Faculty recommendation

1980s Culture and Society

Compare grassroots media with official records to explore political, social and welfare issues of the 1980s such as the rise of conservatism, nuclear threat, and the AIDS crisis.

A Global History of Epidemics, 1800-1970

Explore the intersection of medicine, public health, colonialism, and governance through evolving responses to infectious diseases across the British Empire in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with material sourced from The National Archives, UK and British Film Institute (BFI).

Africa and the New Imperialism

The most extensive resource covering Africa in the age of new imperialism; a major period of colonial expansion that sent shockwaves throughout the continent, the effects of which are still felt today.

African American Communities

From communal struggle to creative outpourings; uncover the everyday lives of African Americans spanning two turbulent centuries.

African American Women's Histories

Explore the works and activism of trailblazing African American women from the late nineteenth century to the early 2000s.

Age of Exploration

Explore five centuries of journeys across the globe, scientific discoveries, the expansion of European colonialism, new trade routes, and conflict over territories.

America in World War Two: Oral Histories and Personal Accounts

Explore extensive collections sourced from The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, to uncover the many facets of American involvement in World War Two.

American Committee on Africa: Liberation Movements, Solidarity and Activism

The records of the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) document its significant involvement in African liberation struggles in the twentieth century, including a wealth of rare materials illuminating key figures in African independence movements.

American History, 1493-1945

From a voyage of discovery to a nuclear blast, experience the epic vista of over 400 years of American history through thousands of primary source documents.

American West

From early topographical sketches and pioneers’ accounts, to photographs of Buffalo Bill and his ‘Wild West’ stars, explore the fact and the fiction of westward expansion in America from the early eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century.

Amnesty International Archives: A Global Movement for Human Rights

Explore the rise of the global human rights movement during the second half of the twentieth century through the International Secretariat records of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Amnesty International.

Apartheid South Africa, 1948-1994

Uncover the history of one of the twentieth century's most contentious and reviled systems of government.

Area Studies: China and Southeast Asia

A varied array of records of traders, travellers, missionaries and diplomats, from the mid-seventeenth century to the late twentieth century, offering Western perspectives on all aspects of Chinese culture and society.

Area Studies: India

A vital resource for the study of Empire, the government of British India, and the history, culture and literature of the Indian subcontinent from 1712-1942.

Area Studies: Japan

A wide range of sources, by writers, diplomats, tourists, businessmen, missionaries and others, documenting the political, cultural and social history of Japan from 1400 to the 20th century.

British Newsreels, 1911-1930

This exciting new video resource comprises c.7,000 early twentieth century Topical Budget newsreels drawn from the British Film Institute and Imperial War Museums.

Broadcasting America: The Rise of Mass Media and Communications

Explore the history of twentieth century broadcasting in America through the business decisions and innovations that led media corporations to transform radio from a one-to-one communication tool to a means of broadcasting information and ideas to the masses.

Business, Economic and Labour History

A range of important sources from Britain and America, covering key subjects within this historical field, including Keynesian economic policy in post-war Britain, international labour movements, the London stock exchange and papers of important economists.

Caribbean Newspapers from the Twentieth Century

Discover colonial and everyday history in the Caribbean from a broad range of perspectives.

Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan 1834-1922

Explore the volatile political and diplomatic history of Central Asia, from the decline of the Silk Road to the “Great Game” and the era of Soviet influence.

Children's Literature and Culture

Explore the golden age of children’s literature and chart the evolution from chapbooks to the ‘book beautifuls’ of the early twentieth century.

China on Film: Twentieth Century Sources from the British Film Institute

Discover a unique and indispensable resource bringing the story of twentieth-century China to life through rare documentary and actuality footage sourced from the renowned British Film Institute (BFI).

China, America and the Pacific

Explore the cultural and trading relationships that emerged between America, China and the Pacific region between the early 18th and 20th centuries.

China: Culture and Society

Extremely rare pamphlets from the Charles W Wason Collection on East Asia, Cornell University Library; one of the oldest and most distinctive collections of its kind.

China: Trade, Politics and Culture, 1793-1980

Discover over 200 years of Chinese history, charting the monumental social and political upheaval that recreated China as a modern power.

Church Missionary Society Archive

A rich repository of source materials on the work of this globally influential organisation, founded in 1799 as an Anglican evangelical movement and still active today.

Church Missionary Society Periodicals

Discover hundreds of years of world history with this vital collection for students, researchers and teachers of missiology, world Christianity and 19th and 20th century colonial and post-colonial history.

Colonial America

A 'game changing' development for historians and researchers of early America providing access to a vast archive of 70,000 manuscript documents.

