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Alfred Jonas photographic portrait smoking a pipe
Remembrance Day 2023: Stories Behind the Names

At this year’s Remembrance Day service passages from the Roll of Honour books held in the University Archives will be read. These books record the names of Queen Mary students who died in military service during World War 1 and World War 2. The stories of three students will be read this year and we have used other student records in the archives to fill in details of the lives beyond their military service. 

Date added: Wednesday, November 9, 2022


Portrait of Percivall Pott
Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1723 – 1792, English Painter

Sir Joshua Reynolds painted a portrait of Sir Percivall Pott the eminent Surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital which is still displayed at the hospital. In this blog Anne Marie Mcharg, Rare Books and Special Collections Assistant, will explore the life of Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Date added: Friday, July 21, 2023


Ticket reading
A Swimming Pool on Campus

All this good weather had us thinking about how nice it would be to have a swimming pool on campus. But did you know we once did? It was built in 1888 and entertained and cooled generations of East Londoners until World War 2 when it suffered serious bomb damage. But the building of the former People’s Palace Swimming baths, bought by the university, hung around until 2011.

Date added: Friday, September 15, 2023


Illustration from William Blake's Book of Job Designs
William Blake

After finishing the articles about our distinguished English poets and Greek philosophers who are featured in the old Octagon library, I discovered in our rare book collection another English poet many of you will know doubt know, especially if as a child you read his famous poem The Tyger. Well, I found Blake sitting on a shelf looking down on an old furniture Bible. I would like to talk about the two together and the importance they bring to our literature, and to show another side of William Blake and his works. A blog by Anne Marie Mcharg Rare Books and Special Collections Assistant.

Date added: Friday, July 21, 2023


Page of annotated King Lear
Samuel Phelps: Actor, Theatre Manager & Tragedian

In the last couple of months, I have been beavering away amongst our rare book collection cataloguing and updating records. Tucked away on the bottom shelves I found prompt copies for Samuel Phelps of Shakespeare’s tragedies, histories and one comedy. This small collection is printed copies from microfilm of originals held by The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC. So, my thoughts turned to wondering, who was Samuel Phelps? A blog by Anne Marie Mcharg Rare Books and Special Collections Assistant.

Date added: Friday, July 7, 2023


Memoirs of the Life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan page 1
Richard Sheridan: Dramatist, Playwriter and Whig Politician

A blog by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, June 30, 2023


Page of book reading Chap XX
Act 2: History of the Theatre through the Ages

The theatre has played many parts throughout the centuries, like a character in changing scenes. In this second part of our look at the history of the theatre, we pick up in Shakespearean times and look at the developments of more recent years. So, the scene is set, and the principal characters (the theatres!) play on. A blog by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Thursday, June 8, 2023


Map of ancient greece
Act 1: History of the Theatre through the Ages

"All the world's a stage" this quotation from Shakespeare’s As You Like It has got my little grey cells thinking again as Hercule Poirot might say. While researching the great literary writers whose busts and names are in the Octagon, a question came to mind, when did the theatre and plays first start? What impact did they have on society and the world stage? A blog by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, May 26, 2023


Two pages of book with text of Agamemnon in greek.
The Three Major Greek Tragedians

I have written before about the three major Greek Tragedians , , and . Aeschylus and Sophocles both fought in Greek battles; Sophocles and Euripides were both child dancers at festivals. But what they really all had in common was Greek tragedy and theatre. A blog by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, May 19, 2023


Blue pen sketch of Beaumont Institute Lecture Hall
What’s new in the People’s Palace archive?

The title may seem like an oxymoron – the People’s Palace ceased to operate in 1954 and its archives have been fully catalogued on our online catalogue since 2012 - but an archive is not set in stone, and in the last ten years additional material has trickled in (eleven additional boxes worth to be exact). We have recently finished repackaging, describing and updating the catalogue with these additions and this blog will cover some of our favourite discoveries.

