The Raphael Samuel History Centre has strong links with the Bishopsgate Institute in London E1 through the Raphael Samuel Collection.  In 1997 Alison Light, Raphael Samuel's widow, began depositing his papers there - amounting to about four hundred boxes of materials - which were initially sorted and roughly catalogued by Peter Claus over the next two to three years.  Further materials arrived from Raphael's Ruskin college office and were stored at the Institute.  The next stage of conserving and archiving required specialist help. 

 

About a third of the Collection is now stored there whilst the remainder awaits the refurbishment of the Bishopsgate and its upgrading of storage facilities.

 

In recent months we have been working closely with Stefan Dickers, the archivist appointed by the Institute last summer, and Jeffrey Abbot, the librarian, to look at ways of making the Collection more visible and accessible, as well as completing the process of cataloguing and conservation. In particular we have been supporting the Institute's application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding to maintain and develop several of its archives, including the Raphael Samuel Collection. The bid is due to go in at the end of the year, and if successful will ensure that the entire archive (including the part of it still in storage) is conserved, catalogued and securely housed at the Bishopsgate.

 

The part of the collection held in the Bishopsgate Institute basement is potentially accessible to researchers, and with the Institute's increased web presence has been generating inquiries. It has already been used in some teaching sessions with local students and others, and we envisage that once it is fully accessible it will be a considerable resource to all kinds of historians, amateur and professional.  Outreach and access proposals will be a key part of the HLF bid, and the Institute is seeking funding for an education officer as well as an archivist to be attached to the archive project. There are plans for courses, exhibitions and conferences, to involve local schools and FE colleges as well as academic institutions.

 

Click here to visit the Archive website.