As keeper of The Times archive, Maude Davies saw it all. Born in 1883, she started as a member of the office index staff in 1911 in various roles and would become an integral part of the archive for 30 years.

She was present when the Times offices were bombed in the Second World War but still put a paper to press and into many people’s hands. She lost her home during these 1940 raids and slept in the Times offices, which were moved underground, until she could afford a new home.

It was Davies who in 1921, as manager of the picture library, created the indexing system that is still being used today.

This 1927 scene shows Davies sitting in the first Times picture