Date added: Thursday, April 13, 2023


Black and white photograph of young man (Clifford Edward Vincent) in profile
Remembrance Day 2022: Stories Behind the Names

At this year’s Remembrance Day service passages from the Roll of Honour books held in the University Archives will be read. These books record the names of Queen Mary students who died in military service during World War 1 and World War 2. The stories of three students will be read this year and we have used other student records in the archives to fill in details of the lives beyond their military service. 

Date added: Wednesday, November 9, 2022


Cartoon of Violet Aitken captioned
Building Mile End Library: First Librarians

The Building Mile End Library exhibition takes you through the origins of the “Student’s Library” 1890-1920, the move to the new “Old Library” in the Octagon in 1921 and the construction of the Mile End Library 1988-9. But as much as buildings shape the library’s history at the Mile End Campus so do the people. In this blog we will focus particularly on the lives and careers of the earliest librarians that took the student library from a small room in the Queen’s building to the “Old Library” in the Octagon.

Date added: Friday, October 7, 2022


Group of ten students, two male and eight women, and Hilaire Belloc posed for a class photograph
HILAIRE BELLOC AT EAST LONDON COLLEGE

Hilaire Belloc was Head of English Language and Literature 1911-1913 at East London College (the former name of Queen Mary University of London). We recently re-discovered this connection because of a photograph in our collections. This role as university educator is not one that has been highlighted before in Belloc’s biography. He is otherwise remembered for his politics, poetry and journalism.

Date added: Monday, July 25, 2022


Quotation in gilt lettering on a grey stone plaque above the door of the Museum and Library Block at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London
The Tradition of Quotations

A blog by Rare Books and Special Collections Assistant Anne-Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, March 11, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: EURIPIDES

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Euripides. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, March 4, 2022


Three publications by Towns and Development
New Collection: United Kingdom One World Association and Towns & Development

New Collection Alert! We recently received a donation of the United Kingdom One World Association and Towns & Development Records.  We are excited to announce it has undergone our initial processing and is ready for researchers to dig into. A collections overview is on our catalogue Ref. OWLTD and a box list is available on request. Read on to find out more about this new addition.

Date added: Monday, February 21, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: ARISTOTLE

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Aristotle. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, February 25, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: PLATO

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Plato. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, February 18, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: SOCRATES

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Socrates. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, February 11, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: SOPHOCLES

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Sophocles. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, January 28, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: PINDAR

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Pindar. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, January 28, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: AESCHYLUS

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Aeschylus. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, January 21, 2022


Illustration of Octagon Dome design showing names of ancient writers on base of dome
EIGHT OCTAGON ANCIENT WRITERS: HOMER

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on the gold plated names etched in the base of the dome. These are the names of eight Greek and Roman philosophers and poets that lived in the ancient world, whose works are still read today. This week the focus is on Homer. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, January 14, 2022


Bust of Byron in the Octagon
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: LORD BYRON

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on Lord Byron. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, January 7, 2022


Bust of Scott in the Octagon
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: SIR WALTER SCOTT

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on Sir Walter Scott. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, December 17, 2021


Bust of Wordsworth in the Octagon
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on William Wordsworth. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, December 10, 2021


Bust of Johnson in the Octagon
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: SAMUEL JOHNSON

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on Samuel Johnson. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, December 3, 2021


Bust of Dryden in the Octagon
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: JOHN DRYDEN

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on John Dryden. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, November 26, 2021


Bust of Milton in the Octagon
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: JOHN MILTON

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on John Milton. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, November 19, 2021


Bust of Shakespeare in the Octagon
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on William Shakespeare. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, November 12, 2021


Photograph of golden bust of Geoffrey Chaucer
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS: GEOFFREY CHAUCER

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. This week the focus is on Geoffrey Chaucer. A series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Friday, November 5, 2021


Illustration of octagon library surrounded by eight busts
EIGHT OCTAGON POETS IN THE OLD LIBRARY

Have you ever ventured into the Octagon, which used to be the Queen Mary library, for meetings or lectures and has your eye started wandering around the room? In doing so your gaze may have rested on several busts clinging to the edge of life on the balcony, looking down on us. A blog series by Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg.

