Manuscripts, Archives and Photographs of the Royal Commonwealth Society
Summary
The RCS Library contains many special collections and archives, and the majority have been re-catalogued (online) since the Library moved to Cambridge in 1993. Work is on-going to sort, research, conserve and catalogue the remainder, plus additional collections which have been acquired subsequently, and to share them online.
Keep abreast of new accessions, catalogues, digitised collections, projects and exhibitions by reading our regular blog-posts.
Access these special collections by the Remote access & catalogues link.
Some collection highlights
This collection is composed of the institutional records of the society. Major sections relate to its organisation and administration, charters and rules, membership, the construction and renovation of its headquarters in London, and the extension of branches within the United Kingdom and throughout the British Empire and Commonwealth. The archives also document the society's many cultural, educational and philanthropic initiatives, often undertaken as collaborative projects with other societies interested in Imperial and Commonwealth affairs. It includes:
- many photographs, including a collection of photographic portraits of Royal Colonial Institute members from 1881 to the late 1920s
- archives of the Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Competition - a collection of prize-winning essays and creative writing by school-children around the Commonwealth. Some of the earliest essays have been digitised. The competition has been renamed the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition.
Books collected by Richard Bedford Bennett, Vice-President of the Royal Empire Society (1930-1947) and Prime Minister of Canada, 1930-1935.
- Voices of civilian internment (WWII Singapore) - records from the British Association of Malaysia and Singapore archives offering perhaps the most complete record from a Far East civilian internment camp to survive from WWII. Thanks to a Wellcome Trust Research Resources Award, these records have been conserved and digitised, and are freely available to explore on Cambridge Digital Library.
Links to catalogues of the full collection:
- British Association of Malaysia and Singapore archives
- British Association of Malaysia and Singapore photographic colllection
You can read a blogpost about the Caribbean photograph collections we have digitised and made freely available on Cambridge Digital Library.
The CMS archives are held at the University of Birmingham, and do not form part of the RCS collections.
A collection of cinefilms, mostly taken by Sir Frederick Tymms, which have been digitised and may be viewed online
- Cobham collection on Cyprus
Books, pamphlets, periodicals, maps and photographs of Cyprus (or published in Cyprus), which were collected by Claude Delaval Cobham (1842-1915), Commissioner of Larnaca, Cyprus, 1879-1907. Books, pamphlets, maps and periodicals in this collection have been catalogued on iDiscover; the photographs on ArchiveSearch. The collection has also been microfilmed for preservation reasons. Photographs in the Cobham collection include those by John Thomson, historic sites and antiquities and a collection of postcards.
Photographs taken (or collected) by Alfred Hugh Fisher (1867-1945) for the Visual Instruction Committee of the Colonial Office (Great Britain), 1907-1910.
The University of Durham holds the majority of Malcolm MacDonald's papers.
The collections of the Royal Commonwealth Society include over 2213 metres of official publications in both serial and monograph format. These publications date from the mid 19th century to the end of British involvement and sometimes beyond. They include many rare and internationally significant reports. Colonial Blue Books, Staff lists and official publications from Malaysia, Hong Kong, the West Indies, and parts of Africa, have been catalogued on the University's online catalogue, iDiscover. Learn more about the content of Colonial Blue Books in 'Colonial Blue Books: a major resource in the Royal Commonwealth Society Library'
- Periodicals
The RCS library contains a large and interdisciplinary collection of periodicals from around the Commonwealth. Titles are catalogued in iDiscover, as well as in the RCS card catalogue. Periodical titles are often abbreviated and a very useful spreadsheet listing abbreviations commonly used, together with their classmarks and holdings has been created.
- Photograph collection
The Royal Commonwealth Society Photograph Collection contains over 150,000 images from all over the world. Dating from the mid-1850s to the mid-1980s the photographs provide insight into the history of the Commonwealth, documenting a wide variety of fields including the natural environment, buildings, events, transport and infrastructure, health and medicine, culture and education, politics and industry.
Many images have been digitised and may be viewed on Cambridge Digital Library; others on Apollo. The collection contains some particularly fine photographic panoramas.
The RCS collections contain photographs and archival papers relating to the Arctic and Antarctic, in particular to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Do also read our blogpost about photographs from the Falkland Islands and South Georgia which we have digitised and are freely available on Cambridge Digital Library.
Copying photographs, manuscripts, or archives
Researchers may take photographs themselves of materials they consult in the Manuscripts Reading Room, Munby Rare Books Room and Map Room for non-commercial research and private study only. General photography (e.g. of people, locations, reading rooms) is not permitted.
To ensure the preservation of these unique and valuable collections, all photography is at the discretion of library staff.
Copyright
Whilst the University owns the physical collections, it does not necessarily own the copyright in them. It is the responsibility of the researcher to pursue and obtain copyright clearance from the copyright holder before reproduction of any kind may take place. Biographical details of photographers and their studios are given in the catalogue.
Please refer to the Library’s Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory (CHIL) for further advice on copyright. Email: photo@lib.cam.ac.uk.
Ordering copies and image reproduction rights
Please use the online order form on the CHIL webpages: https://imagingservices.lib.cam.ac.uk/.
Further information and advice on prices is available on the CHIL webpages. Images of works held by the library and those created by its Imaging Laboratory are subject to copyright. The purchase of an image from the library does not confer the right to reproduce it in a print or electronic publication, either commercial or non-profit making. You must first obtain permission which will normally be granted on acceptance of licence terms and payment of the appropriate fees. Please refer to the CHIL webpages.
Picture research
Please note that the Library is unable to provide a photographic or picture research service.