The British Coatings Federation (BCF) has created an online resource of the history archives of the associations that make up its history. It marks the 110th year since the inaugural meeting of The National Federation of Associated Paint, Colour and Varnish Manufacturers of the United Kingdom.
Annual reports, minute books and photographs from paints, coatings and printing ink associations date back to 1911. The archives are available to preview on an online at https://www.coatings.org.uk/history.aspx. The physical collection is held at the BCF office and is also now available to view in person.
“It’s fantastic we can make our comprehensive archive of the paints and printing ink association history available to the public for the first time’, said BCF president, Guy Williams. “We welcome historians or anyone with an interest in the industry’s history to make an appointment to visit the BCF’s offices in Coventry.”
The BCF gathered its past presidents to help launch the new history archive. The party was given a tour of the BCF office in Coventry and a chance to look through the archive. BCF chief executive, Tom Bowtell, gave a presentation on the current issues facing the sector, which was followed by lunch and a guided tour of Coventry’s historic district.