The Archives hold a wealth of fascinating institutional and personal archives, dating from the 17th century to the present day. Among its varied collections, the Archives hold:
- College archives: the institutional records of Queen Mary and Westfield College 1882 to present.
- Private papers of individuals, and the records of several organisations: dating from the 18th century to the 1990s.
- Rare prints: dating from 17th century to the 1960s.
The collections are in a range of formats, including paper (e.g. letters, minutes and printed reports), manuscripts, photographs, prints, parchment, cinefilm, audio cassette, video, digital media and artefacts. Records of the medical colleges are held by St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Archives and Museums.
Archives Catalogue
The Archives Catalogue contains collection, file and item level descriptions of the collections. Search the Archives Catalogue for records relating to your research, or for the names of persons or places featured in the collections. Digital images of some of the items in the collections are available.
College Archives
This college archives chart the history and development of Queen Mary, and include the records of Queen Mary College, which originated with the establishment of the People’s Palace in 1887, and Westfield College, which opened in 1882 as a pioneering higher education College for women. The collections tell the personal stories of former staff and students, and provide a fascinating insight into the history of women in higher education and the social history of East London, from the Victorian period to the present day. The main elements of the collections are:
- Queen Mary, University of London 1989–present
- Queen Mary College 1887–1989
- Westfield College 1882–1989
For more information on the contribution of women to the history of the College see the Women At Queen Mary Online Exhibition.
Private Papers and Organisations Archives
Arts, humanities and social sciences collections
The personal papers of former lecturers of the College provide evidence of teaching and research.
- Bindoff, Stanley Thomas (1908–1980), first professor of history 1951–1980
- Hennessy, Peter, (b.1947), journalist and professor of contemporary history
- Isaacs, Jacob (1896–1973), professor of English
- Jenkins, Harold (1909–2000), literary scholar, English lecturer
- Leslie, Robert Frank (fl.1918–1994), professor of history
- Maynard, Constance (1849–1935), mistress of Westfield College, theologian
- Schmitthoff, Clive Macmillan (1903–1990), law lecturer
- Skeel, Caroline (1872–1951), Classicist, professor of history
The papers of other individuals and records of organisations represent primary sources for the study of subjects in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
- Benson, Stella (1892–1933), novelist, feminist, writer
- Carlton, Ann, (fl. 1965–2004), Labour Party activist
- Chesworth, Donald Piers (1923–1991), politician, administrator
- East London Papers: administrative papers, and journal of history, social studies and the arts
- Fowler, Rachel Elfreda (fl. 1872-1927), art historian
- Haydon, Benjamin Robert (1786–1846), painter
- Lyttelton, General Sir Neville Gerald (1845–1931), army officer
- Martin, John (1789–1854), painter
- Maynard, Constance (1849–1935), writer
- National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers: records c.1889–1989
- Palmer, Samuel (1805–1881), painter
- Smetham, James (1821–1889), painter
- Skeel family, merchants and apothecaries: family papers 1785–1928
- Temple, William (1881–1944), archbishop of Canterbury
- Wakefield, Edward Gibbon (1796–1862), colonial statesman
- Wyld, Professor Henry Cecil Kennedy (1870–1945), professor of English
Science and Engineering Collections
Personal papers of former lecturers and students of the College provide evidence of science and engineering teaching and research.
- Brooke, Eileen (d.1989), mathematician
- Delf Smith, Ellen (1883–1980), botantist
- Garwood, Robert Francis, (1914–1984), chemistry lecturer
- Jones, Gwyn Owain, (fl. 1949), professor and head of the department of physics
- MacGregor-Morris, John Turner (1872–1959), professor of electrical engineering
Digitised Records
Online access to digital versions of records held by the Archives are available through our Digitised Records page. This includes:
- The Westfield College Print Collection comprising rare prints of lithographs, mezzotints, copper plate engravings and sketches of artwork and posters dating from 17th century to the 1960s.
- Constance Maynard's writings, 'Green Book Diaries' and Autobiography.
- The Palace Journal, the newsletters of The People's Palace 1887-1894.
Further Information
For further information about our collections or to make a research enquiry contact archives@qmul.ac.uk
Printable leaflets about the archives can be downloaded here:
Archives (PDF) Archives 2011.pdf
Student Reminiscences of Westfield College (PDF) Student Reminiscences.pdf
