Oxford LibGuides: African Studies: Archives

Introduction

The Bodleian Libraries, in particular the Special Collections in the Weston Library, hold a range of manuscripts and archives. They comprise the papers of individuals, families and organisations and include correspondence, diaries, papers and photographs.

On this page you will find recommended resources and guidance on how to search for and access archive material for African Studies not only in Oxford but also nationally and internationally.

Definitions

Terms you may encounter in your research

Archive
A collection of documents and records that contain historical information, or a place where these documents and records are kept.

Digital archive
It is similar in purpose to a physical archive, but the historical documents and objects that provide evidence of the past have been digitised (either by scanning or photography, or was created digitally in the first place) and made available online.

Personal Papers

In archives, personal papers are denoted as the private documents and related materials accumulated by an individual in the course of a lifetime (letters, diaries, journals, legal documents, etc.).

Special Collections

A special collection is a group of items, such as rare books or documents, that are either irreplaceable or unusually rare and valuable. For this reason special collections are usually stored separately from regular library collections in a secure location with environmental controls to preserve the items for posterity. The largest concentration of special collections in Oxford can be found in the Weston Library.

Archives

The Bodleian Library holds a range of manuscripts and archives which are relevant to African Studies.

Use the tabs above to explore the key archival resources and collections relevant for research on Africa in both print and digital form.

Help with archives

Online catalogues and collection-level descriptions can be found at

Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts
The principal finding aid for locating African and Commonwealth archives held in the Weston Library is the online catalogue for Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts where the indexes of names and subjects will give an indication of the subject matter covered by the archives.

Hardcopy catalogues, for collections which only have collection-level descriptions online, are available in the

Charles Wendell David Reading Room
This is the primary reading room for Africa and the Commonwealth and is where archives can be ordered from the stacks to be consulted.

Below you will find some of the key archives and manuscript collections for African studies held in the Bodleian Library and available for consultation in the Charles Wendell David Reading Room in the Weston Library. The Weston Library has circa 4000 manuscript and archive collections relating to Africa and the Commonwealth and is particularly strong in material relating to the history of British colonial administration. Use the Special Collections: Commonwealth and African collections subject guide for more information.

Archive of the Anti-Apartheid Movement
The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) archive contains material from its the beginnings of the Movement in the late 1950s as the Boycott Committee to a few years after is dissolution in 1994 and the creation of its successor organisation, Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA). The archive contains minutes, papers and correspondence of the Executive and National Committees , as well as similar material from the other sub-committees formed. There are papers relating to the AAM's relations with the British Government, political parties, international organisations and local anti-apartheid groups in the UK and overseas, and material created in the course of its campaigns. The archive contains a significant number of posters, photographs, artworks and badges, and some other objects
Archive of the Anti-Slavery Society
This archive includes correspondence, financial papers, printed material, photographs, engraving plates, and blocks. Date coverage is 1757-1982.
Colonial Office Confidential Prints
This collection covers over 1000 documents from 1848 to 1915 pertaining to Africa. Selected correspondence, memoranda and other documents were copied for internal use in the Colonial Office and in some cases circulation to the Cabinet and brought together to form this collection. The documents range from a single page to a substantial volume, many containing maps.
The collection is held at the Weston Library
Oxfam Archive
This archive is a vital resource for research on development and disaster relief in Africa from the 1960s to the early 21st century, particularly the programme policy records and the project files
Oxford Colonial Records Project papers
Official and private correspondence, reports, memoranda, reminiscences, photographs and associated material of British colonial administrators working in Africa.
Papers of Cecil John Rhodes
Papers of the Fabian Colonial Bureau
The Fabian Colonial Bureau was founded in 1940 as a special department of the Fabian Society in order to facilitate research, information gathering and the development of constructive ideas on colonial policy, etc.. It was established after a period of riots, racial tension and unrest in Africa, the Caribbean, Mauritius, Cyprus and Palestine, and after a series of Commissions had revealed poverty, disease, political neglect and administrative difficulties in Britain's overseas territories. The publication of the Colonial Office's White Paper on welfare and development led to the acknowledgement that large sums needed spending on the progress of the colonies
Papers of the Rt. Hon. Sir Roy Welensky, KCMG
The collection includes not only Welensky's own papers but also papers of the government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Papers of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
The archive of the Anglican missionary organization, the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, founded in 1701, is a rich resource particularly for education and medical work in Africa.