Colonial Caribbean

The definitive collection of primary source documentation to explore life under British colonial rule.

Confidential Print: Africa, 1834-1966

Complete volumes of all British Government Confidential Print for Africa, from the Colonial, Dominion, Foreign and War Offices.

Confidential Print: Latin America, 1833-1969

Complete runs of all British Government Confidential Print volumes relating to the nations of South and Central America.

Confidential Print: Middle East, 1839-1969

Complete volumes of all British Colonial Office and Foreign Office Confidential Print for the Middle East.

Confidential Print: North America, 1824-1961

Explore documents covering a broad sweep of history from c1824-1961, taking in the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and Central America.

Conflict in Indochina: Foreign Office Files for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

The resource, part of the Archives Direct suite drawn from The National Archives, UK, provides comprehensive coverage of the key events during the War in Vietnam, and the wider impact on Laos and Cambodia.

Defining Gender

Defining Gender provides access to a vast body of original British source material to enrich the teaching and research experience of those studying history, literature, sociology and education from a gendered perspective.

Early Modern England

Explore the lived experiences of Early Modern English society, from ordinary people to prominent families.

East India Company

Discover the astonishing history of the East India Company, which at its peak controlled over a quarter of the world’s trade and millions of the global populace.

Eighteenth Century Drama

Delve into the theatrical world of eighteenth-century society and explore how the plays reflect the politics of the time, the role of women, views on race and religion, opinions on empire, and European and British history.

Eighteenth Century Journals

Bringing together rare journals printed between c1685 and 1835, this resource illuminates all aspects of eighteenth-century social, political and literary life.

Empire Online

Spanning five centuries and charting the rise and fall of empires around the world, Empire Online enables students and researchers to explore colonial history, politics, culture and society.

Empire Studies

Empire Studies offers a rich array of sources for the study of the British Empire.

Ethnomusicology: Global Field Recordings

Presenting content from across the globe, this diverse and comprehensive resource features thousands of audio field recordings and interviews, educational recordings, film footage, field notebooks, slides, correspondence and ephemera from over 60 fields of study, including sites in West Africa, North America, South East Asia and more.

Everyday Life and Women in America, c1800-1920

An unparalleled resource for the study of American social, cultural, and popular history during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

First World War Portal

Rich in primary source content from world-class libraries and archives, this collection is an invaluable source for anyone studying and researching the ‘Great War’.

Food and Drink in History

From feast to famine, explore over five centuries of primary source material documenting the story of food and drink.

Foreign Office Files for China, 1919-1980

Formerly restricted British Foreign Office files dealing with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan between 1919 and 1980.

Foreign Office Files for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, 1947-1980

Survey the high politics of Independence and Partition, social and cultural interchange after 1947 and the ramifications that these changes continue to have throughout South Asia today.

Foreign Office Files for Japan, 1919-1952

Discover Japan’s rise to modernity and its relations with global superpowers through official British Government documents from The National Archives, UK.

Foreign Office Files for Southeast Asia 1963-1980

Explore the history of Southeast Asia from 1963-1980 through official government documents from The National Archives, UK. Discover the struggle for independence against a backdrop of conflict and a shifting political landscape.

Foreign Office Files for the Middle East, 1971-1981

From invasions and civil wars to revolutions and revolts, explore a rich period of Middle Eastern history.

Foreign Office, Consulate and Legation Files, China: 1830-1939

This expansive resource, drawn exclusively from The National Archives, UK, presents the files of the British legation and consulates in China. It offers a rich, multifaceted view of historical events, from trade routes and military conflicts, to public health challenges and revolution.

Frontier Life

Through a large array of unique documents, this multi-archive collection captures the lives, experiences and colonial encounters of people living at the edges of the Anglophone world from 1650-1920.

Gender: Identity and Social Change

Discover three centuries of primary source material documenting extensive developments in gender roles and relations.

Girlhood: Magazines and Print Culture

This unique and highly visual resource offers a captivating look into the changing lives and societal expectations placed on girls and young women in the UK, US, and Australia throughout the twentieth century.

Global Commodities

Explore the histories of fifteen key commodities that changed the world through a wide range of manuscript sources, rare books, maps, advertising, paintings, photographs and ephemera.

Hindi Cinema: Histories of Film-making

Sourced from the private collection of renowned author and documentary film-maker Nasreen Munni Kabir, this resource features unedited interviews with leading Indian film personalities who contributed to the shaping of the ‘Golden Age’ of Hindi cinema and beyond.

Independent Publishing in America

Explore the origins of the American book trade from the late eighteenth century to the end of the twentieth century, with material drawn from mainstream and minority independent presses and bookstores.