Date added: Thursday, November 4, 2021


Photograph of Papyrus fragment: Letter of Apia to Zoilos her brother
THE WRITTEN TRADITION

In a follow up to the Oral Tradition, Special Collections Information Assistant Anne Marie McHarg explores writing and words in their many forms.

Date added: Friday, October 29, 2021


Title page from An Introduction to the Study of Seaweeds by George Murray
BOTANY IN THE RARE BOOKS

In September the Chelsea Flower Show will once again open its doors to the public after a long lockdown. Let Special Collections Information Assistant, Anne Marie McHarg, open a book or two to showcase the wealth of rare books in our collection on plants and wildlife. 

Date added: Friday, September 17, 2021


Title page from an Oxford edition of the Iliad by Homer with text in greek and latin, 1740s
THE ORAL TRADITION (IN WRITING)

After her look at Aesop, Anne-Marie, our Rare Books and Special Collections Information Assistant, has taken a closer look at the oral tradition of storytelling and how it has developed over time, up to the present day.

Date added: Monday, June 7, 2021


Plate showing Aesop from Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists / with morals and reflections by Sir Roger L'Estrange, Kt
AESOP IN THE RARE BOOKS COLLECTION

Anne-Marie McHarg, Rare Books and Special Collections Information Assistant, has been looking at the books held in our rare books collection as she works her way through cataloguing them. First up, a closer look at Aesop and his fables, and a connection to one of our buildings which you may not know about!

Date added: Thursday, April 29, 2021


Photograph of the A mahzor (book of liturgical prayers) for the feasts of Sukot, Pesach and Shavu’ot, dating from 1784; the book is open and sitting on a book cushion
INTRODUCING THE LEO BAECK INSTITUTE LONDON COLLECTION

The Leo Baeck Institute London Collection is a valuable resource for the study of German-Jewish history and culture. It was recently deposited at Queen Mary University of London Library, by the Leo Baeck Institute London, and is available to researchers. In this post, we give an overview of the collection and take a look at some notable items.

Date added: Wednesday, February 27, 2019


Formal photograph of five standing and seated Westfield College Staff in a garden
FOR WHAT REASONS THE MURDER WAS DONE: THE DESTRUCTION OF CONSTANCE MAYNARD'S DIARIES

A murder most historical! A detailed look at the deposit file of Constance Louisa Maynard personal papers, the first principal of Westfield College, and what it revealed about what is missing from the collection.

Date added: Thursday, December 12, 2019


Screenshot of an Instagram post on the Queen Mary Archives Instagram account
NEW ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS INSTAGRAM

A new way of enjoying our unique and inspiring collections at Queen Mary Archives & Special Collections has arrived! Follow @qmarchives to learn more about this resource for original research, see collection highlights and get research inspiration.

Date added: Wednesday, November 27, 2019


Colour photograph of Christine Lawrence, Bishop Trevor Huddleston, Donald Chesworth and Reverend Austen Williams, 1972
STORIES FROM THE CHESWORTH ARCHIVE: CHRISTINE LAWRENCE AND THE MAHIWA YOUNG FARMERS TRAINING CENTRE

At Queen Mary, we love how our archives preserve the stories of ordinary people who are often forgotten by the history books. In this blog post, we look at the life of Christine Lawrence (1930-2011), whose experiences working in Tanzania in the 1960s are preserved in the archive of Donald Chesworth.

