Collections
West Indian collections
Earliest records
Photographs
Archives
Government reports
Directories and yearbooks
Fiction and poetry
Rare books
Periodicals
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Image: Native street hawker (yams), Barbados, c. 1910. Classmark: RCS Fisher Y3072A/10
The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) collections hold a diverse and fascinating range of published, archival and photographic records of Britain's former colonial territories in the Caribbean - the islands known as the West Indies and British Guiana. The majority date from the late 19th century to the mid to late 20th century but there are some important earlier accounts too.
The collection comprises official/government reports, yearbooks and directories, guidebooks, bibliographies, monographs, periodicals and pamphlets, poetry and fiction, memoirs and correspondence, scrapbooks and press cuttings, and some photograph albums.
The descriptions below link to online catalogues where they are available and in some cases to very detailed descriptions of individual files or photographs.
Some of the earliest records in the collection include:
- Documents on the loss of Tobago c1781-c1787
- Sir Robert Calder's 'Directions to Calder Bank off Guadeloupe' 1795
- Articles of capitulation of Dominica and St Kitts 1778-82
- Jamaica viewed: with all the ports, harbours, and their several soundings, towns, and settlements thereunto belonging together, with the nature of it's climate, fruitfulnesse of the soile, and it's suitablenesse to English complexions. With several other collateral observations and reflexions upon the island / By E.H. The second edition, London : printed for Iohn Williams, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1661.
Photographic records include:
- Sir Daniel Morris Collection : West Indian views, c1880
- E.A. Gay collection on Grenada, 1890-93
- The eruption of Mont Pelé, Martinique, 1902
- Records of Royal tours, e.g. Princess Margaret's visit to the West Indies, 1955.
For a summary of photographic holdings relating to the West Indies and British Guiana (Guyana), see:
Archival collections include:
- Grenada scrap book, 1878–83
- Darnell Davis manuscripts relating to the history of the West Indies, and Barbados in particular.
- Newscuttings on Jamaica and Hong Kong, 1876–1886
- The possibilities of the North-West District of British Guiana by George G. Dixon, (1894)
- Papers on West Indian cable companies, 1923–1931, forming part of the Papers on imperial communications of Sir Campbell Stuart
- Correspondence and report from the University of the West Indies, 1971-72, relating to agriculture, part of the Papers and photographs of Fergus Wilson
Government reports include Blue books:
- The blue book for the Colony of Tobago, (later continued by the Trinidad and Tobago Blue book) is held from 1824-1888, with 1882-1884 volumes entirely printed, the rest part printed, part manuscript.
- The Bermuda Blue Book of 1840, recording the introduction of American cotton goods to the island, includes sample swatches of the different grades of cotton cloth.
Other government reports include staff and civil lists:
- British Guiana civil service list...1935,1937,1939-1943
- British Guiana senior staff list ...1951, 1953 + 1956-1963 (incomplete)
- Report on the Agricultural Department, St. Kitts-Nevis issued by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, 1935-1937
Directories and yearbooks include:
- The "Mirror" almanack and general commercial directory of Trinidad and Tobago for 1903
- De Souza's commercial handbook and directory which contains a complete business directory of the islands, railway, shipping, customs tariff and other valuable information, tourists guide, etc. for Jamaica for 1916
Fiction and poetry include:
- Where the trade-wind blows : West Indian tales by Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield. Macmillan, 1898.
- Poems, written chiefly in the West-Indies / Bryan Edwards, Kingston, 1792
- Jamaica labrish / Louise Bennett; with notes and introduction by Rex Nettleford. Jamaica : Sangster's Book Stores, 1966.
- From our yard : Jamaican poetry since independence / edited by Pamela Mordecai. Institute of Jamaica Publications, 1987.
Rare books include:
- Jamaica viewed : with all the ports, harbours, and their several soundings, towns, and settlements thereunto belonging together, with the nature of it's climate, fruitfulnesse of the soile, and it's suitablenesse to English complexions. With several other collateral observations and reflexions upon the island / By E.H. The second edition, London : printed for Iohn Williams, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1661.
- Report from the Committee on the Petition from Dominica respecting losses by the fire at Roseau, etc. [during the Napoleonic Wars], 1807.
Periodical holdings include:
- Kyk-over-al, published in Georgetown, Guyana : British Guiana Writers Association, 1945-1998
- Proceedings of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago (Port-of-Spain), 1894-1950, continued by
- Journal of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago, 1951-1991
For guidance searching for items in the Royal Commonwealth Society collections, please refer first to the RCS web pages, in particular:
For a summary of photographic holdings relating to the West Indies and British Guiana (Guyana), see:
For guidance in searching for official publications within the RCS collections, see:
Contact details for the RCS librarian
The Royal Commonwealth Society Library is not actively collecting new archival collections, photographs or manuscripts. However, donations of small collections which complement its existing collections will be considered.
Potential donors should contact the Smuts Librarian ( http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/rcs/contacts.html) with details of their collection including, in the case of photograph collections, approximately how many images, whether or not they are captioned, geographical regions covered, dates, and, where known, the names of photographers or collectors.
Consideration will be given to the size and condition of the collection, as well as its subject content and provenance. If the Library feels unable to accept a collection, advice about alternative repositories will be given.