Key Collections Series: Politics

Posted on March 18, 2016May 10, 2016 by Rebecca Bowd

Huddersfield’s fascinating political history is brought to life in Heritage Quay by the extensive range of collections that document the area’s 20^th and 21^st century political story. The overarching influence of the labour movement and the Labour Party on this narrative is keenly reflected through the collections. From the emergence and development of the Party’s grass roots (Huddersfield Labour Party Archive, Colne Valley Labour Party Archive and the Denby Dale Labour Party Archive) to the upper echelons of Westminster (J H Whitley, MP and Speaker of the House of Commons and JPW Mallalieu, MP Archives; Robert Blatchford Collections) and New Labour politics (Mick Clapham, MP Archive).

Signed photograph of Victor Grayson speaking a rally, c1907

William Glenvil Hall, Colne Valley MP, 1939-1962.

These collections reveal the local realities of the national party political system, and how this system has been informed and influenced by the unique character of Huddersfield’s political landscape. The library of famous statistician G.H. Wood covers economic and social history, education, health, housing and women’s history during the late 19^th and early 20^th century, and complement more contemporary left-wing publications including the Left Book Club and modern periodicals.

JPW Mallalieu, General Election leaflet, 1959.

Catalogued Collections

Library of Arthur Gardiner – http://heritagequay.org/archives/AG/

Library of Alistair Wilson – http://heritagequay.org/archives/AWI/

Robert Blatchford Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/BLA/

Colne Valley Labour Party Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/CVL/

Denby Dale Labour Party Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/DDL

George Henry Wood Collection – http://heritagequay.org/archives/GHW/

Garth Pratt Co-operative Society Library – http://heritagequay.org/archives/GPC/

J H Whitley Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/JHW/

Sir Joseph Percival William Mallalieu, MP Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/JPM/

Noreen Logan Archive (Relating to Huddersfield Labour Party) – http://heritagequay.org/archives/NL/

You can browse through and download a hard copy version of these catalogues on our ISSUU profile here: https://issuu.com/heritagequay/docs/heritage_quay_politics_collections_

Uncatalogued Collections

Bow Group Publications Library – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=bow+group

Huddersfield Labour Party Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/HLP/

Independent Labour Party Pamphlets – http://heritagequay.org/archives/ILP/

Left Book Club Publications Library – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=left+book+club

Mick Clapham, MP Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=Clapham%2C+Mick

Pursue your own research using the collections

Find out about our events exploring the collections- many free

Key Collections Series: Non-Conformity

Posted on March 11, 2016March 10, 2016 by Rebecca Bowd

The largest collection charting the history of non-conformity is that of the Wesley Historical Society (Yorkshire Branch). This collection which is still actively accruing material, covers circuit plans, leaflets, books and supporting historical material (such as centenary and anniversary brochures for chapels) for Wesleyan Methodist chapels across Yorkshire. It is an equally interesting collection for genealogists as it is for researchers of Methodist history. The history of chapels can be traced, as can the careers of preachers and the involvement of local individuals and families in the history of a particular place. A supplementary reference library also exists to complement the archival collection, which contains original books from the nineteenth century and books providing historical context and analysis of Methodist history, magazines and conference proceedings. The Lumbutts Sunday School Archive is an example of a library collection removed intact from a chapel and transferred to the archives which speaks to the methods used at the time to teach young children, and the type of literature deemed most appropriate at that time.

Print of a painting of John Wesley by Frank Salisbury, c1932.

Illuminated certificate presented to Mr George Allen, Leeds First Primitive Methodist Circuit, 1887.

The Scholes-Monaghan Collection is an archive of the history of a family involved in Wesleyan Methodist missionary work throughout the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These contain personal accounts of journeys to and missionary work in China, and ephemera collected during their time abroad. The collection also reflects the history of a family, with photographs and accounts of journeys through Europe, diaries, educational and family documents and correspondence. The Guest collection is another family archive deeply rooted in the Methodist tradition.

Summer Bridge Chapel, Easter Tuesday 1894 meeting poster

Huddersfield Mission Annual Report, 1961.

There are also a number of smaller collections reflecting the history of non-conformity across the past two centuries. The Randerson collection contains Wesleyan Class Tickets from the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The Pacey Sermons contain transcripts of early twentieth century sermons, whilst a collection of books in the John Lancaster collection chart the history of Christadelphianism and the Leonard Smith collection contains books on Unitarianism.