Date added: Friday, August 16, 2019


Example of marbled paper with swirls of colour in yellow, orange and turquoise
PAPER MARBLING AT THE FESTIVAL OF COMMUNITIES

A couple of weeks ago, Archives and Special Collections took part in the Festival of Communities, an annual event co-ordinated by Queen Mary University of London which explores living and learning across the Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Date added: Tuesday, July 9, 2019


Donald Chesworth in tuxedo and bow tie
CATALOGUING BEGINS ON THE DONALD CHESWORTH COLLECTION

Donald Chesworth (1923-1991) was a politician and administrator. Over the course of his 45-year career, he worked for a wide range of organisations on projects aligned with his socialist values, both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Date added: Monday, April 29, 2019


Image of Jon John standing against a white-painted brick wall. He is bare-chested and looking into the camera
QUEEN MARY’S LIVE ART COLLECTIONS ENHANCED AS JON JOHN’S PERSONAL PAPERS JOIN THE ARCHIVES

At the end of August 2018, Queen Mary University of London Archives received the personal papers of Jon John (1983-2017), performance artist and practitioner of body modification, from his friend and collaborator Paul King.

Date added: Friday, October 12, 2018


People's Palace press cuttings - pre conservation
CONSERVATION NEWS – PEOPLE’S PALACE PRESS CUTTINGS GIVEN NEW LEASE OF LIFE

We have recently begun a project, enlisting the services of Codex Conservation, to repair fragile volumes which were in too poor a condition to safely provide access to our users. We have just received back the two hefty volumes from the first batch – completely transformed from their previous sorry condition!

Date added: Tuesday, July 3, 2018


Diagram and notes by Ian Hinchcliffe showing large armchair with sign
IAN HINCHLIFFE'S PAPERS NEWLY CATALOGUED AND SEARCHABLE ONLINE

The personal papers of Ian Hinchliffe (1942-2010), performance artist, have now been catalogued, and are searchable via our online catalogue. To celebrate the accessibility of this fantastic resource, we have been given, as a guest contribution, a version of a talk delivered by Dr Dominic Johnson at the public research event Hinchliffe’s Afterlives’ in November 2017, organised in collaboration with Dave Stephens and the Live Art Development Agency.

Date added: Friday, June 1, 2018


Engineering Society Dinner Menu 1914
NEW CATALOGUE FOR THE PAPERS OF JOHN TURNER MACGREGOR-MORRIS

Records relating to the early work of Queen Mary’s Electrical Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering departments have recently been catalogued. The records form part of the papers of John Turner MacGregor-Morris. MacGregor-Morris (1872-1959) was Professor of Electrical Engineering at East London College, later Queen Mary College.

Date added: Friday, April 27, 2018


Accredited Archives Service logo
QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON ARCHIVES AWARDED ARCHIVES ACCREDITATION

We are delighted to announce that the Archives service at Queen Mary University of London has been awarded Archives Accreditation by the UK Archive Service Accreditation Committee, representing the entire archive sector.

Date added: Thursday, April 5, 2018


Portrait of Wolfgang Held in his office
WOLFGANG HELD'S PAPERS COME TO QUEEN MARY

For our second guest post of the year, Professor Rüdiger Görner, Director of the Centre for Anglo-German Cultural Relations at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), has written about an exciting new accession to the Archives - the personal papers of the German born novelist, translator, musician and visual artist Wolfgang Held (1933-2016).

Date added: Sunday, February 11, 2018


St Barts Catering Company complaints book entry
ST BARTS CATERING - "TO FEED US OR TO ANNOY US?"

In a special guest post, Amanda Engineer, Project Archivist at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Archive, looks to newly catalogued material to answer the question posed by one unhappy customer, “Does the Catering Company exist to feed us or to annoy us?” Two surviving Complaints books, 1885-1954, and a minute book of the College Catering Company, 1936-1953, available to researchers at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Archive and Museum, provide a vivid insight into the eating experience and expectations of student doctors at Bart’s during this period.  

