Treasures in the Archives – Sue Chen

While exploring the archives during her 2017 National Library of Australia Fellowship, staff member Sue Chen uncovered some hidden treasures.

Digging deep into the library’s manuscripts collection, Sue was investigating Chinese children’s literature, which was brought to China by Christian missionaries. Opening a volume published in 1898, she discovered a fragile document and several loose sheets scrunched up and hidden between its pages.

The delicate documents were taken to the library’s preservation laboratory, where conservators undertook the painstaking task of restoring them. Sue’s discovery – in particular, a letter and a baptism document, both written in Chinese characters – turned out to be both historically important and rare. The conservation team successfully preserved Sue’s discovery for future generations of researchers. Read more here >