Catalogued Collections

Randerson Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/RAN/

Wesley Historical Society (Yorkshire) – http://heritagequay.org/archives/WHS/

Uncatalogued Collections

Scholes-Monaghan Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=Scholes+Monaghan

Guest Family History Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=Guest+family

Pacey Sermons Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=pacey

John Lancaster Collection – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=john+lancaster

Leonard Smith Collection – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=smith+leonard

Pursue your own research using the collections

Find out about our events exploring the collections- many free

Key Collections Series: Music

Posted on March 4, 2016July 7, 2016 by Rebecca Bowd

Music forms one of the most important strengths of the Heritage Quay collections owing to the rich and diverse musical life of the Huddersfield area. From the cutting edge performances of hcmf//, the UK’s largest international festival of new and experimental music, to the history and tradition of the region’s musical societies (Incorporated Society of Musicians, Huddersfield Branch) and ensembles (Slaithwaite Brass Band, Goldberg Ensemble) as well as the comprehensive specialist collections (Early Music, British dance bands).

Linde Consort (Early Music consort), Basel.

It is this vivid musical tradition that brought the prestigious British Music Collection to the University in 2010. Containing over 60,000 scores and recordings of 20^th and 21^st century British music, this archive represents a treasure trove of musical creativity and innovation. Whether exploring the works of high-profile composers such as Britten, Tippett, Birtwistle, Weir, Maxwell Davies, and Turnage, or investigating the unpublished or currently emerging composers on the contemporary music scene, a wealth of inspiration awaits.

BBC Singers performing at Huddersfield Town Hall, HCMF 2003.

Sir Lennox Berkley at the British Music Information Centre, 1980s.

Catalogued Collections

British Music Collection – http://heritagequay.org/archives/BMC/

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/HCMF/

Robin Adams Early Music Collection – http://heritagequay.org/archives/EMC/

Uncatalogued Collections

British Dance Band Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/BDB/

Incorporated Society of Musicians, Huddersfield Branch Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/ISM/

Goldberg Ensemble Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=goldberg+ensemble+archive

Slaithwaite Brass Band Archive http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=slaithwaite+brass+band

Pursue your own research using the collections

Find out about our events exploring the collections- many free

Key Collections Series: Industry

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Rebecca Bowd

We have two major industrial collections in the archives at Huddersfield. Both were local businesses and large employers, but they go further than just relating the story of successful businesses. Their position as large employers means they can also tell a social story, of how employees interact with their employers, and how businesses can help chart the story of their employees’ lives.

Industry. HOP-MM-1 Hopkinsons staff c1905 — Hopkinsons staff, c1905.

Hopkinsons Ltd. was a business with its roots in Huddersfield from 1824, and it remained at the heart of the town until the 1990s when it was bought out by the Weir Group. In addition to information on its products, which included building valves for the military and power stations, it has a range of marketing, exhibition and staff records for over a century. From exquisitely designed plans of their stand area in the Empire exhibition of the 1920s, to the staff magazine of the mid-twentieth century.

Industry. Hopkinsons Exhibition Boiler Front 18 Aug 1931 — Hopkinsons Exhibition Boiler Front, 18 August 1931.

Industry. Hopkinsons Shipping, Engineering & Machinery Exhibition, Olympia 1935 — Hopkinsons stand at the Shipping, Engineering & Machinery Exhibition, Olympia 1935.

This theme is further revealed through the archive of the turbocharger manufacturers Holset Engineering Company Ltd. whose archive continues into the modern day. These collections provide detailed evidence of the engineering processes and business achievements of these companies, but just as importantly, they illustrate the fundamental impact that the development of industry has had on the social, cultural and political history of society through the lives of the individuals they employed and the communities in which they were based.

Industry. Holset works, 1950s — Holset Works, 1950s.

Industry. Scania Varis DSII truck engine, c1959, one of eariest turbo applications (1) — Scania Varis DSII truck engine, c1959, one of eariest turbo charger applications provided by Holset

A few collections have a more tacit relationship with industry. Our Textile Fabrics of India collection has its roots in acting as a promotional tool for Northern industrial mills to copy the patterns and styles popular in 1860s India in order to be able to sell their goods into that market. There are major links between aspects of industry and the university institutional collection. From the early days of educating their workers on day release or in the evening, to working with the university to accredit students and influence the syllabus, many types of industries and industry bodies feature in both correspondence and principal’s papers. The library of George Wood also contains a wealth of material on industrial relations and working conditions in the nineteenth century, as well as information on legislative and employers concerns.