Date added: Friday, January 5, 2018


Hinchliffe posing with his art installation, Lina Garnade Foundation Course Exhibition, Southwark Community Education, 1991
Ian Hinchliffe archives comes to Queen Mary University of London

The personal papers of the performance artist, Ian Hinchliffe (1942-2010) have been transferred to our Archives.

Date added: Thursday, March 16, 2017


Heym Libris Book Cover
LIBRIS UK CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLE

Libris UK was an independent publishing company, based in London from September 1986 until its closure in 2014.

Date added: Thursday, March 9, 2017


Students performing Macbeth
SHAKESPEARE AT 400: TEACHING AND PERFORMANCE IN THE ARCHIVES

2016 marks the 400th anniversary of poet, playwright and actor William Shakespeare’s death (baptised 26 April 1564, died 23 April 1616).

Date added: Thursday, June 23, 2016


Photographic portrait of Francis Grenfell in military uniform
GRENFELL FAMILY ARCHIVES CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLE

The catalogue of the Grenfell family archives (1800s-1962) is now available.

Date added: Monday, April 4, 2016


Photograph from newspaper of QMUL Womens Group marching at a protest with banners
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: QUEEN MARY COLLEGE WOMEN’S GROUP

In October 1974 Lyn Millington-Wallace, a second year economics student, proposed starting a women’s group at the college to campaign against sexism, and invited interested students to get in touch.

Date added: Tuesday, March 15, 2016


Photograph of Lucy Masterman c 1908
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: LUCY MASTERMAN

Blog number three in our Women’s History Month series looks at Lucy Masterman (1884-1977), a poet and Liberal Party politician.

Date added: Friday, February 26, 2016


Photo of Constance Garnett in profile
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: PEOPLE’S PALACE LIBRARIANS

Blog number two in our Women’s History Month series looks at Constance Garnett (née Black, 1861-1946).

Date added: Friday, February 26, 2016


Photograph of Alicia Sophia Bleby on left and Emily Florence Thompson on right
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH: THE FIRST FIVE STUDENTS AT WESTFIELD

This is the first in a series of weekly blogs from Queen Mary University of London Archives celebrating Women’s History Month.

Date added: Tuesday, February 23, 2016


Programme of Inaugural Lecture by Dr Patrick Moore on Hailey's Comet
NEW HISTORYPIN COLLECTION AND ARCHIVES GALLERY - INAUGURAL LECTURES AT QMUL

A new Historypin collection and an archive gallery on the history of inaugural lectures at Queen Mary are available now, highlighting some of the lectures that took place between 1937 and 1986.

Date added: Friday, February 12, 2016


Black and white caricature drawing of a woman
NEW ARCHIVES GALLERY – HISTORIC STUDENT PROFILES

A new archive gallery showing a selection of student profiles written between 1949 and 1954 is now available online.

Date added: Tuesday, February 9, 2016


Colour image of a woman sitting behind a table; there is a noticeboard behind them decorated with photographs and leaflets on the table
HISTORY DAY AT SENATE HOUSE

At the end of November, Queen Mary University Archives took part in the Institute of Historical Research’s third History Day held at Senate House.

Date added: Tuesday, December 8, 2015


Reprint of a block of poetry text from a poem called a new kind of sonnet
POETRY IN THE ARCHIVES

The Globe Road Poetry Festival took place from 13th-15th November 2015 on and around the Queen Mary Mile End Campus.

Date added: Friday, September 11, 2015


Programme of Inaugural Lecture by Dr Patrick Moore on Hailey's Comet
INAUGURAL LECTURES AT QMUL: HISTORY AND RE-LAUNCH

The month of October brings the re-launch of the Inaugural Lecture Series.

Date added: Thursday, September 10, 2015


Students rowing near a bridge
HISTORY OF CLUBS AND SOCIETIES AT QUEEN MARY

With the start of the new academic year comes the inevitable task of deciding which clubs and societies to join.

