Archive offers glimpse into life of Raymond Briggs

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.

Briggs' personal photographs, unpublished works and other sketches charting the development of the illustrator's distinctive style are all part of the collection.

The archive also features fan mail after the publication of some of his most famous works, including Fungus the Bogeyman, a picture book released in 1977.

Young fans, in the spirit of that book, sent the illustrator coffee-stained letters or wrote to him on toilet paper.

Briggs was evacuated to Dorset during World War Two and letters he wrote home to his parents are also in the collection.

His work often reflected social and political themes of the '70s and '80s.

The project to catalogue the collection was funded by a grant from The National Archives.

The archive is set to be made available for the first time in October.

It will be able to be searched online by members of the public who can then request items for viewing at The Keep via its website.

Councillor Peter Griffiths, from East Sussex County Council, said he believed Briggs' collection should be used to inspire budding artists and illustrators.

"If they can learn something from this archive and go away and put it into practice, then our job is complete," he adds.

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