Davies, Vice Chancellor of Swansea University concluded: “Particular thanks are due to Sally Burton for selecting Swansea University as an appropriate place for the care and preservation of the Richard Burton Collection. Along with our other world-class archive collections, this will be of long-term benefit to academics at the University and to visiting researchers.”
The Collection has also led to a number of forward-looking projects by Swansea University and its partners; including Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Sustrans Connect2, the local community and Dr Hywel Francis, parliamentary candidate for Aberavon – the Port Talbot constituency where Richard Burton was born and grew up.
The refurbishment of the state-of-the-art archive facility at Swansea University is being undertaken, by Willmott Dixon, under the terms of an existing framework agreement.
Neal Stephens, Managing Director of Willmott Dixon in Wales, said: “The £1.2m refurbishment of the Richard Burton Archives has been a fantastic project to be part of. The centre will help to preserve the history and legacy of literary collections within Swansea University for future generations.
“The project has been intricate in terms of the technical skills of creating an environment conducive to preservation and secure storage while being innovative and publicly accessible. It has been particularly interesting as I recently discovered I am a distant relation to Richard Burton so I will be taking a keen interest in the collection now that it has a new home.”
