Collections A-Z

Explore our unique collections, with particular strengths in theatre, stand-up comedy, political cartoons and the history of science. We hold material dating from the medieval and early modern era, through to modern times.

Use the table below to browse our collections. 

  • Where a collection forms part of a larger thematic collection (such as the British Cartoon Archive), we have included the parent collection in the right-hand column. 
  • To change the sorting of either column, just click on the column header. 
  • Use the search box to filter the list.

Our collections

Our Collections arrow-down Parent collection arrow-down
Alan Reeve-Jones Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Alexei Sayle Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Andrew Sherlock Radio Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Andy Capp Collection British Cartoon Archive
Andy de la Tour Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Anne Marie Duffy Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Arnold Brown Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Arthur Horner Collection British Cartoon Archive
Arthur Williams Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Attila the Stockbroker Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Ballad and Song Collection Other collections
Barker Oral History Tapes Other collections
Beaverbrook Collection British Cartoon Archive
Bernard Weatherill Papers Other collections
Bert Thomas Collection British Cartoon Archive
Bibliography Collection Other collections
Bigwood Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Books-across-the-Sea Collection Other collections
British Cartoon Archive Library British Cartoon Archive
British Stand-Up Comedy Archive Events Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Buddy Hell Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Calman Collection British Cartoon Archive
Calthrop Boucicault Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Carl Giles Trust Archive British Cartoon Archive
Catherine Crowe Collection Other collections
Charles Dickens Theatre Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Chris Riddell Collection British Cartoon Archive
Colin Wheeler Collection British Cartoon Archive
CP Davies Collection of Mills and Milling Wind and Watermilll Collections
David Austin Collection British Cartoon Archive
David Drummond Pantomime Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
David Lloyd George Collection Other collections
David Low Collection British Cartoon Archive
Diaries of the Here and Now Other collections
Drummond Comedy Scripts Collection Other collections
Eccles Archive British Cartoon Archive
Edward Woodward Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
EM Forster Collection Other collections
EM Tenison Papers Other collections
Emmwood [John Musgrave-Wood] Collection British Cartoon Archive
Eric Barker Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Fawkes Boucicault Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Funny Women Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
George Ashton Autograph Letters Other collections
George Beaumont Collection Other collections
Grace Pettman Archive Other collections
Gulbenkian Arts Centre Archive University of Kent Archive
Haro Archive British Cartoon Archive
Harry Hill Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Hattie Hayridge Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Hendrie Collection Other collections
Hewlett Johnson Papers Other collections
Ian Gardhouse Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Ivor Dembina Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Jack Johns Charles Darwin Collection Other collections
Jacques Copeau Archive Theatre and Performance Collections
James 'Gabriel' Friell Collection British Cartoon Archive
Jeremy Hardy Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Jim Barclay Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
JJ Waller Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Joan Wake Collection of French Plays Theatre and Performance Collections
John Crow Collections Other collections
John Holman Collection of Mill Memorabilia Wind and Watermilll Collections
John Jensen Collection British Cartoon Archive
John Pidgeon Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Jon [William John Philpin Jones] Collection British Cartoon Archive
Josie Long Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Joy Curnow Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
KEM [Kimon Evan Marengo] Archive British Cartoon Archive
Ken Pyne Collection British Cartoon Archive
Kingsley Wood Collection Other collections
Leslie Gibbard Collection British Cartoon Archive
Linda Smith Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Local History Collection Other collections
Luke Hansard Papers Other collections
Mac [Stan McMurty] Collection British Cartoon Archive
Maddison Collection Other collections
Marcus Elmore Collection of play texts Theatre and Performance Collections
Mark Thomas Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Marlowe Theatre Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Martin Rowson Collection British Cartoon Archive
Max Tyler Music Hall Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Melville Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Michael Cummings Collection British Cartoon Archive
Millennium Collection Wind and Watermilll Collections
Modern First Editions and Modern Poetry Collections Other collections
Monika Bobinska Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Muggeridge Collection of Mill Photographs Wind and Watermilll Collections
Muggeridge Photographs of Churches and Rural Subjects Wind and Watermilll Collections
Nathalie Sarraute Papers Other collections
Nicholas Garland Collection British Cartoon Archive
Nick Toczek Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Oliver Double Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Papers of the Shirley Foundation UK Philanthropy Archive
Penguin Collection Other collections
Peter Aldor Collection British Cartoon Archive
Peter Baldwin Collection of Toy Theatres and Juvenile Drama Theatre and Performance Collections
Peter Graham Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Peter Mellini Collection British Cartoon Archive
Pettingell Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Playbill Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Pollock's Toy Theatre Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Pre-1700s Collection Other collections
Prescriptions: Artist's books Other collections
Programme Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Proverb and Language Collection Other collections
Punch Collection British Cartoon Archive
Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment Collection Other collections
Ralph Steadman Collection British Cartoon Archive
Reading Rayner Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Renaissance Collection Other collections
Richard Herring Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Robin Ince Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Ronald A. Baldwin Collection Other collections
Ronald James Programme Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Rood Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Seona McKinnon Collection Theatre and Performance Collections
Sidney 'George' Strube Archive British Cartoon Archive
Stanley Franklin Collection British Cartoon Archive
Steve Bell Collection British Cartoon Archive
Tiernan Douieb Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Tiffin Mill Scrapbook Wind and Watermilll Collections
Tom Webster Collection British Cartoon Archive
Tony Allen Collection British Stand-Up Comedy Archive
Trog [Wally Fawkes] Collection British Cartoon Archive
TS Eliot Collection Other collections
Valerie Eliot Collection of Contemporary Poetry Other collections
Winstanley Oral History Collection Other collections
William Kerridge Haselden Collection British Cartoon Archive
Young Collection Other collections
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