Dealing with a new archive of items belonging to The Snowman illustrator Raymond Briggs “felt a bit like going into Tutankhamun’s tomb”, according to an archivist who worked on the project.
Chris Olver spent nine months cataloguing the personal papers, work and records of the renowned cartoonist.
The collection has been entrusted to the East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office at its headquarters, The Keep, by the estate of Raymond Briggs.
“Just seeing remarkable artwork and having that behind-the-scenes look of some things which are just so iconic, it’s just amazing,” said Olver.
The items included early drafts of The Snowman, which has become a Christmas staple for many households since its publication in the 1970s.
The illustrator lived and worked in Ditchling, East Sussex, for more than 60 years.
“To have this access in a local archive and in a place which was so important to him, I think that is incredible,” Olver added.