Research Matters: Our Special Collections and other archives

The University’s Special Collections are 'special' as, in many cases, component materials are unique (and, therefore, irreplaceable) or very rare (and so difficult to replace). They constitute a valuable resource for research activity in a number of areas for students, staff and external visitors. Diverse library, archive and object collections, accumulated over many years, are now together under one roof in the historic Wash Houses building, located at our Aldgate campus.

The four principal collections are:

• The Trades Union Congress (TUC) Library Collections
• The Archive of the Irish in Britain
• The Frederick Parker Collection and Archive
• The University Archive

(See Special Collections for more information and details relating to these and other, smaller collections).

Please email us with your enquiry at specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk  and we shall endeavour to respond to your email within 2 working days, or possibly longer if the nature of the enquiry is more complex.

Trade Union Congress Library Collections

• The Union Makes Us Strong
  An introduction to the history of the TUC and the trade union movement, including a Timeline of union history, the full text of the annual TUC Congress Reports 1868-1968, and hundreds of digitised images and documents selected from the TUC Library.
• The Workers' War
  Discover the contribution working people made to the war effort during the Second World War, via oral history interviews, academic articles and hundreds of digitised images and documents.
• Winning Equal Pay
  Explore the history of the struggle for equal pay for women. Includes videos on the subject of prominent equal pay strikes and hundreds of digitised images and documents.
• Britain at Work 1945-1995
  Discover how the British workplace has changed during the post-war period, via oral history interviews, academic articles and digitised images and documents.

Trade Union Congress Library Collections Thematic Exhibitions

• Solidarity and the Miners' Strike 1984-85
• The Impact of the Russian Revolution on the Left in Britain 1917-1926
• A Special Relationship 
  A history of the connections between American and British Labour Movements.
• The Workers United  
  Commemorating the 150 anniversary of the TUC through its Library Collections.
• Young Workers and Unions 
  NEW (September 2019) Young Workers and Unions - agents for change.

Archive of the Irish in Britain

• Archive of the Irish in Britain

VADS (the Visual Arts Data Service) provides access to:

• Frederick Parker Chair Collection: London Metropolitan University
• London Metropolitan University East End Archive: The Paul Trevor Collection
• Peter King Archive: London Metropolitan University

Digitised Collections available on Pinterest

• TUC Library Collections
• The University Archive

All published material is available through the Library Catalogue.

Online catalogue on Archives Hub

• London Metropolitan University Special Collections on Archives Hub
• TUC Library Collections, London Metropolitan University

Collections Catalogues and Inventories can be found on Collection’s webpages

• Trades Union Congress Library Collections
• Archives of the Irish in Britain
• Frederick Parker Chair Collection and Archive
• The University Archive

Other Collections

• The Community Media Collection
• The Atkins / Atcraft Archive

General resource lists organised by theme:

General

• All Special Collections
• Local History and Maps

Visual Arts

• Artists' Books
• Photography in Special Collections

Design

• Resources for Fashion Students
• Textiles in Special Collections
• Upholstery Books and Journals in Special Collections
• Furniture History in London Metropolitan University Special Collections

TUC Library Collections resource guides

• Education for Social Justice in the TUC Library
• Sources for Caribbean Studies in the TUC collections
• Sources for the History of Education
• Sources for the History of Race Relations and BAME Workers
•  Sources for the research of Black workers and Trade Unions in the TUC Library Collections  Sources for the research of Black workers and Trade Unions in the TUC Library Collections - Alternative Formats
• Sources for the study of the European Labour Movement in the TUC collections
• Sources for the study of Women and Gender Issues in the TUC collections
• Researching housing, construction and city planning in the TUC collections
• Researching LGBT issues in the TUC collections

The Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers (FWWCP) Collection resource guides (part of the TUC Library Collections):

• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Complete Guide
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Activism
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Art
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Design
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Disability
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Food
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Gender
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Jewish Life
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection LGBTQ+
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Literacy
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Local London
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Mental Health
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Migration
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Mining
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Multilingual
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Publishing
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Race
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection War
• Federation of Worker Writer and Community Publishers Collection Work

The following guides provide useful general introductions to using archives for research:

• Archives Hub Using Archives: A Guide for the inexperienced
• The National Archives Research Guides
• The National Archives: guides to reading old documents

The guides below introduce the type of records (primary resources) that that particular archive holds. Although due to the COVID-19 pandemic you may not be able to visit the archive in person, it is always worth preparing in advance your request for records that you would like to access. Most archives provide an online search facility, and many publish digitised content on their websites.

General

The National Archives search facility ‘Discovery’ allows you to access information about records held by The National Archives and more than 2,500 other archives.

Archives Hub is a similar designated search engine across all archive collections in the UK.

In Scotland the National Register of Archives for Scotland (NRAS) keep a register of private archives. These are not normally accessible to the public, but if you reach out and try make contact explaining what your research is, you may be allowed access.

Archives Portal Europe is the European version of the Archives Hub; you can search across catalogues of European archive collections.

Europeana brings together digitised collections as well as catalogue information from GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) from across Europe.

Archives Canada is a federated search engine for archival holdings across Canada.

Family History

Ancestry and Find My Past are available for genealogical research and discovering your family history. These are paid services that allow you to access public records, historic census and immigration data, birth registers, obituaries and more. You can even build your family tree.

You can also research your family history using the General Register Office by ordering birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership and death certificates.

If your research goes as far back as pre-1837, Parish Registers can help you to trace your family roots through baptisms, marriages, and burials records. These records were made and held by the Church before the official records of birth, marriage and death started.

Map-based resources and local history

If you are looking for a specific type of archive related to your local area you can use this search facility from The National Archives: Find an archive in the UK and beyond.

Maps

An interesting source of information for local historians are maps. Tithe maps demonstrate how archives are linked with country’s administrative history as they were originally created for the purpose of collecting taxes. Many local authority archives publish these online (for example The West Yorkshire Tithe Maps or Welsh Tithe Maps) and there are also paid services for online research like The Genealogist.

Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose, which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745. The National Library of Scotland has digitised and published online Ordnance Survey as well as other maps dating as far back as 1560. The maps cover areas beyond Scotland, including maps of England and Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, and Jamaica. Watch the video introduction to how to use this fascinating resource.

Read Where to find old maps of your area if you want to explore more sources of information on maps and researching your local area or history of your house.

London Interest Maps

• Layers of London
• Charles Booth's London - Poverty maps and police notebooks

London Metropolitan Archives

• Search the Catalogues Online
• LMA Audio-Visual Resources
• List of Research Guides by General Subject
• LMA Exhibitions
• Digital Documents – LMA Repository of Digital Copies of Original Records

Audiovisual archives (sound, moving image, photography)

Most archive services will hold audiovisual records in their collections. These are specialist repositories that only look after specific type of media or formats due to special conditions required for storage and preservation of their materials.

Sound archives and collections

• Sound Collections Database
• British Library Sound Archive

Moving image/film archives

• International Federation of Film Archives Members
• List of UK Film Archives

Researching photography

• The Photographic Collections Network
• Researching Historical Photographers
• International Center of Photography

Subject-specific archives

• The Association of Performing Arts Collections (APAC) is the membership organisation for professionals, specialists, and other individuals working with or interested in performing arts heritage in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
• Black Cultural Archives - Black Cultural Archives collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK and to inspire and give strength to individuals, communities and society.
• Women’s Library -  The Women’s Library collection tells the story of the campaign for women’s rights and women’s equality from the beginnings of the suffrage movement to the present day.
• British Architectural Library - The Royal Institute of British Architects owns one of the largest and most diverse architectural collections in the world.
• Wellcome Collection - Major global resource for the study of medical history and a growing collection of material relating to contemporary medicine and biomedical science in society.