Archives nationales d'outre-mer

André Chamson, Director General of the Archives de France, made the choice to establish an Overseas Territories Archives Department in Aix-en-Provence towards the end of decolonisation and when a university was being built in Aix-en-Provence. As the heir to more than three centuries of history, the Archives Nationales d'Outre-Mer keeps two large collections with different administrative and archive pasts: - The archives of the Secretariats of State and the Ministries responsible for the French colonies from the XVIIth Century to the XXth Century - The archives transferred from the former colonies and Algeria when their independence was achieved between 1954 and 1962, apart from the management archives which remained in the countries concerned.To these are added private and company archives relating to the Overseas Territories as well as a specialised library, map library and image library. 

For information concerning ANOM's reproduction services, see: http://www.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/anom/fr/Pratique/Reproduction.html 

The Archives Nationales d'Outre-mer is part of the French National Archives and is located in the South of France (Aix-en-Provence). ANOM's mission is to preserve records related to the colonial presence of France in its former overseas territories. These archives deal with three centuries of history of the French Colonial Empire. They consist of archives of the ministries in charge of the former French Colonial Empire and the archives transfered from the former French Colonies and Algeria when these countries became independent. The collections cover the fields of colonial history. Among ANOM's holdings are collections concerning the period of the Second World War. ANOM preserves 38km of archives, 60,000 maps and plans, 150,000 photographs and 120,000 library works. 

The National Overseas Archives are open to any person of any nationality, aged 15 years or over, in possession of a valid official identity document with a photograph (for those under 18 years of age, it is necessary to be accompanied or have proof of parental permission).