Date added: Monday, September 21, 2015


Peoples Palace Day School boys studying a classroom in the Peoples Palace c 1890s
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY: EXPLORE ARCHIVES RESOURCES ON YOUTH ISSUES

International Youth Day takes place annually on the 12th August.

Date added: Thursday, October 8, 2015


Riverdale
CATALOGUING BEGINS ON GRENFELL FAMILY ARCHIVES

Cataloguing of the Grenfell family archives is underway at Queen Mary Archives. This aristocratic family has a long and interesting history.

Date added: Tuesday, June 2, 2015


Photograph of group of students at Westfield College c 1910s including Psao Tseng and Dr Ellen Delf
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT QMUL ARCHIVES

The archives at Queen Mary are a rich and diverse resource for those interested in women’s history.

Date added: Tuesday, March 10, 2015


Photograph of Neville Lyttelton with wife Katherine and children Hilda, Lucy and Hermione at Stocks Cottage c1890
GENERAL SIR NEVILLE LYTTELTON CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLE

The catalogue of the archives of General Sir Neville Lyttelton (1845-1931), an officer in the British Army, is now available here.

Date added: Wednesday, February 11, 2015


Front cover of World War 1 Roll of Honour
FIRST WORLD WAR RECORDS NOW AVAILABLE TO VIEW ONLINE

The Roll of Honour for the Great War 1914 to 1918, has now been digitised and is available to download here.

Date added: Tuesday, November 4, 2014


Sepia photograph of a woman in profile clothed in late 19th century dress
ARCHIVES SHEDS LIGHT ON CHILD BRIDES AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE 1880S, AND THE INFAMOUS ‘RUKHMABAI COURT CASE’

In the history of women’s rights and education the case of Rukhmabai in India is a pertinent one.

Date added: Thursday, September 25, 2014


Title Page of booklet 'In Time of War: A few words to girls/mothers,' by Lavinia Talbot 1914
WOMEN ON THE HOME FRONT

With so many men sent out to the front line during the First World War (1914-1918) the role of women on the home front became very important.

Date added: Tuesday, September 2, 2014


Excerpt of a letter held in the Lyttelton Collection
ARCHIVES PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE FOUNDING OF THE EAST LONDON NURSING SOCIETY

The Lyttelton collection held here in Queen Mary’s archives shows that it was not only General Sir Neville Lyttelton and his wife Katherine who got involved in philanthropic projects.

Date added: Wednesday, July 30, 2014


Group of nurses and injured servicemen in a hospital during world war 2
THE MEANINGS OF MILITARY SERVICE

The Meanings of Military Service website is now available online.

Date added: Friday, July 25, 2014


Portrait photograph of Katherine Lyttelton holding a book
DOCUMENTS REVEAL VICTORIAN LADIES VIEWS ON SPORT

An interesting letter has been found whilst cataloguing the Lyttelton family collection, from Katherine Lyttelton to her husband General Sir Neville Lyttelton about women’s cricket.

Date added: Tuesday, June 24, 2014


Part of letter by Sir Neville Lyttelton describing witnessing the Halley's Comet
THE ARCHIVES DISCOVER FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS OF HALLEY’S COMET, 25TH MAY 1910

It was an active year for comets in 1910.

Date added: Friday, May 23, 2014


Photo postcard (depicting King Albert I of Belgium) from Princess Clementine of Belgium to Katherine Lyttleton thanking her for help with Belgian refugees, 1915
PRIMARY SOURCES TELL THE STORY OF BELGIAN REFUGEES WHO SOUGHT REFUGE IN ENGLAND DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Katherine Lyttelton, wife of General Sir Neville Lyttelton, was heavily involved in helping the Belgian refugees during the First World War.

Date added: Monday, May 12, 2014


Neville Lyttelton with wife Katherine and children Hilda, Lucy and Hermione at Stocks Cottage c1890
TREASURES IN THE LYTTELTON FAMILY ARCHIVES

Cataloguing the many thousands of letters in the Lyttelton family archive is underway in the Archives.

