Researching a contemporary archive

This paper documents the experiences of a researcher offered unlimited, pri vileged access to the archive of a recent, contemporary, charismatic social reformer based in Naples, who was also at the head of an international fun draising network. It documents,first, the unintended consequences of embark ing on a research project on the basis of an informal friendly understandin g between researcher and researched. It then comments on particular, practi cal features of this research undertaking, before focusing upon the major e thical dilemmas it presented. The author concludes by offering advice to fu ture archival researchers in the light of her memorable experience in this care.