Archives

Table of Contents

Introduction

Linked Art includes a simple model for describing archives and archival material. This model makes use of Sets as a way to group together entities into a hierarchy. The archival items themselves are typically HumanMadeObjects or DigitalObjects which can be described in detail, but often are only very briefly described, if at all, in archival practice. The only new functionality added to support archival description is the link between a Set and the physical container in which the members of the conceptual Set are held.

Archival Hierarchy

Archival tradition typically does not explicitly distinguish between the intellectual arrangement and the physical containment of an archive, however in Linked Art these are two very separate parts of the model. Linked Art treats the archival hierarchy as conceptual -- it is a product of the mind, not a feature of the physical world. This can be thought of in the following way: if one were to remove a letter from an archival folder, it is not removed from the "archive", it is removed from its current container. One might, temporarily, add it to another folder that happened to be part of a second archive ... perhaps to carry them to a reader together. This would, similarly, not add it to the second archive.

With this in mind, the archives can be described as a hierarchy of Sets, where the Set that represents the sub-series is a member_of the Set that represents the series, which is a member_of the sub-fonds, and so on. There is no limit to the depth of the hierarchy, and given the graph-based nature of Linked Art, this makes it possible for the same object to be part of two archives at the same time.

The items, if described, are HumanMadeObjects or DigitalObjects which are also member_of the Sets, and follow the regular physical or digital model.

Note that the ordering of the members within the archival group can be given in the same way as ordering for any other Set.

Example:

A letter between Alfred Stieglitz and Bertha Obermeyer, dated 1920 is part of the "Stieglitz Family Letters" sub-series, which is part of "Series I: Alfred Stieglitz Correspondence" (which is part of the "Alfred Stieglitz / Georgia O'Keeffe Archive" at Yale University)

The letter ...

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json",
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/letter/1",
  "type": "HumanMadeObject",
  "_label": "Obermeyer 1920",
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300026879",
      "type": "Type",
      "_label": "Letter"
    }
  ],
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "type": "Name",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ],
      "content": "Obermeyer, Bertha (1920)"
    }
  ],
  "member_of": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/archive_sfl",
      "type": "Set",
      "_label": "Stieglitz Family Letters"
    }
  ]
}

graph TD classDef object stroke:black,fill:#E1BA9C,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef actor stroke:black,fill:#FFBDCA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef type stroke:red,fill:#FAB565,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef name stroke:orange,fill:#FEF3BA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef dims stroke:black,fill:#c6c6c6,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef infoobj stroke:#907010,fill:#fffa40,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef timespan stroke:blue,fill:#ddfffe,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef place stroke:#3a7a3a,fill:#aff090,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef event stroke:#1010FF,fill:#96e0f6,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef literal stroke:black,fill:#f0f0e0; classDef classstyle stroke:black,fill:white; O1(object/letter/1) class O1 object; O1-- type -->O1_0[HumanMadeObject] class O1_0 classstyle; O1-- _label -->O1_4("''Obermeyer 1920''") class O1_4 literal; O2(aat:300026879) class O2 type; O2-- type -->O2_0[Type] class O2_0 classstyle; O2-- _label -->O2_3("''Letter''") class O2_3 literal; O1-- classified_as -->O2 O3( _ ) class O3 name; O3-- type -->O3_0[Name] class O3_0 classstyle; O4(aat:300404670) class O4 type; O4-- type -->O4_0[Type] class O4_0 classstyle; O4-- _label -->O4_3("''Primary Name''") class O4_3 literal; O3-- classified_as -->O4 O3-- content -->O3_3("''Obermeyer, Bertha (1920)''") class O3_3 literal; O1-- identified_by -->O3 O5(set/archive_sfl) class O5 infoobj; O5-- type -->O5_0[Set] class O5_0 classstyle; O5-- _label -->O5_3("''Stieglitz Family Letters''") class O5_3 literal; O1-- member_of -->O5
Other Representations: JSON-LD (raw) | JSON-LD (playground) | Turtle (raw) | Turtle (styled)

is a member of the sub-series ...

