O TYM ODCINKU
Gerard Wood, Government Archivist, and Marcelino Linares of the Gibraltar National Archives join Anton to talk about the work behind this year's exhibition, Gibraltar at the United Nations 1946-2026, which runs from 14 September to 2 October.
The exhibition marks 80 years since Gibraltar was placed on the UN list of non-self-governing territories in 1946. It is built in three sections: the founding of the UN and the decolonisation agenda, Gibraltar's first voice at the UN in 1963, and the modern campaign for decolonisation.
Along the way they cover the reality of archive work. Genealogy enquiries arrive from every part of the world. Pages are still turned by hand because the machines that do it tear them. Some records are too fragile to scan at all. The archives digitised the original 1963 UN film reels themselves, and will show Sir Joshua Hassan's speech notes with the handwritten amendments still on them.
They also discuss why 1965 mattered, why Gibraltar stayed away from the UN until 1992, how identity was shaped by the evacuation and the closed frontier, and the challenge of passing all of that on to people who did not live it.
Public appeal: the archives are looking for newspaper clippings, photographs, film footage and oral histories connected to Gibraltar at the UN. Contributors are credited in the exhibition booklet. Time is short, so get in touch as soon as possible.
Contact the Gibraltar National Archives, or email marcelino.linares@gibraltar.gov.gi or gerard.wood@gibraltar.gov.gi.