The Bodleian Libraries subscribe to a number of databases comprising historical and archival material which may be of interest to Africanist students and researchers looking for primary sources.

Access

Depending on the database provider, you may need to use your Oxford Single Sign On to access materials.

Confidential Print: Africa, 1834-1966
Spanning the full era of the modern European colonisation of Africa, from the occupation of Algeria by France, through increasing British presence on the west African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope in the south, the Berlin Conference which set off the ‘Scramble for Africa’, the high-water mark of economic exploitation of Africans in the Congo Free State, rivalries amongst European powers and the era of withdrawal that followed the Second World War, Confidential Print: Africa is a fundamental resource for academics, students and researchers studying modern Africa and its recent history.
Empire Online
Alternative name: Empire On-Line (Colonial History)

Welcome to Empire Online. By the end of 2007 Adam Matthew Publications will have brought together over 70,000 images of original documents relating to Empire Studies. The images are sourced from libraries and archives around the world, including a strong core of document images from the British Library; The National Archives, Kew; The Bodleian Library, Oxford; The Victoria and Albert Museum; Church Mission Society Archive; University of Birmingham; The National Archives of Canada; The Glenbow Museum, Canada; The National Library of Australia; The Bank of England Library; Birmingham Central Library; State Records, New South Wales; The National Library of Scotland; The London Library; National Gallery of Canada; University of Michigan Museum of Art; Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
There is a good balance between manuscript and printed material and a broad range of document types; written by men and women from both the European and the non-European perspective:
Exploration journals and logs.
Letter books and correspondence
Periodicals
Diaries
Official Government Papers
Missionary papers
Travel writing
Slave papers
Memoirs
Fiction
Children's Adventure Stories
Traditional; folk tales
Exhibition Catalogues and guides
Maps
Marketing Posters
Photographs
Illustrations, including many in colour
Published in five thematic sections, Empire On-Line is fully searchable and offers thematic essays by leading scholars, embedded with hypertext links which relate directly to the documentary evidence provided. Later sections will concentrate on Empire Writing and the Literature of Empire (Section II); The Visible Empire (Section III); Religion & Empire (Section IV); and Race, Class & Colonialism (Section V).
European Colonialism in the Early 20th Century: French Colonialism in Africa
Alternative names: Archives Unbound ; From Algeria to Madagascar, 1910-1930

This collection of over 17,000 images from the National Archives (US) comprises correspondence, studies and reports, cables, maps, and other kinds of documents related to U.S. consular activities. U.S. Consulates were listening posts reporting on the activities of the French colonial government and the activities of the native peoples. Highlights include the beginning of an anti-colonial movement and problems along the Moroccan-Algerian border.
Source Note: Record Group 59, Records of the U.S. State Department, Central Classified Files, Class 800, France, 1910-1929. Includes content only for French colonial possessions in Africa, including country codes: 51r, 51s, 51t, 51u, 51v, 51w, 51x. Formerly part of National Archives microfilm publication M560, reels 154-162.
One More Voice: Lost Voices from the British Empire's Archives
A work of digital humanities scholarship, launched in 2020, to uncover non-European voices in 19th century archives which relate to territories which were part of the British Empire.
Slave trading records from William Davenport & Co., 1745-1797
Alternative names: Papers of William Davenport & Co., 1745-1797, The ; British Online Archives

William Davenport was a Liverpool merchant and British slave trader. From the late 1740s till the early 1790s, he invested regularly in the African slave trade and was a partner in slaving ventures with other leading merchant Liverpool families.
These papers from Keele University Library are accompanied by a guide to the collection by Professor David Richardson, Hull University.
Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice
Alternative name: Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice

