The London Collection Manuscripts consist of small or medium sized archives collections or items relating to the social, cultural, architectural and topographical history of London from the early nineteenth century to the present day.

Most of the items were collected by the Institute’s early librarian, Charles Goss, and have been added to by subsequent generations of library staff. The majority of the items were originally listed within the Library’s printed London Collection, but since retrospective cataloguing began in 2005, these archival items have been conserved and re-catalogued into a new series, the London Collection Manuscripts.

The links on the left give a detailed overview of some of the highlights of the London Collection Manuscripts, which now number around 100 small collections in total. Each page includes a biographical statement, a note on the collection's scope and content, and the extent of the material. The list is not exhaustive and is consistently being added to, so please contact the Library if you have any further queries concerning items in the London Collection Manuscripts series.