The Bodleian Library holds substantial collections of publications, including government publications, on Africa (catalogued on SOLO) and houses many important Africa-related manuscripts and archives (catalogued on Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts).
The archives comprise the papers of individuals and organisations relating to the history Africa, mainly the history of former British colonies in Africa. They date predominantly from the 19th and 20th centuries but include material from the 17th century onwards. There are around 4,000 collections, ranging in size from a single volume to over 1,000 boxes and include correspondence, diaries, papers, photographs, lantern slides, posters, artwork, audio-visual and digital material.
Many of the collections were gathered by the Oxford Colonial Records Project, established in 1963 to locate and preserve the papers of former colonial administrators. This project was followed in 1977 by the Oxford Development Records Project which focussed on the papers of officials and non-officials involved in development work in the former British dependencies in Africa, in particular in the areas of agriculture, education and medical work.
Major collections of personal papers include those of the imperialist and politician Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902), the soldier and colonial administrator Frederick Lugard (1858-1945), the statesman Arthur Creech Jones (1891-1965), the historian Margery Perham (1895-1982), the Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Sir Roy Welensky (1907-1991), the author and journalist Elspeth Huxley (1907-1997) and Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (1913-1998) who was President of the Anti-Apartheid Movement.
Among the archives of organisations are those of the Anti-Slavery Society, dating from the 1820s to the late 20th century, the Africa Bureau, the Fabian Colonial Bureau and the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM). Some of the papers in the AAM archive are available on the website ‘Forward to Freedom’. The single largest collection is that of the Anglican missionary organisation, the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG), which was founded in 1701 and still exists. It was involved in educational and medical work in many parts of the world including west, central and southern Africa and the archive is a rich resouce for many areas of research.
Collections relating to Africa are consulted in the David Reading Room, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BG (http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/weston).
SOAS Library – an Open Letter from SCOLMA
9th January 2019 Dear Baroness Amos, Re: SOAS Library – Open Letter I am writing on behalf of SCOLMA (the UK Libraries and Archives Group on Africa) to express our deep concerns about the proposed cuts to SOAS Library. SOAS Library holds one of the most important African Studies collections in the UK, widely … Read more
The Henry Martin Centre archives are a collection mainly of the papers of missionaries from the 19th and 20th centuries,
Cambridge University Library :- Royal Commonwealth Society Library collections.