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.

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We operate a free Library space for private study, and a Special Collections and Archives Researchers’ Area.

Collections

Browse our collections, ranging from London History, to Photographic Collections, and the UK Leather and Fetish Archive.

Search the catalogue

View our online catalogue, which allows researchers from all over the world to consult our renowned collections.

About

Since the archive opened to the public in 1895 it has been steadily growing. Find out more about us and how you can add to the archives.

Stories

Explore more stories from our Archives, and learn about the lives behind the objects.

Our archives online

We have digitised some of the most frequently researched and significant material from our collections.

#FROMTHE ARCHIVES

Eton Manor Boys’ Club was founded in 1909 in Hackney and was funded and run by four Old Etonians (Arthur Villiers, Gerald Wellesley, Alfred Wagg, and Sir Edward Cadogan) until it closed in 1967. The clubhouse, together with its nearby sports ground (The Wilderness), provided first-class sports and social facilities for boys aged 14 to 18, and who subsequently became members of the Old Boys’ Club. Eton Manor Boys’ Club boasts many former members who became international sportsmen.