India, Raj and Empire

Explore the history of South Asia between the foundation of the East India Company in 1615 and the granting of independence to India and Pakistan in 1947.

Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America

Spanning four centuries, this digital resource provides access to material from one of the strongest archival collections on Indigenous American history in the world.

Indigenous Newspapers in North America

Discover Indigenous American journalism spanning two centuries with this major digital resource.

Interrogating Colonial Documents and Narratives

Designed to develop students' primary source literacy and critical engagement with key topics, Interrogating Colonial Documents and Narratives introduces key approaches and methodologies of working with colonial documents.

Interwar Culture

Interwar Culture showcases a vast collection of popular and lesser-known periodicals published during these dynamic yet turbulent decades with articles covering arts and culture, fashion, home and family life, travel, world current affairs, class, social and welfare issues as well as a wealth of writing from some of the most prominent literary figures of the era.

J. Walter Thompson: Advertising America

Explore 100 years of advertising, consumer and cultural history.

Jewish Life in America, c1654-1954

Explore the history of Jewish communities in America from their first arrival in New York in 1654 to the integral part that they play today.

Latin American Histories in the United States

Explore the powerful history of individuals and Latin American communities in the United States as they campaigned for rights, identity, and cultural freedoms during the Civil Rights era and beyond.

Leisure, Travel and Mass Culture

Indulge with the wealthy as they experience health inspired visits to luxury spas. Assess the entrepreneurial activities of businessmen such as Thomas Cook who democratised longer-range travel. Discover the pleasures of nineteenth and twentieth century leisure travel and the dramatic growth of tourism for the masses.

Life at Sea: Seafaring in the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1600-1900

Explore three centuries of life at sea through the individual histories of ships’ crews during the Age of Sail and into the era of steam.

Literary Manuscripts Berg

The Berg Collection is recognised as one of the finest literary research collections in the world, and the Victorian holdings are the undisputed jewel in its crown.

Literary Manuscripts Leeds

This project opens up new opportunities for the reading, study and appreciation of early modern verse and provides valuable source materials for both literary scholars and historians.

Literary Print Culture

Explore the history of printing, publishing and bookselling from 1554 to the 21st century.

Literary Studies

Literary manuscripts, rare printed works and personal papers of a range of leading literary figures, as well as unique access to a goldmine of rare and obscure literary texts and genres.

London Low Life

An extraordinary digital collection bringing to life the teeming streets of Victorian London, and inviting students and scholars to explore the gin palaces, brothels and East End slums of the nineteenth century’s greatest city.

Macmillan Cabinet Papers, 1957-1963

This digital collection casts new light on Britain's relationship with the EEC, Anglo-American ties, the Cold War, Decolonisation, and issues of public and political morality.

Market Research and American Business, 1935-1965

Delve into the pseudo-psychological world behind the advertising of some of America’s biggest brands. What motivates women and men to buy and how can knowing that be used to sell?

Mass Observation Online

The Archive of Mass Observation has been described as "an invaluable resource for sociologists and cultural historians" and "a fascinating source of precious data for researchers."

Mass Observation Project

Explore the history of Britain through three turbulent decades, written by those living through it.

Medical Services and Warfare

Explore the history of illness, treatment and disease on international front lines from 1850 to 1949.

Medieval and Early Modern Studies

A huge range of primary sources covering social, cultural, political, scientific and religious perspectives, from the 12th to early 18th centuries.

Medieval Family Life

Only five major letter collections exist from fifteenth century England and they are all available online for the first time in this digital resource.

Medieval Travel Writing

An extensive collection of manuscript materials for the study of medieval travel writing in fact and in fantasy.

Meiji Japan

Manuscripts for the study of Meiji society, culture, ethnology and education from the papers of Edward Sylvester Morse (1838-1925).

Mexico in History: Colonialism to Revolution

Mexico in History is an essential resource illuminating the country’s past, from Spanish contact with Indigenous communities, through colonial rule, Independence, and the National and Reforma periods, to the onset of the Revolution.

Migration to New Worlds

Discover the motives, aspirations, realities and personal hardships of European and Asian migrants during two centuries of global migration.

Missionary Studies

A broad selection of missionary collections, representing a global range of Christian missions, churches and denominations.

Nineteenth Century Literary Society

Nineteenth Century Literary Society offers unprecedented digital access to the peerless archive of the historic John Murray publishing company.

Perdita Manuscripts, 1500-1700

This resource is produced in association with the Perdita Project based at the University of Warwick and Nottingham Trent University. Their goal was to identify and describe all manner of writing by early modern women from diaries to works of drama.

