"The History of Fairport Convention" is the first compilation album featuring tracks by Fairport Convention, released in 1972. At the time of its release, there was a perception that the band had disbanded. The album cover was notable for featuring a "family tree" diagram created by Pete Frame on the front. Another unique feature of the album was a piece of ribbon glued to the sleeve, giving it the appearance of a royal seal. Different reissues of the album included variations in ribbon color, such as blue, red, or green. Later reissues omitted the ribbon entirely, instead enlarging the central seal design while omitting the family tree altogether.
