We're starting the New Year with a new initiative! From this month, our newsletter will highlight one of the archives in our care and, throughout the month in question, we'll share images from it on our social media channels. First up is the Argus archive, which contains thousands of wonderful photographs. This month, we're featuring images from 1928-49 (ARG/3), which provide a fascinating record of the war years, among other things, in Brighton & Hove and beyond. The original glass-plate negatives have been cleaned and digitised by volunteers, and the photographs can be viewed on computers in our Reference Room. We'll be posting some of our favourites each week on Twitter and Facebook.

Also on our social media channels, look out for a new series of posts documenting the history of Brighton, Hove and Portslade in 100 documents. Chosen by Brighton and Hove Archivist Andrew Bennett, this collection will introduce some of the less well-known gems from our archives, and we'll be posting one image per week. You can read more about the project on our blog.

Pictured: photograph of an instructor demonstrating how to fit gas masks, c1939 (ARG/3/2438A)

It may come as a surprise, but the General Post Office had a pioneering film unit in the 1930s. As part of our programme of archive film screenings, we’re showing Love Letters and Live Wires, a series of short films made by the GPO that brilliantly evokes a revolution in mass communication. Newly restored by the British Film Institute, the collection includes the iconic Night Mail, and covers everything from the introduction of the post code to the GPO’s role in smoothing the path of true love! The screening will take place on Wednesday 29 January at 2.30pm and tickets cost £3.50. Advance booking is essential; for details and to reserve a place, please visit www.thekeep.info/events.

Pictured: film still from The Fairy of the Phone, directed by William Coldstream (1936), one of the shorts featured in Love Letters and Live Wires. Image courtesy of the BFI.

The Unlocking Our Sound Heritage team based at The Keep have fully digitised and catalogued the sound recordings held as part of the archives of the Headstrong Club, a debating society founded in Lewes in the 18th century, with Thomas Paine as a notable attendee. The Club was revived in 1987 by journalist and author David Powell, and still holds monthly events in Lewes. The recordings digitised span over 20 years and are of discussions led by MPs, academics (many from the University of Sussex), authors, journalists, lawyers and other notable speakers, and cover a range of issues, some of which are still being debated today, such as Lord Peter Shore's subject 'Britain: A future in Europe?' in 1992 (UTK005/58). The club encouraged audience participation and the speakers were not immune to having their opinions vigorously rebuffed! All recordings are now discoverable through the British Library’s Sound and Moving Image catalogue via the shelfmark UTK005 and will be available to listen to at The Keep from February 2020.

The original items in the Headstrong Club archive are held at The Keep under the following catalogue references: ACC8253, ACC8521, ACC8816, ACC9503 and ACC10340. Pictured above is the club logo, featured in a visitors' book dated 1987, ref ACC8253/11.

We're delighted to be welcoming author and historian Dr Jill Kirby to The Keep on 12 February to explore the cultural history of stress. This is a complex subject that will resonate with many of us. Dr Kirby used the Mass Observation Archive at The Keep to inform her research and this is sure to be a fascinating talk. If you'd like to come, you'll find more information and booking details on the Event pages of our website.  

Our behind-the-scenes tours of The Keep are always popular, and we'll be running them on two dates in February, Friday 14th and Saturday 15th. The tours will start at 10.30am and will conclude at 11.30am with a display of original material from our archives. Book now to avoid disappointment!

And last but not least, our next Welcome Wednesday session will take place on 8 January from 10.15-11.15am. This is a gentle group introduction to The Keep's Reference and Reading Rooms, with support from staff and buddy volunteers. No need to book - this is an informal drop-in session - but we'll start promptly. A Happy New Year to you all!