Times Collection

Overview

The Times Collection is one of the major photographic collections and paper-cutting archives held by Sri Lanka's Department of National Archives, covering cinema, sports, arts, politics, economic affairs, and cultural and religious affairs.

History

The collection was gathered by the Times of Ceylon Press and spans the period from 1946 to 1985. It is held within the Department of National Archives, whose origins trace to the 1901 creation of an Archivist post attached to the Chief Secretary's Office in Colombo; the department became a separate body, the Department of the Government Archivist, in 1947 following Sri Lanka's attainment of Dominion Status, and was renamed the Department of National Archives on October 1, 1966. The Department's main Colombo 7 headquarters was completed in 1986.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

The Times Collection is being digitized by scanning to preserve the material and provide access to researchers worldwide; digitization was undertaken alongside a parallel project to digitize Sri Lankan Voters Registers (1931-1992).

Access and Usage

The Department of National Archives is located at No. 7, Philip Gunawardena Mawatha (Reid Avenue), Colombo 7, Sri Lanka, with a branch office in Kandy established in 1983.