Box
I posted this as a supplementary for the paper prompt - but this prompt, I'm afraid, is bringing out the archives in me again. I was going to take a picture of a closed archive box, but this was at least a little more interesting to look at.
I'm evangelical about the value of boxes. Seriously. With archives, you want these historic survivals to last forever/as long as possible. They're vulnerable to *everything* (fire, water, light, heat, damp, mould, rats and mice, theft, getting disorganised/reshuffled/lost). A good solid box protects against literally every one of those threats. Boxes don't burn easily, especially when there's a solid mass of them. They absorb water and protect the contents (with a solid archive box you can immerse it in water for 24 hours and the contents will be barely damp at the edges). A box blocks out light and buffers changes in temperature and humidity for a bit. It slows down mice and makes it easier to see if something's nibbling collections than it is with a big pile of papers. It keeps stuff organised, easy to move safely, and nicely anonymous to casual thieves. A box can't keep everything safe forever. But it is a *hell* of a good start.
In summary: the box. An unsung hero.
(It's one reason I was upset about Southwark, having seen their neglected store, because I knew it mostly wasn't boxed. Solid volumes are pretty sturdy, but loose paper under falling water and then people scuffling through rescuing stuff.. you can see how boxes would make that so much better all round.)
LOL! And I love the shot. It makes me want to look closer at everything in there.
The contents are quite fun too, all about building schools around 1860.