Libraries-Archives-Collections

Descriptions of SCOLMA member institutions and other African Studies Collections in the UK

British Empire & Commonwealth Collection – Bristol Archives

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The British Empire & Commonwealth Collection, based at Bristol Archives, is a substantial archive documenting the history of countries in the former empire from the late 19th century to recent times. This unique resource includes objects, artworks, photographs, films, papers and sound archives. These were donated by British people who lived and worked in many … Read more

The Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York

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The Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York holds a wide variety of archives relating to southern Africa, and relate mostly to the period following the Second World War. Zimbabwe and Zambia and certain aspects of South Africa are particularly well represented in the archives, although Botswana, Angola, Mozambique and Namibia are also … Read more

Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library at Senate House Library, University of London

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The Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library was formed in 1949. It is a research level library concentrating on the Commonwealth as an organisation; international relations of Commonwealth countries; and constitutional, political, demographic, social and economic development within the Commonwealth as a whole, and among individual member countries outside the UK. The Institute of Commonwealth Studies … Read more

African Studies Library, University of Cambridge

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The Centre of African Studies was established in 1965 by the path-breaking anthropologist, Dr Audrey Richards.  It acts as a hub for graduate level and faculty research, runs weekly seminars and research workshops for graduate students, and  organises international conferences both in Cambridge and African institutions.  In addition to fostering PhD level research, it runs … Read more

SOAS – School of Oriental and African Studies

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  The Africa collection at SOAS Library encompasses the whole of Africa and broadly covers the humanities and social sciences. The collection includes rare books and manuscripts in addition to recent and current publications, both in print and other formats (for example audio-visual and electronic formats) from around the world. SOAS Library is a research … Read more

Danford Collection

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University of BirminghamJohn Danford O.B.E. was a professionally trained artist who was for some years a British Council representative in Nigeria. The collection is an important collection of c.480 African art works and artefacts. It includes traditional works from authentic sources, valuable pieces commissioned from now-famous individual carvers and artists, such as Lamidi Fakeye, Justus Akeredolu, Bamgboye and Bandele, as well as contemporary African art. At the heart of the collection is the substantial holding of Yorùbá pieces collected by John Danford in the 1950s.

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Ruth First Collection

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The Institute of Commonwealth Studies
The Ruth First collection archive collection at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library relates predominantly to the years 1946-1982, and includes personal material, papers relating to her work as a journalist in South Africa, as university lecturer, anti-apartheid activist, and author and editor of books and articles on African and other political topics.

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National Archives – Africa through a lens

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The National Archives - Africa through a lensAfrica through a lens is a set of thousands of images taken from a broader photographic collection of Foreign and Commonwealth Office images, held at The National Archives. Starting with some incredible early photographs from the 1860s, the images span over 100 years of African history. These images are now available, for the first time, to view online.

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