History: Special Collections

The Special Collections of the University of Manchester support research and teaching across a broad spectrum of historical themes and disciplines from women's history and local studies to the history of warfare and the development of popular culture.

Historical research has a long and distinguished tradition at the University. Leading scholars who have been members of the History department include James Tait and T. F. Tout of the well-known "Manchester History School" and, more recently, the historian and broadcaster Michael Wood. Special Collections contribute to a lively research culture, with seminars and conferences often taking place in the magnificent surroundings of the John Rylands Research Institute and Library illustrating the link between the collections and the academic community.

Because of the cross-disciplinary nature of historical studies and the wealth of our collections, this guide can only provide a snapshot of collection strengths. Readers will also find information of value in our Special Collection guides for related subjects, such as Religions and Theology, Middle Eastern Studies and the History of Science, Technology and Medicine.

The John Rylands Research Institute and Library houses exceptional medieval treasures relating to many regions and cultures of the world. Particular collection strengths include:

• The Coptic manuscript collection from Egypt comprising 478 documents dating from the 4th century CE onwards. The archive includes biblical, liturgical and apocryphal texts, legal records and a series of private letters older than any previously identified in Coptic.
• Arabic Manuscripts, including Qur'ans from the 9th and 10th centuries CE and a rare 15th century trilingual version from Mamluk Egypt.
• The extensive Western European Manuscripts collection includes over 500 medieval codices from a number of countries and include richly illustrated books of hours, psalters and other devotional works. Secular documents include royal wardrobe books and estate accounts.
• Treasures from the Italian Renaissance including one of the earliest dated manuscripts of Dante's Divina Commedia and material relating to the Florentine reformer Fra Girolamo Savanarola.
• There are several thousand medieval deeds and charters dispersed across a number of collections. Most counties in England and Wales are represented, providing a rich resouce for local studies.

The transition from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period was a significant phase in world history marked by radical changes in religion, politics, society and cultural interaction. The Special Collections of John Rylands Research Institute and Library represent a world-class resource for the study of this tumultuous but exciting period.

Significant collection strengths include:

• Approximately 4,500 incunabula (books and other items printed before 1501). This is one of the largest such collections in Britain and includes a complete Gutenberg Bible of 1455 and the St Christopher Woodcut of 1423, the earliest piece of European printing bearing a date. The holdings also contain 60 volumes printed by William Caxton, the second largest collection in the world.
• The printed collections include an extensive series of accounts of early voyages and travels, including first editions documenting the travels of Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and Richard Hakluyt. There is also a number of early maps and atlases, among them Christopher Saxton's Atlas of England and Wales (1579) and Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1592).
• The archive collections include family and estate records created by many prominent British families over hundreds of years. Material of particular interest to early modern historians includes papers relating to the English Civil War, records of Tudor and Stuart governance at central and local levels, 17th century manorial rentals and family letters. 

Our Special Collections is home to primary material of the highest research quality relevant to modern history. Of particular note are the following collection strengths:

• Business archives with value for the study of early industrialization. Industries that are well-represented include textiles, railways, engineering and pottery.
• Internationally significant printed collections documenting the rise of British influence in India from the 18th century onwards. This material is complemented by substantial archive collections including the papers of the East India Company official Sir Thomas Munro and the last British Commander-in-Chief in India, Sir Claude Auchinleck.
• The French Revolution collection is considered to be one of the finest collections in the UK of newspapers, periodicals and books published at the time of the French Revolution and up to the restoration of the Bourbons. It includes 15,000 proclamations, broadsides and bulletins as well as periodicals and newspapers (over 1,000 titles).
• The South-East Asian manuscripts collection contains material from Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Bali and Java, written between the 17th and the 19th centuries. The manuscripts include medical, sacred and legal texts, as well as poetry and illustrations of life at the Burmese court.
• In addition to large collections, there are thousands of miscellaneous small deposits or individual items that often possess tremendous research value. Among these rare or unique items is a scrapbook containing material relating to British tours by the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Such material can be studied in isolation as well in its broader subject and archival context.

What are Special Collections?

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.

University staff and students who wish to discuss using Special Collections for teaching and research in the history subject area, should contact the following curators in the first instance:

Ms Julianne Simpson (julianne.simpson@manchester.ac.uk) for enquiries relating to medieval and early modern history (pre-1700).

Dr Janette Martin (janette.martin@manchester.ac.uk) for enquiries relating to modern history (post-1700)