The Library’s Special Collections provide a rich resource for Geography at the University of Manchester.
Our collections cover both human and physical geography, documenting the built, natural and social environments in which we live.
This guide will identify collection strengths and help you access relevant material.
Our Map Collection offers an extensive range of topographic and thematic mapping for the UK, as well as wide ranging coverage for the rest of the world. The collection comprises old and new maps from a 15th century world map to contemporary cartographic artworks. Our excellent coverage of Manchester and the surrounding area explores a variety of cartographic themes from urban development to psychological mapping.
The Library's collection also features many important atlases, books and accounts which document travel and exploration from the 15th to the 19thcentury.
Our Manuscripts and Archives Collection may also be of interest to those studying economic or political geography, particularly The Manchester Geographical Society Collection and our collections which document the history of the East India Company.
Military, colonial and diplomatic history is also well documented in the Muniment and Charter Collections.
The Library's Special Collections provide a valuable resource if you are studying human geography, whether social, economic or political geography or examining our developing knowldege of the world.
The Map Collection has an extensive range of historical and modern mapping and is well resourced to support Geography students. We can provide maps for fieldwork, maps which document changing landscapes and thought provoking maps for critical analysis. The Booker and Mills Map collections are valuable resources for those studying the history of cartography. Particular strengths of this collection include English County maps made by eminent cartographers; ornamental French and Dutch mapping of Asia and the Far East; and old town plans of London and Paris.
Our Voyages and Travels Collections also documents our developing knowledge of the world; from early editions of Ptolemy's Geographia to prolific atlases by Chistopher Saxton, Abraham Ortelius, Gerhard Mercator and Joan Blaeu. Extensive accounts of early voyages and travels include works by Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and James Cook.
Military, colonial and diplomatic and history travel is also well documented in our collections. The archives and collections of The Manchester Geographical Society Archive document the 'opening up' of Africa during the Victorian era and comprise papers, atlases, maps, books and journals from the 18th to the 20th century.
The Library also holds outstanding manuscripts relating to India which are complemented by internationally significant printed collections. These document the rise of British influence in India from the 18th century onwards, including rare state papers, reports and publications.
Our Special Collections may also be of interest to those studying physical geography. The Map Collection has an excellent collection of geological mapping for the UK as well as other thematic mapping related to earth sciences. These include hydrogeological maps, mapping of natural resources, soil maps and gravity and magnetic anomaly maps.
Modern geological mapping of other countries is also well represented within the map collection, particularly for areas which are popular field trip destinations.
If you are interested in the history of geology you may find the papers of Sir William Boyd Dawkins useful. These document examples of engineering geology and Dawkins' involvement in water supply projects, the coal industry and an aborted Channel Tunnel project.
The University of Manchester Library holds one of the finest collections of rare books, manuscripts, archives and visual collections in the world. These collections are mainly concentrated in the magnificent building on Deansgate, The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, in the centre of Manchester. They are also housed in the Main Library on the University campus and at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, in Manchester Central Library. This resource introduces the different types of materials found in Special Collections and explains how they can be used to support your studies. For general tips on accessing digital and physical collections and visiting our reading room please look at our other Medium resources.
You are welcome to make use of Special Collections in your learning and research.
Due to the special nature of the material, we provide access in a controlled environment and there are some restrictions on use and access, particularly for fragile material or modern archives which may contain sensitive data.
Please read our guidance pages on the web for details.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence.