Special Collections and Archives

Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives document the experiences of everyday people, and the extraordinary individuals and organisations who have strived for social, political and cultural change.

Since the archive opened to the public in 1895 it has been steadily growing, with unique collections gifted and loaned to us. Some are London focused, but the lives they preserve and the issues they explore have national and global resonance.

The collections offer both breadth and depth. We have 150,000 books, pamphlets, maps and photographs of London. The Lesbian and Gay News media Archive (LAGNA) alone holds 350,000 press cuttings. The photographic archives over 500,000 images. We have a growing oral-history archive and the collections contain fascinating ephemera, from banners and badges to club flyers and condoms.

This trove of materials is supported by a searchable online catalogue.

Search our Online Catalogue

Anyone can come to the Institute and ask to see items from the collections. No appointment is needed, just arrive and register.

Browse our Collections ...

Wensley Family Archive

Swadhinata Trust

Spitalfields Inventory

Society of Public Librarians

Founded in 1895

Selections from the Raphael Samuel Archive: Online Exhibition

Island Stories

Raphael Samuel Audio Collection

Raphael Samuel's Talks and Publications: Cumulative Bibliographies

The Archive

Find More London History

The Raphael Samuel Archive

1934 -1996

Rogers, William

1819-1896

Perring, Sir, Ralph

1905-1998

Murphy, Clive

b.1935

London History Workshop Centre

London Collection Manuscripts

London Collection

Local and Family History Collection

Liverpool Street Station Campaign

James Ince and Sons (Umbrellas) Ltd

Founded in 1805

Goss, Charles

1864-1946

Eton Manor Boys' Club

Founded in 1909

City Music Society

Formed in 1943

Brookfield Manor Girls' Club

Founded in 1942

Bishopsgate Ward Club

Founded in 1790

Bishopsgate Institute Archives

Harrow Book Group Archive

1968-2018

Mallin, Hester

1926-2018

Spencer, Margaret Ann 'Peggy'

1920-2016

Webb, David

South London Business Initiative

Bunting Collection

Clapton Football Club

Fishman, William

1921-2014

White Dog Benevolent Society

Formed in 1783

Whittington Park Community Association

Formed in 1973

River Christian Centre

North Paddington Community Darkroom

Sandys Row Synagogue

Rodney Archer Theatre Programme Collection

Leech, Kenneth

1939-2015

Friends of Arnold Circus

Formed in 2004

O'Neill, Gilda Ann

Cartwright, Ivan

b. 1959

Williams, Griffith Vaughan

1940-2010

Bloolips

Founded 1977

Cooper, Emmanuel

1938-2012

Stones, Nicky

1944-2017

Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive

Cole, Martin

1931-2015

Gay News Photographic Archive

Founded in 1972

Gay London Police Monitoring Group

Established in 1982

Find More LGBTQ History and Alternative Sexuality

London Monday Group

Founded in 1971

Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement

Founded in 1976

Just Friends

Formed in 2004

Switchboard

Established in 1974

Gay Medical Association

Established in 1976

Paris Lees Archive

Hallam, Paul

b.1952

Bill Ward Archive

1927-1996

Metro Charity

Beaumont Society Press Cuttings Collection

Holly Revell Archive

Sue Sanders, Schools Out and LGBT History Month Archive

b.1947

Tatchell, Peter

b.1952

Faulkner, Patricia

b.1946

Humphries, Martin

(b.1955)

Club RUB Archive

1996-2017

GMFA: The Gay Men's Health Charity

Founded in 1992

Rose's Repartee

LGBTQ Erotica and Pornography Collection

MSC London / London Leathermen

Formed in 1973

MSC Bournemouth Archive

Formed in February 1986

Midland Link MSC

Founded in 1974

MSC Hallamshire

MSC Scotland

Established in 1974

London Blues

Founded in 1978

Sixty Nine Club

UK Leather Archive

Irwin, Stewart

(1923-2012)

Terrence Higgins Trust

Achilles Heel

QX Magazine

OutRage!

