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Bob Geldof\u2019s Band Aid archive has arrived in Ireland.<\/p>\nBob Geldof\u2019s Band Aid archive has arrived in Ireland.<\/p>\n
An archivist will spend up to two years cataloging memorabilia from the famous 1984 campaign for those affected by famine in Ethiopia, the National Library of Ireland (NLI) said.<\/p>\n
The Boomtown Rats frontman is giving the Irish state hundreds of letters, artwork, poetry and musical recordings after it was accumulated in a warehouse in London.<\/p>\n
Much of it will be digitalized and put on display for the world to see at the NLI in Dublin.<\/p>\n
Midge Ure and Bob Geldof at the Ivor Novello Awards for 1984 where they won a joint award for Band Aid\u2019s Do They Know It\u2019s Christmas? (PA)
\nA statement from the library said: \u201cIn April 2018 the archive was brought from London to Dublin.<\/p>\n
\u201cA contract archivist will spend 18-24 months cataloguing the collection, at which point it will be available to all researchers through the National Library\u2019s Special Collections reading room.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelective digitization will be carried out thereafter, and the digitized materials launched online with free access anywhere in the world, subject to copyright and data protection restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Geldof and co-writer Midge Ure\u2019s first version of Do They Know It\u2019s Christmas? raised \u00a38 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.<\/p>\n
They gathered a group of musicians together in 1984 for the charity single. It featured Geldof\u2019s fellow Irishman Bono, George Michael, Duran Duran, Phil Collins and Bananarama, among many others.<\/p>\n
It helped inspire the Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia on July 13 1985, and the Sport Aid campaign in 1986, all of which raised millions more.<\/p>\n
The library statement added: \u201cThe NLI will develop a major exhibition in the National Photographic Archive to engage visitors of all ages and from across the world and explore opportunities for an international travelling exhibition.\u201d<\/p>\n
The archive reveals the enormous level of organisation behind Band Aid.<\/p>\n
A trove of documents, many on fading fax paper, captures the work of those who looked after fleets of ships and trucks which distributed relief.<\/p>\n
It was the era of strikes in Britain but many workers suspended their industrial action to help, Sir Bob has said.<\/p>\n
Revealing letters from public figures will be among those disclosed as well as reports on projects helped in Africa since 1985.<\/p>\n