Summary

This paper outlines archival research conducted within the framework of the ERC ArchLabour project and examines the methodological potential of cross‑referencing metropolitan archives with local archives in former Portuguese colonial territories, with Cabo Verde as a focal point. The paper is organised into three sections. The first addresses the archival processing and study of public works records undertaken over the past fifteen years at the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino in Lisbon. The second presents a preliminary survey of fonds and records relating to public works and labour at the National Archives Institute of Cabo Verde. The final section assesses the challenges and possibilities of cross‑referencing documentation between the two archives, drawing on a case study developed within the ArchLabour. Archival records are used to reconstruct the technical and administrative dimensions of public works projects, while personnel files and labour documentation from Cabo Verde provide insight into the everyday practices and labour experiences that shaped their execution. Combined, these materials demonstrate the methodological value of reading metropolitan and local archives in parallel to understand how colonial administrative processes were planned, negotiated and carried out.

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