Date added: Monday, May 12, 2014


Illustration of wounded soldier by Jean Cummel 1915
TREASURES IN THE LYTTELTON FAMILY ARCHIVES

Cataloguing of the archives of General Sir Neville Lyttelton is now underway, and many interesting items have already been uncovered.

Date added: Thursday, March 20, 2014


Black and white image of a person sitting in front of a computer
8 FANTASTIC FACTS ABOUT COMPUTING AT QUEEN MARY

Did you know...

Date added: Wednesday, November 20, 2013


Abstract painting showing world war 1 battle site showing barbed wire, trenches and smoke
THE MEANINGS OF MILITARY SERVICE PROJECT

The Archives has been awarded a grant from the Centre for Public Engagement.

Date added: Thursday, October 24, 2013


1974 Students in Rag Week pushing a wheeled bed with balloons
RARE FILM FOOTAGE OF QM AVAILABLE ONLINE

An alumnus has donated a rare film of Rag Week at Queen Mary College in 1974 to the Archives.

Date added: Thursday, October 24, 2013


Front Cover of Syllabus, Course of Ten Lectures on Shakespeare's workshop by J Isaac
CATALOGUE OF THE ARCHIVES OF JACOB ISAACS NOW AVAILABLE

A catalogue of the archives of Jacob Isaacs, writer and university lecturer (1896-1973), is now available here.

Date added: Friday, June 7, 2013


Signature of T. S. Eliot
T. S. ELIOT LETTER DISCOVERED IN THE ARCHIVES

A typed letter written by the poet T. S. Eliot has been discovered in the Jacob Isaacs Collection.

Date added: Thursday, January 10, 2013


Front of Victorian Peoples Palace, now Queens Building and front of Queen Mary University
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE: THE PALACE JOURNAL

Our project to digitise the Palace Journals, 1887 to 1893, the weekly newspaper of the People’s Palace, has now been completed and the Journals are available to view online.

Date added: Friday, July 27, 2012


Two pages from Constance Maynard's Diaries dated 1924
NOW ONLINE: CONSTANCE MAYNARD DIARIES AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Constance Maynard was the first Mistress of Westfield College and a pioneer in women’s higher education.

Date added: Friday, April 13, 2012


Photograph of Stanley Bindoff and seminar group of students c 1960s
TUDOR HISTORIAN’S ARCHIVES NOW AVAILABLE

The archives of Stanley Bindoff, Historian, are now catalogued and available to users.

Date added: Thursday, November 1, 2012


Christmas card with a drawing of Santa in red outfit and the message
The Ghost of Christmas Past...

Here are a few memories of festive celebrations at Queen Mary from the Ghost of Christmas Past...

Date added: Friday, December 9, 2011


Sepia photograph of Constance Maynard
TEN FACTS FOUND IN THE MAYNARD COLLECTION - NOW AVAILABLE TO USERS

To celebrate the completed catalogue of the Constance Maynard Archive being available to users, we would like to let you in on ten surprising facts about the first headmistress of Westfield College.

Date added: Tuesday, March 9, 2010


Outside of Westfield College Old House
IS THE OLD CAMPUS OF WESTFIELD COLLEGE HAUNTED? THE ARCHIVES TEAM INVESTIGATE...

The Archives Team recently visited the old campus of Westfield College in Hampstead, which is now a residential campus of Kings College, and heard of stories of ghosts reportedly haunting the grounds.

Date added: Friday, August 27, 2010


East London College sport jackets belonging to Hilda Mary Smith and Philip Henry Wood as well as a wedding photo of the pair
LOVE AND ROMANCE AT QUEEN MARY THIS VALENTINES

This Valentines we are remembering one of the many love stories that have begun at Queen Mary.

Date added: Tuesday, February 9, 2010


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