Inventory of the Stanley Archives (PDF - 1,9

The Stanley Archives located in the RMCA in Tervuren thus consists of three parts: the
part that was obtained in 1982 by the Société Générale de Belgique (Stanley Papers I),
the parts that were purchased via Christie’s in 2001-2003 by the King Baudouin
Foundation (Stanley Papers II-III-IV) and the separate items that were acquired at
auctions or presented to the museum during the course of the past half century.
The most valuable and extensive part is the Stanley Papers I collection. After its purchase
in 1982 by the Société Générale de Belgique S.A., an agreement was reached on 19
February 1987 whereby it was transferred to the RMCA and housed in the “Stanley
Pavilion.” In an agreement of 24 January 2003, the entire archives were transferred to the
King Baudouin Foundation.
A study and inventory of the entire Stanley Archives has been underway for a number of
years. In 1990-91, a combination of temporary forces gave the project an initial impulse,
with a view toward an exhibition and associated book titled H. M. Stanley. Explorateur
au service du Roi (1991). Afterwards, Dr. Jan Goris dedicated himself to the description
and identification of the archive material. In 1999, he was succeeded by Maurits
Wynants. After the purchase in September 2000 of the Stanley Papers Part II, the King
Baudouin Foundation placed the historian Peter Daerden at the disposal of the museum
for a period of two years in order to bring the inventorying activities to a proper
conclusion.
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The many manipulations of the totality of the archives by the heirs and the fact that it was
divided into parts (see parts I and II) meant that its content, especially the letters, was
very cluttered. Thus it was necessary to come up with a new system of ordering that made
use of an acceptable classification system and that promoted a high level of accessibility
for the researcher. This has been done, while preserving the broad outlines of the original
classification. Apart from only a few items, the entirety of the archive is in reasonable to
very good condition. With a view toward future preservation, all separate records (all
letters and all separate photos) were stored in acid-proof folders.
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We would first of all like to thank the King Baudouin Foundation in the person of Mr.
Dominique Allard. He was not only behind the initiatives for the purchases made in 2000,
2002 and 2003, but he also provided the continuous financial and moral stimuli necessary
to complete the inventory work. We are also grateful to Mr. Philippe Marechal for the
infinite confidence he placed in us and for his unceasing support. We found Mr. Guido
Gryseels an enthusiastic source of inspiration from the beginning of his directorship. He
was immediately able to assess the full, i.e. international, value of the Stanley Archive.
Also included in our gratitude are Dr. Jan Goris, who was responsible for a large part of
the task of making an inventory of the Stanley Papers Part I, and all Stanley-Pavilion
personnel, whose assistance was sometimes called upon at various times. A special note
of gratitude goes to Mr. Gustaaf Janssens, archivist at the Royal Palace, for his support, to
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