Bringing together primary source documents from archives and libraries across the Atlantic world, this resource allows students and researchers to explore and compare unique material relating to the complex subjects of slavery, abolition and social justice.
In addition to the primary source documents there is a wealth of useful secondary sources for research and teaching; including an interactive map, scholarly essays, tutorials, a visual sources gallery, chronology and bibliography.
Struggles for Freedom: Southern Africa
Alternative names: Aluka African Resources ; Aluka

Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa: Documentation of the liberation struggles in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, including archival materials, periodicals, oral histories, books, and photographs.
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database has information on almost 35,000 slaving voyages that forcibly embarked over 10 million Africans for transport to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries.

In addition to subscription archival databases there are also many freely available historical sources which may be of interest. A selection of these is listed below.

Africa through a Lens (The National Archives)
Explore incredible photographs spanning over 100 years of African history, from the 1860s onwards, taken from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office photographic collection (CO 1069). The full collection can be seen on Flickr, where you can add comments and tags.
Africa in the Photobook
Africa in the Photobook is a website initiated in 2015 by photographer and (photo)historian Ben Krewinkel. The website is about the changing visual representation of Africa as expressed through the medium of the photobook. By showcasing book spreads the books become partly accessible to a wider public and function as a platform for students, collectors and experts to talk about the content of the books. People can engage with each other through a Facebook page as well.
African Activist Archive Project
The African Activist Archive makes available online the records of activism in the United States to support the struggles of African peoples against colonialism, apartheid, and social injustice from the 1950s through to the 1990s. It contains documents, photographs, posters, badges, audio and video recordings.
Anti-Apartheid and Southern Africa collection guide (IISH)
These webpages on the anti-apartheid and Southern Africa collection not only provide a description of the archives, documentation and audio-visual materials of the collection, but also feature a section with background information on the Dutch contribution to the international solidarity campaign in support of the struggle against apartheid and colonialism in Southern Africa. This section includes two comprehensive web dossiers on the anti-apartheid work in The Netherlands from 1948 to 1994 and on the link between Nelson Mandela and The Netherlands. Finally, there is a blog with reports on the various activities with and around these archival materials in and outside The Netherlands.
Digital Innovation South Africa (DISA)
DISA is a freely accessible online scholarly resource focusing on the socio-political history of South Africa, particularly the struggle for freedom during the period from 1950 to the first democratic elections in 1994, providing a wealth of material on this fascinating period of the country’s history. Much time, creative thought and debate goes into the selection of the content, and participation and input from interested persons, scholars and institutions in South Africa and overseas is encouraged.
Endangered Archives Programme
The Endangered Archives Programme (via the British Library) seeks to preserve cultural heritage and make it available to as wide an audience as possible. ‘Archives’ refers to materials in written, pictorial or audio formats, including manuscripts, rare printed books, documents, newspapers, periodicals, photographs and sound recordings. Since 2004, the Programme has digitised over ten million images and 35,000 sound tracks. There are over 3,000 digitised items relating to Africa.
Nelson Mandela Foundation Archive
The archival record relating to Nelson Mandela is infinite, fragmentary and scattered, both geographically and institutionally throughout the world, making it almost impossible to physically locate. The imperative, therefore, is to document this vast resource, facilitate access to it, and promote its preservation and use. The collections, series and and archival contained within this Access to Memory (AtoM) instance is an effort to capture both local and international repositories as well as to describe the collections we hold here at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.
Forward to Freedom. The history of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement, 1959-1994.
Website recording the history of the AAM and its campaigns to help the people of South Africa in their fight against apartheid.
Internet African History Sourcebook (Fordham University)
Africa is both the most clearly defined of continents - in its geography - and the hardest to pin down in historical terms. Human beings originated in Africa and, as a result, there is more diversity of human types and societies than anywhere else. It is not possible, in any non-ideological way, to claim any one of these peoples or societies as more essentially "African" than others; nor is it possible to exclude a given society as "not really African". On this site historical sources on the history of human societies in the continent of Africa are presented, when available, without making prejudgements about what is "African"
Olive Schreiner Letters Online
Schreiner's letters are an unparalleled resource for investigating colonialism under transition, feminism and socialism, prostitution, marriage, changing understandings of ‘race’ and capital, imperialism in southern Africa, the South African War, women's franchise campaigns, ‘race’ and labour issues, international feminist networks, pacifism and war economies, political and economic change in South Africa post WW1, and much more.

