An archive in numbers: the pulse of the Dutch Ministry of Colonies, 1813–1900

Abstract

In this article, a bird’s-eye view on archives is advocated as a third perspective, alongside the approaches of reading against and along the archival grain. Here, the archival grain—metaphorically speaking—is analyzed in numbers. A bird’s-eye perspective helps us to reconstruct an archive’s pieces and production, trace deviating numbers in document flows, and leads us to a further understanding of archives. In a case study, the archive of the Dutch Ministry of Colonies is at the center of investigation. The study provides insights into the relationships between different parts of the archive and the overall document flow of the organization. It examines the origins of the numerous written pages within this archive and the pulse of their day-to-day production. Peaks and troughs in document production appear on a yearly, monthly or even daily basis. The analysis reveals a significant paperwork explosion occurring roughly between 1851 and 1883, alongside deviating numbers in document flows, such as a dramatic drop in the total number of pages in 1869. Why did these events occur? On a more detailed level, peaks in the daily production of specific files are traced. While some of these thicker files might be labeled as ‘archival events,’ most result from the administrative deposits of large case files.