The Historical Archives of the Riva-Agüero Institute are the most important document repository in Peru after the National Library. And, within it, the Denegri Collection is safeguarded. "It is one of the most important collections of historical documents and ancient books from Peru and Latin America. It contains a lot of valuable information about Peruvian and Latin American history,culture and society, as well as about the history of the Catholic Church,travelers, doctors, the Amazon, among others,” says Jorge Lossio, Ph.D.,director in charge of the IRA.
Therefore,as Dr. Lossio completes, “the preservation and conservation of the Denegri Collection is fundamental for the protection of the cultural heritage and historical memory of Peru and Latin America.”
In addition,he indicates that the Denegri Collection is a valuable source for historical research. “This collection has inspired and still inspire many essential theses and books for a better understanding of our past and present” he says.
In 2022, the Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) of the British Library, the UK's national library, granted financial funding to the IRA (the total amount of £43,340) which enabled this institute to move the collection to Casa O’Higgins (Jirón de la Unión 554) for more appropriate preservation, and to acquire a planetary scanner and a professional camera to initiate the manuscript digitization project. In this way, the Peruvian Legacy project arises.
Thanks to this fund, over a period of 2 years, the digitization of more than 3,400documents (16th-19th centuries) will be carried out with an estimated production of 150 thousand images. For this purpose, the project purchased a sophisticated high-resolution planetary scanner, which, after the project completion, will be made available to the institute to continue the work of disseminating its documentary heritage.
“The archives needed this rescue process and a leap in terms of accessibility of documentation through digital means,” explains Magally Alegre Henderson, Ph.D.,main researcher of the project and head of the IRA's Historical Archives.
Peruvian Legacy gives us the opportunity to position ourselves hand in hand with an institution as prestigious as the British Library, with projects in more than 80 countries.”
Magally Alegre Henderson, Ph.D.
Main researcher of the project and Head of the IRA's Historical Archives.
“The images are forwarded to the British Library, and then put into a large search engine accessible to everyone all free of charge,” she adds. Alegre Henderson adds that this project, in addition to making it possible to bring the Denegri Collection online, also opens up the possibility of developing our own search engine.
In addition, Peruvian Legacy positions us as the Latin American hub of the Endangered Archives Programme. “That means, we are 1 out of 5 universities in the world chosen to share the British Library's Endangered Archives Programme in the region. In this context, we are developing a series of tools that the program has to train capabilities in processes of digitization and conservation of old documents,” she says.
Certainly,and, to conclude, Alegre Henderson explains that this project “gives us the opportunity to position ourselves hand in hand with an institution as prestigious as the British Library, whose Endangered Archives Program has projects in more than 80 countries”.
Doctor Jorge Lossio, what is the IRA's commitment to preserving historical memory?
In its 75-year history, the IRA has protected and preserved the historical archives and one of the country's largest private libraries for the humanities and social science. This includes measures such as the preservation of documents under appropriate conditions, the digitization of documents, and the creation of storage and cataloguing systems.
The preservation and conservation of the Denegri Collection is fundamental for the protection of the cultural heritage and historical memory of Peru and Latin America.”
Jorge Lossio, Ph.D.
Director in charge of the Riva-Agüero Institute (IRA-PUCP)
In addition,it has the task of encouraging research and teaching. In this regard, the IRA is committed to encourage interdisciplinary research, organize seminars and conferences, and create specialized curricula.
Finally, it has preserved historical memory through the publication of books, articles and documents online, as well as the organization of academic and cultural exhibitions and events. This helps to promote a more sophisticated and broader understanding and appreciation of the country's culture and history.
