Building and operation records of the National Army Museum

Records covering the buildings owned and occupied by the National Army Museum, including building plans and drawings, planning records, and papers relating to major building projects.

The National Army Museum was established by Royal Charter in April 1960 in the Old Riding School at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. However, the origin of the Museum extends further back to 1947, with the disestablishment of the Indian Army and Irish and Cavalry regiments, resulting in the appointment of a curator in 1950 to care for the relics displayed in Sandhurst's Indian Army Memorial Room and the Hastings Room. Supported by Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer and the War Office (later Ministry of Defence), the Museum soon outgrew its premises at Sandhurst and a new building, part funded by public appeal, was built in Chelsea next to the Royal Hospital, opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II in November 1971. The Museum continued to develop its research and educational remit, and closed in 2014 for a major redevelopment of the Chelsea site, reopening in March 2017.

Records within this sub-fonds have been arranged according to current record functions at the National Army Museum, retaining original series of records and attaching original references where relevant.

All unpublished records of the National Army Museum are closed to external users for 20 years for corporate reasons. Further restrictions may apply for Data Protection Act compliance, typically 75 or 50 years closure for files containing personal data. Plans and drawings of current buildings occupied by the Museum are closed to external users for security reasons.

Records within this sub-fonds have been transferred to the National Army Museum's Institutional Archive through the Museum's records management processes.

Copyright of the National Army Museum and other correspondents in the papers, where relevant.

Records created by the National Army Museum are appraised according to the Institutional Archive Collections Development Policy and Retention Schedule.

Accruals are expected to this sub-fonds.