Three Ways in which the term Provenance is used:
The office or person of origin of records. In other words, the entity which created or accumulated and used the records in the conduct of business or personal life.
The chain of custody which reflects the office(s) or person(s) that created, received or accumulated and used the records in the conduct of business or in the course of personal life. (ie. open one of the AO's government ministries).
The "principle of provenance" (not provenance, but the principle of provenance). In archival theory, the principle of provenance requires that the archives of an organization or person not be mixed or combined with the archives of another. This principle that records/archives of the same provenance must not be intermingled with those of any other provenance, is frequently referred to as "respect des fonds". Do not let documents drift away from it. Do not let alien documents find their way into it.
Myrtle Reynolds Adams fonds - an example of a RAD inventory
Example: The widow of John Doe donates the papers and research
material that was accumulated by her late husband to the Smith County
Archive. Included in the collection are
numerous letters addressed to Mr. Doe by Harry Jones, a well-known local
historian. Also in the collection are letters from members of well-established
families who were instrumental in the development of