Gems from WOAH’s Archives

Exploring WOAH’s Archival Work

WOAH’s recent centenary celebrations provided an opportunity to display some of the Organisation’s historical treasures held in the Documentation and Archives Centre. 

Archival management is one of the Centre’s mandates. WOAH Archives preserves thousands of scientific, technical and historical documents, aiming to showcase the Organisation’s memory. Among these documents are original agreements, disease alert telegrams and invitations to the first General Sessions. These historical records provide valuable insights into our past, aiding us in understanding our present and building our future. 

Photographs sent by the Members throughout the 20th century

One of our most impressive collections, which we especially wish to highlight, consists of photographs sent by the Members throughout the 20th century. Most of these were collected in 1974, as the Organisation celebrated its 50th anniversary. Dr René Vittoz, the then Director General, requested all Delegates to send pictures of their work and daily field activities to commemorate our global efforts and successes. Now, fifty years later, these photographs serve as clear reminders of how much has changed–or remained the same. They are fascinating testimonies from their time, displaying not only the reality of veterinary work but also the people who made our achievements possible. 

Back in January 2024, we launched a photo caption contest to share some of our collection and spark the imagination of our staff. We distributed six photos and asked everyone to create new captions, as some pictures can be puzzling to the general public. As we concluded our 100th anniversary celebrations, we hosted a final exhibition featuring twelve additional photographs, a photo album and congratulatory letters sent by Members for the 50th anniversary.

Archival treasures to be featured at the General Session in May

We are excited to share some of our photo collection with you here. If you plan to join us at this year’s General Session in May and wish to see more archival treasures, please visit the Documentation, Archives and Publications stand.

In this article, we have explored only one aspect of our archival work. We can also guide you through your research or research on your behalf. For any requests, please contact  [email protected] or visit us in person at the Documentation Centre, WOAH Headquarters, 12 rue de Prony, 75017 Paris, France.  
 

^{Disclaimer: We have attempted to identify the copyright owners of photographs sent to WOAH during the second half of the 20th century but were unable to find them. If you are the rights holder of one or more of these pictures, please contact us at [email protected]. We will remove the photograph at your request if you so choose.}