Stonewall

Grattan Puxon Archive

Mondcivitan Republic

Middleton, Mavis

1922-1999

Lester, Muriel

1883-1968

Hunot, Peter

1914-1989

Freedom Press Library

Stop the War Coalition

Freedom Press Archive

Committee for Freedom in Mozambique, Angola and Guine (CFMAG)

Find More Protest and Campaigning

Some Friends Community

Republic

Community Matters

Advisory Service for Squatters Archive

Public Utilities Access Forum

Platform

Shelter: The National Campaign for Homeless People

English Collective of Prostitutes

City of London Anti-Apartheid Group (CAAG)

Protest Against Donald Trump's Visit to London

Armstrong, Keith

1950-2017

Anti-Racist Alliance

Harper, Clifford

Campaigners, Christian Youth Movement

Clays Lane Live Archive

Cambodia Compassion

Hands Up For Peace

Mondcivitan Republic, South East

Nirmul Committee UK Branch

No to Greenwich Olympic Equestrian Events

Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Save Leyton Marsh

Unite Against Fascism / Rock Against Racism

Troops out Movement

Sargeant, Jean

1933-2011

Richman, Geoff and Marie

National Miners Support Network

Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Machinists, Millwrights, Smiths and Pattern Makers

Sedgwick, Peter

1934-1983

Howell Library

Moonman, Eric

b 1929

Bernie Grant

1944-2000

Glover, Reg

1900-1977

Find More Labour and Socialist History

Howell, George

1833-1910

General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU)

Gaster, Jack

1907-2007

Fyrth, Hubert James

1918-2010

Evening Standard Outside Chapel

Dore, John

1930-2006

Challinor, Raymond

1929-2011

Branson, Noreen

1910-2003

Bowman, Aubrey Clement

1918-2009

Bedford, James

Barnes, Michael

b.1932

Barltrop, Robert

Chris and Betty Birch Archive

Russell, Sam

1915-2010

Left Unity

Campaign for Labour Party Democracy

Wetzel, Dave

Woodward, Alan

1939-2012

Ash, William Franklin

1917-2014

Colbert, John

Kean, Hilda

(fl.1982-2010)

Dunbar, Malcolm

1912-1963

Hughes, John Dennis

1927-2013

Manchester Unity Oddfellows Friendly Society

Labour Party Black Sections

Morning Star Photographic Archive

Red Pepper Magazine

Leighton, Ronald

(b.1930–d.1994)

Velvet Fist

Hall, William George Glenvil

1887–1962

Widgery, David

1947-1992

National Union of Teachers Photographic Archive

Pottins, Charlie

1942-2015

Reid, David McNeil

1913-1992

Greater London Labour Party

Founded in 1915

Phil Maxwell Collection

Mark Jackson and Huw Davies Collection

Libby Hall Dog Collection

'Edge of the City': Robert Moye and Peter Young

Colin O'Brien: King's Head Theatre Club, Islington

Tony Shelley Archive

Angela Christofilou Archive

Elainea Emmott Archive

Tony Hall Collection

1936 - 2008

King, Sue

1948-2016

Walker, Christine

fl.1950-2017

London Co-operative Society

Formed in 1920

Marshall, Robert Leckie

1913-2008

Women's Co-operative Guild

Formed in 1883

Co-operative Movement Library

Derrick, Paul

1916-1996

Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society

Formed in 1847

Dutch, George Frederick

b.1894

Find More Co-operation

Ganley, Caroline Selena

1879-1966

Dawson Family Archive

Women Activists of East London

Roman Catholic Feminists

Women's March on London

Feminist Library Collections

Sebestyen, Amanda

Format Photographers Agency

Focus E15 Campaign

Women in Entertainment

Find More Feminist and Woman's History

Feminist Library Archive

Coote, Anna

Feminist Library Pamphlet Collection

Blaug, Astra

Campaign Against Pornography

Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing

Leonard, Diana Mary

DIASPORA

European Network of Women

Feminist Library Ephemera

Kennedy, Mary

NAWO

National Women's Network

Feminist Library Poster Collection

WAVAW

Woman in Development Europe

Myers, Nell

(fl.1970-)

Paine, Thomas

1737-1809

Index (formerly Index on Censorship)

Stopes-Roe, Harry Verdon

1924-2014

Humanist Funeral Tribute Archive

Brierley, Tony

(b.1936)

Campbell, Colin Barnsley

Hampstead Humanist Society

Rationalist Association

(b.1935)

Values Education Council

Find More Freethought and Humanism

Ethical Church

Bradlaugh, Charles

Bradlaugh Library

British Humanist Association

Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA)

Hemming, James

Holyoake, George Jacob

Holyoake Library

Munday, Diane

Rationalist Peace Society

Constructing Post-War Britain

Sources of the Sacred

Occupy Oral History Project

2011 - 2012

Digital:Works

Taken for Granted Oral History Project

We Weren't Expecting to Stay

1950 - 2014

Sounds from the Park

1905 - 2013

Swadhinata Trust Oral History Project

Temple of Mithras Oral History Project

Find More Oral Histories

Tape Letters Project