Jaguar North America Dedicates Its Archives to Its First Archivist
August 20 2004 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Jaguar North America Dedicates Its Archives to Its First Archivist
MAHWAH, N.J., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Jaguar North America today
dedicates its Archives to its first archivist, Karen C. Miller, in
a ceremony held at its Eastern Operations office in Mahwah, NJ. The
Jaguar North American Archives has been in existence since 1990,
serving the company, the news media and Jaguar customers. The
collection was founded and assembled under the direction of Miller.
She was named Archivist in 1991 and held that position until her
death in May, 2003. A plaque with Miller's name will be placed at
the entrance of the Archives to commemorate the dedication. The
Archives, housed at Jaguar North America's Eastern Operations
office, holds a large collection of original photos, brochures,
press kits, film and video, technical and parts manuals and
historic memorabilia. Some, like material from Jaguar's founding in
Blackpool and early days in Coventry, is universal but there are
many unique North American photos, literature and commercials
originated here and technical documents covering North American
specification Jaguars. The collection includes some corporate
records from the company's early days of importing to the United
States. Advertising proofs, news clippings and a library of Jaguar
reference books are also there. As research aids, the Archives
maintains collections of magazines such as Classic Jaguar World and
Jaguar Journal, the magazine of the Jaguar Clubs of North America.
There is an extensive collection of photos and documents relating
to Jaguar's successful participation in North American racing. This
includes everything from amateur events under the Sports Car Club
of America to the professional Trans-Am and IMSA Camel GT series.
The Archives serves the company as a research center for
information on older models and special events in the company's
history. It performs a similar function to aid journalists and is
the source of photos and specifications that appear in many books
about Jaguar and the auto industry. Perhaps most important are the
services provided to Jaguar owners and enthusiasts. Using copies of
the original factory records, the Archives prepares Heritage
Certificates for historic Jaguars, listing the details of the car
as it was when it came off the assembly line. Many owners,
especially Jaguar club members, purchase these certificates to
frame as decorations and to use to verify the originality of their
cars. Other services include providing key numbers, answering
technical questions and referrals to local Jaguar clubs. The Jaguar
North American Archives is believed to be the largest collection of
Jaguar-specific material outside of the United Kingdom. The
Archives continues to acquire historic images and documents to
expand the collection. Within the overall collection are two
separate groupings. The Dugdale collection was acquired from John
F. Dugdale, author and former Jaguar advertising and PR manager. It
includes Mr. Dugdale's personal automotive library with many rare
volumes, documents, photos and the material used by him in writing
"Jaguar In America" the definitive history of the company in the
USA. A separate section has records of his tenure as director of
the British Automobile Manufacturers Association. This material
provides a look into the post-WW II efforts of many British car
companies to enter this market and includes original letters from
industry leaders like Sir William Lyons. The Karen Miller
collection, donated to the Archives by her husband, Edward,
concentrates on company news material, press kits, etc. and Jaguar-
Oriented publications. What makes it special is the large number of
her personal notations and comments written on many of the
documents. The Jaguar North American Archives is staffed two days
per week, Tuesday and Thursday, with additional time available for
special projects. The Archives is part of the Jaguar North American
Public Affairs department and can be accessed by contacting one of
the PR staff or Mike Cook, Archives manager, at or 201-818-8144.
DATASOURCE: Jaguar North America CONTACT: Rosemary Mariniello,
+1-201-818-8010, , James Thomas, +1-949-341-6140, , Leticia
Parquer, +1-201-818-8182, , Anne Clinard, +1-949-341-6847, , all of
Jaguar North America; Media Information Center, +1-800-665-1515 or
+1-313-621-0504, Web site: http://www.media.jaguar.com/
Copyright