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json",
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/archive_sfl/1",
  "type": "Set",
  "_label": "Stieglitz Family Letters",
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404023",
      "type": "Type",
      "_label": "Archival SubGrouping"
    }
  ],
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "type": "Name",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ],
      "content": "Stieglitz Family Letters"
    }
  ],
  "member_of": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/archive_asc",
      "type": "Set",
      "_label": "Alfred Stiegliz Correspondence"
    }
  ]
}

graph TD classDef object stroke:black,fill:#E1BA9C,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef actor stroke:black,fill:#FFBDCA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef type stroke:red,fill:#FAB565,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef name stroke:orange,fill:#FEF3BA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef dims stroke:black,fill:#c6c6c6,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef infoobj stroke:#907010,fill:#fffa40,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef timespan stroke:blue,fill:#ddfffe,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef place stroke:#3a7a3a,fill:#aff090,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef event stroke:#1010FF,fill:#96e0f6,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef literal stroke:black,fill:#f0f0e0; classDef classstyle stroke:black,fill:white; O1(set/archive_sfl/1) class O1 infoobj; O1-- type -->O1_0[Set] class O1_0 classstyle; O1-- _label -->O1_4("''Stieglitz Family Letters''") class O1_4 literal; O2(aat:300404023) class O2 type; O2-- type -->O2_0[Type] class O2_0 classstyle; O2-- _label -->O2_3("''Archival SubGrouping''") class O2_3 literal; O1-- classified_as -->O2 O3( _ ) class O3 name; O3-- type -->O3_0[Name] class O3_0 classstyle; O4(aat:300404670) class O4 type; O4-- type -->O4_0[Type] class O4_0 classstyle; O4-- _label -->O4_3("''Primary Name''") class O4_3 literal; O3-- classified_as -->O4 O3-- content -->O3_3("''Stieglitz Family Letters''") class O3_3 literal; O1-- identified_by -->O3 O5(set/archive_asc) class O5 infoobj; O5-- type -->O5_0[Set] class O5_0 classstyle; O5-- _label -->O5_3("''Alfred Stiegliz Correspondence''") class O5_3 literal; O1-- member_of -->O5
Other Representations: JSON-LD (raw) | JSON-LD (playground) | Turtle (raw) | Turtle (styled)

which is a member of the series ...

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json",
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/archive_asc/1",
  "type": "Set",
  "_label": "Alfred Stiegliz Correspondence",
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404022",
      "type": "Type",
      "_label": "Archival Grouping"
    }
  ],
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "type": "Name",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ],
      "content": "Alfred Stiegliz Correspondence"
    }
  ]
}

graph TD classDef object stroke:black,fill:#E1BA9C,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef actor stroke:black,fill:#FFBDCA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef type stroke:red,fill:#FAB565,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef name stroke:orange,fill:#FEF3BA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef dims stroke:black,fill:#c6c6c6,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef infoobj stroke:#907010,fill:#fffa40,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef timespan stroke:blue,fill:#ddfffe,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef place stroke:#3a7a3a,fill:#aff090,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef event stroke:#1010FF,fill:#96e0f6,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef literal stroke:black,fill:#f0f0e0; classDef classstyle stroke:black,fill:white; O1(set/archive_asc/1) class O1 infoobj; O1-- type -->O1_0[Set] class O1_0 classstyle; O1-- _label -->O1_4("''Alfred Stiegliz Correspondence''") class O1_4 literal; O2(aat:300404022) class O2 type; O2-- type -->O2_0[Type] class O2_0 classstyle; O2-- _label -->O2_3("''Archival Grouping''") class O2_3 literal; O1-- classified_as -->O2 O3( _ ) class O3 name; O3-- type -->O3_0[Name] class O3_0 classstyle; O4(aat:300404670) class O4 type; O4-- type -->O4_0[Type] class O4_0 classstyle; O4-- _label -->O4_3("''Primary Name''") class O4_3 literal; O3-- classified_as -->O4 O3-- content -->O3_3("''Alfred Stiegliz Correspondence''") class O3_3 literal; O1-- identified_by -->O3
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(and so on)

Alignment between Conceptual and Physical Hierarchies

At one or more points in the archival hierarchy it is useful to align between the conceptual arrangement and the physical storage of the objects. This is done with the members_contained_by property on the archival Set entity, referencing a HumanMadeObject which physically contains or holds the objects, such as a box, folder or shelf. The physical objects, if described individually, can also be part of this physical hierarchy using the held_or_supported_by property.

