An image from the Morning Star Archive of the T & G W.U Official Strike. A person at the back is holding a banner which says: "40 hours, 1976, 25 pounds".

Labour and Socialist History

Bishopsgate Institute’s Special Collections and Archives have been collecting material on Labour and Socialist History for over 100 years. We are now one of the major repositories for this subject in the UK.

Our collections include the archives of politicians and activists, such as Jack Gaster, Noreen Branson, Sam Russell, Joyce Butler and Bernie Grant, and organisations, such as the Evening Standard Outside Chapel, General Federation of Trade Unions and the National Miners' Support Network.

We’re also proud to hold the library and archive of politician and trade unionist George Howell (1833-1910). The Howell Library offers a rich variety of material covering the political, social, philosophical and religious questions of his time. The Howell Archive contains his own personal and political letters and manuscripts, alongside the records of the First International, Reform League and Plimsoll Fund.

The Special Collections and Archives also holds 25,000 books and over 10,000 pamphlets on labour and socialist history, spanning from the nineteenth century to the present day.

Collections

  1. Joyce and Vic Butler Archive

  2. Harry Landis Unity Theatre Collection

  3. Ron Travis Unity Theatre Collection

  4. Jewish Socialist Archive

  5. Parliamentary Profiles Archive

    c1950-2010

  6. Beetlestone, Florence

    (b.1943)

  7. Sargeant, Jean

    1933-2011

  8. Richman, Geoff and Marie

  9. National Miners Support Network

  10. Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Machinists, Millwrights, Smiths and Pattern Makers

  11. Sedgwick, Peter

    1934-1983

  12. Howell Library

More Labour and Socialist History collections ...