Catalogued Collections

George Henry Wood Collection – http://heritagequay.org/archives/GHW/

Textile Fabrics of India – http://heritagequay.org/archives/TFI/

Uncatalogued Collections

Hopkinsons Limited Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/HOP/

Holset Engineering Company Limited Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=Holset

Pursue your own research using the collections

Find out about our events exploring the collections- many free

Key Collections Series: Education

Posted on February 19, 2016February 24, 2016 by Rebecca Bowd

Education has been central to the development of Huddersfield for nearly two hundred years. The archive of the University of Huddersfield reflects both an historical interest in giving the working classes a good education, and the philanthropy of local businessmen and land owners, who supported the reading rooms of the mid-19th century. These were the catalyst for the Huddersfield Mechanics’ Institute and the Huddersfield Female Educational Institute, both of which initially taught basic skills to local people on a subscription basis.

Plan of main Huddersfield Mechanics Institute Building, opened in 1861

Image of Huddersfield Technical School, opened 7 July 1883

Educational trends then moved toward vocational education, and the institution evolved into the Huddersfield Technical College, which offered day classes to younger students and evening classes to those employed on a full-time basis. Other educational collections include Holly Bank (Technical) Teacher Training College, which focused on producing a new generation of skilled vocational teachers. The records of the West Yorkshire College of Health, the National Adult School Union and the Open College Network are also held in the archive.

Education. Polytechnic Charter

Huddersfield Polytechnic charter, 1972

The collections also reflect some areas of research and inter-disciplinary studies (Canter Environmental Psychology; Cullingford and Booth printed collections; Buck Architectural archive).

Catalogued Collections: Education

Albert Booth Photographic Library – http://heritagequay.org/archives/BOO/

David Canter Environmental Psychology Library – http://heritagequay.org/archives/DCB/

University of Huddersfield Archive (ongoing) – http://heritagequay.org/archives/HUD/

Uncatalogued collections: Education

Andrew Buck Archive – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=buck%2C+andrew

David Canter Archive –

http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=canter%2C+david+archive

Library of Cedric Cullingford – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=cedric+cullingford

Open College Network – http://heritagequay.org/archives/?keyword=open+college+network

Pursue your own research using the collections

Find out about our events exploring the collections- many free

Key Collections Series: The Arts

Posted on February 12, 2016February 22, 2016 by Rebecca Bowd

The Mikron Theatre Company Collection is a fascinating archive of a mainly canal based theatre company, who have been performing in pub gardens and village halls across the canal network of the UK for over forty years. It contains records of actors and those involved with the running of the company, everything from scripts to research and development folders for shows, their programmes, backdrops and advertising materials. It also charts the administrative story of keeping a small independent theatre company in business through fundraising and funding bid applications and reports.

Arts. Mikron - Pedal Power Arts. Mikron - Striking the Balance Arts. Mikron - Our Victor

Mikron Theatre Company production posters

We also have a collection of material and objects from the Huddersfield Amateur Operatic Society, now the Huddersfield Musical Theatre Society. Dating from the beginning of the 20^th century, programmes and administrative files tell an official history, but this archive also contains objects, from conductors batons, to dolls used as show props or costume tests.

The repository also contains some excellent nineteenth century collection examples covering the Arts. The Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition was a grand exhibition held to mark the opening of a new Mechanics Institute building, and featured many rooms of material, from grand art old masters, to the latest technology in weaving and chemistry. There are also collections spanning some of the intellectual societies of the town in the nineteenth century, including the Foreign Library Society and the Literary and Scientific Society.

Coming into the 20^th century, we have an interesting book collection of the Left Book Club, containing a range of well-known and lesser known socialist themed literature. The records of the local theatre, the Lawrence Batley, are also lodged with us, and we have a large amount of material also relating to theatre in Huddersfield in the 1920s – 1950s in the Kirklees Theatre Trust collection. These collections reveal a side of human expression and emotion across two centuries expressed by both the professional and amateur sphere of Huddersfield society.