Example:

The Stieglitz Family Letters set has its members in Box 55.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json",
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/archive_sfl/2",
  "type": "Set",
  "_label": "Stieglitz Family Letters",
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404023",
      "type": "Type",
      "_label": "Archival SubGrouping"
    }
  ],
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "type": "Name",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ],
      "content": "Stieglitz Family Letters"
    }
  ],
  "members_contained_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/box55",
      "type": "HumanMadeObject",
      "_label": "Archival Box 55"
    }
  ]
}

graph TD classDef object stroke:black,fill:#E1BA9C,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef actor stroke:black,fill:#FFBDCA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef type stroke:red,fill:#FAB565,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef name stroke:orange,fill:#FEF3BA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef dims stroke:black,fill:#c6c6c6,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef infoobj stroke:#907010,fill:#fffa40,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef timespan stroke:blue,fill:#ddfffe,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef place stroke:#3a7a3a,fill:#aff090,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef event stroke:#1010FF,fill:#96e0f6,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef literal stroke:black,fill:#f0f0e0; classDef classstyle stroke:black,fill:white; O1(set/archive_sfl/2) class O1 infoobj; O1-- type -->O1_0[Set] class O1_0 classstyle; O1-- _label -->O1_4("''Stieglitz Family Letters''") class O1_4 literal; O2(aat:300404023) class O2 type; O2-- type -->O2_0[Type] class O2_0 classstyle; O2-- _label -->O2_3("''Archival SubGrouping''") class O2_3 literal; O1-- classified_as -->O2 O3( _ ) class O3 name; O3-- type -->O3_0[Name] class O3_0 classstyle; O4(aat:300404670) class O4 type; O4-- type -->O4_0[Type] class O4_0 classstyle; O4-- _label -->O4_3("''Primary Name''") class O4_3 literal; O3-- classified_as -->O4 O3-- content -->O3_3("''Stieglitz Family Letters''") class O3_3 literal; O1-- identified_by -->O3 O5(object/box55) class O5 object; O5-- type -->O5_0[HumanMadeObject] class O5_0 classstyle; O5-- _label -->O5_3("''Archival Box 55''") class O5_3 literal; O1-- members_contained_by -->O5
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And the letter is within the box.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json",
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/letter/3",
  "type": "HumanMadeObject",
  "_label": "Obermeyer 1920",
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "type": "Name",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ],
      "content": "Obermeyer, Bertha (1920)"
    }
  ],
  "member_of": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/archive_sfl",
      "type": "Set",
      "_label": "Stieglitz Family Letters"
    }
  ],
  "held_or_supported_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/box55",
      "type": "HumanMadeObject",
      "_label": "Archival Box 55"
    }
  ]
}

graph TD classDef object stroke:black,fill:#E1BA9C,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef actor stroke:black,fill:#FFBDCA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef type stroke:red,fill:#FAB565,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef name stroke:orange,fill:#FEF3BA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef dims stroke:black,fill:#c6c6c6,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef infoobj stroke:#907010,fill:#fffa40,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef timespan stroke:blue,fill:#ddfffe,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef place stroke:#3a7a3a,fill:#aff090,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef event stroke:#1010FF,fill:#96e0f6,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef literal stroke:black,fill:#f0f0e0; classDef classstyle stroke:black,fill:white; O1(object/letter/3) class O1 object; O1-- type -->O1_0[HumanMadeObject] class O1_0 classstyle; O1-- _label -->O1_4("''Obermeyer 1920''") class O1_4 literal; O2( _ ) class O2 name; O2-- type -->O2_0[Name] class O2_0 classstyle; O3(aat:300404670) class O3 type; O3-- type -->O3_0[Type] class O3_0 classstyle; O3-- _label -->O3_3("''Primary Name''") class O3_3 literal; O2-- classified_as -->O3 O2-- content -->O2_3("''Obermeyer, Bertha (1920)''") class O2_3 literal; O1-- identified_by -->O2 O4(set/archive_sfl) class O4 infoobj; O4-- type -->O4_0[Set] class O4_0 classstyle; O4-- _label -->O4_3("''Stieglitz Family Letters''") class O4_3 literal; O1-- member_of -->O4 O5(object/box55) class O5 object; O5-- type -->O5_0[HumanMadeObject] class O5_0 classstyle; O5-- _label -->O5_3("''Archival Box 55''") class O5_3 literal; O1-- held_or_supported_by -->O5
Other Representations: JSON-LD (raw) | JSON-LD (playground) | Turtle (raw) | Turtle (styled)

Collective Description

It is possible to describe the shared features of members of Sets using the members_exemplified_by property on Set instances. This is described in more detail in the collections page. This is especially useful for establishing the range of dates of creation of objects, the language of their contents, their types and so forth for the members of the archival collection.

Otherwise, much of the description of archives is done in plain text, which follows the statement pattern.