Popular Culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975

From the austerity of the 1950s to the excess of the 1970s, discover the period through a wealth of printed and manuscript sources, visual material, ephemera and video clips.

Popular Medicine in America, 1800-1900

Explore the medicine chests and bookshelves of the everyday nineteenth-century American through a colourful array of advertisements, popular texts and much more.

Poverty, Philanthropy & Social Conditions in Victorian Britain

Discover what life was like for the poorest communities in Victorian Britain, and explore the social reform and philanthropic efforts of charitable institutions that sought to alleviate poverty.

Race Relations in America

Discover a wealth of primary source material on the Civil Rights Movement, segregation, discrimination and racial theory in America during three pivotal decades of the twentieth century.

Research Skills: Foundations

Research Skills: Foundations provides the practical tools students need to understand and interact with primary sources.

Romanticism: Life, Literature and Landscape

Discover the working methods of Romantic poets and trace the evolution of celebrated verse with the manuscript collections of the Wordsworth Trust.

Royal Shakespeare Company Archives

Discover the creative decisions made by directors and designers at the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and its predecessor, the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company.

Service Newspapers of World War Two

Service Newspapers of World War Two contains an extensive range of both rare and well-known wartime publications for soldiers serving in major theatres around the world.

Sex & Sexuality

Explore changing attitudes towards human sexuality, gender and sexual behaviours in America and beyond from the late-nineteenth century to the present day.

Shakespeare in Performance

Go behind the scenes and explore how Shakespeare’s plays have been interpreted by theatre companies, actors and directors across the centuries.

Shakespeare in Silent Film

Explore the evolution of Shakespeare's plays as they moved from the stage to screen.

Shakespeare's Globe Archive

Explore two decades of pioneering theatrical experiment from the archives of Shakespeare's Globe.

Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice

An essential resource for the study of slavery, the African American experience and world history spanning over five centuries.

Socialism on Film

Look behind the iron curtain with this collection of films from the communist world.

The Gilded Age and Progressive Era

Explore America’s transformative age of industrialisation, expanding wealth, inequality and social change.

The Grand Tour

This digital collection of manuscript, visual and printed works allows students and researchers to explore and compare a range of sources on the history of travel for the first time, including many from private or neglected collections.

The Nineteenth Century Stage: Industry, Performance and Celebrity

Delve into the dynamic and exciting world of nineteenth-century theatre and the rise of celebrity culture across the UK, US, and Australia through this comprehensive resource.

The Nixon Years, 1969-1974

Review top level Anglo American discussions and briefing papers, and research social conditions, domestic reforms, trade, culture and the environment.

The Olympic Movement: Sport, Global Politics and Identity

This multi-archive resource covers the development of the modern Olympic Games from 1896 to 1992, telling the story of the world’s biggest sporting event through primary sources while shining a light on key social and political phenomena throughout the twentieth century.

The Transformation of Shopping: Department Stores, Social Change and Consumerism 1830-1994

Spanning more than 160 years of retail history, this resource uses company archives, trade journals and union records to explore a variety of fundamental social and business study themes.

Trade Catalogues and the American Home

Explore domesticity, daily life, consumerism and technology in America between 1850-1950.

Trade in Early Modern London: Livery Company Records, 1450-1750

An expansive resource for the study of the history of early modern London through the lens of the livery companies and trade.

Travel Writing, Spectacle and World History

Women's travel diaries and correspondence from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University.

Victorian Popular Culture

The Victorian Popular Culture portal is an essential resource for the study of popular entertainment in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Victorians on Film: Entertainment, Innovation and Everyday Life

Victorians on Film: Entertainment, Innovation and Everyday Life brings together an essential library of rich film content from the British Film Institute (BFI) in one easily navigable platform.

Virginia Company Archives

An essential source for the study of the Atlantic World and Early Colonial Period.

Women in the National Archives

A finding aid for women's studies resources in The National Archives, UK is presented alongside original documents on the suffrage question in Britain, the Empire and colonial territories.

Women's Studies

A breadth of printed and manuscript sources, providing a multitude of perspectives on the changing roles of women in history.

Women's Voices and Life Writing, 1600-1968

Women’s Voices and Life Writing amplifies the voices of women in Britain and Ireland across three centuries, illuminating issues of gender, class, race, disability, sexuality, religion, and more.

World War Two Studies

Important primary sources offering insight into many aspects of the war, including government policy, the war in the Pacific and the war in Europe.

World's Fairs

Explore two centuries of innovation, entertainment and international relations through the rich history of world’s fairs.

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