There are many Africa-related archives in the UK. The key finding aids to locate them are:

Archives Hub
A gateway to higher education archives in the UK, including brief descriptions of catalogued Bodleian manuscript collections
National Register of Archives
Discovery holds more than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives and more than 2,500 archives across the country. Over 9 million records are available for download

Below is a selection of key UK-based archives for African Studies:

British Empire and Commonwealth Collections (Bristol Archives)
The photographic, film, paper and sound archives were transferred to Bristol Archives. The visual material consists of about 500,000 still images dating from the 1860s to 1970s, and approximately 2,000 films dating from the 1920s. These were generally created or collected in a personal capacity, and therefore provide an unofficial account of empire. Images and film are mostly amateur, intended for viewing at home and in private by family groups. Themes covered include people and their way of life, both colonial and indigenous, historic events, tourist sites, stunning scenery, wildlife and the environment, the military, engineering projects, buildings and infrastructure.
The British Library - African Manuscripts and Archives
The British Library's manuscript collections include material from across the African continent. They also have important records and private papers connected with Africa.
Cambridge University - Special Collections
Cambridge University has a strong Africa-related archive collection. These include the archive and library of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK); the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) Collection; and the Rosenthal Collection comprising the private research library of Africana formed by the South African historian Eric Rosenthal, acquired in 1987.

For an excellent overview of some of the key Africa-related archives available consult the Archives and Special Collections page of the African Studies Library Libguide.

Royal Commonwealth Society digitised collections
Hosted by the Cambridge Digital Library, the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) Library collections are a treasure-trove of resources, pictorial and written, for those researching the Commonwealth and Britain's former colonial territories. African collections include: over 1000 photographs of the Gold Coast and Ghana (1900-1970), digitised in memory of Michael Fuller and generously funded by Paul, Hadiza and Susan Fuller, and Dr Adamu. Photographs of the British Cameroons (Nigeria and Cameroon) 1937-1942 and Lourenço Marques (Maputo, Mozambique) and surrounding districts 1895-1908. Water-colours and drawings in Southern Africa 1860-1890.
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) - Special collections
SOAS holds the largest collection of Christian missionary archives in the UK; as well as personal papers of many individual missionaries. These collections span the 18th to 20th centuries and include a wealth of primary source material, such as correspondence, reports, minutes, journals, photographs and films.
University of Birmingham - Cadbury Research Library Special Collections
Key Africa-related archives include the papers of Sarah Forbes Bonetta (1843-1880) Egbado princess of the Yoruba royal family and protégée of Queen Victoria of England, and the extensive Church Missionary Society archive.

In addition to Oxford-based and national archives for African Studies there are many international archives. A small selection is listed below:

Cooperative Africana Materials Project (CAMP)
CAMP acquires and preserves materials in microform and digital formats and collects: newspapers; journals; government publications; personal and corporate archives; and personal papers of scholars and government leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa. CAMP's materials are in many African and European languages, including Swahili, Portuguese, French, Zulu, Xhosa, English, and German.

The Bodleian Libraries has a CAMP membership so please email us if you would like to order any materials from them. Please bear in mind, however, that items are generally loaned from the USA in microfilm format, but some material may be available digitally and viewed in the Weston Library reading rooms.
International Council on Archives (ICA)
The International Council on Archives (ICA) is dedicated to the effective management of records and the preservation, care and use of the world's archival heritage through its representation of records and archive professionals across the globe. Archives are listed by region with regional branches for Eastern and Southern Africa, Central Africa, and West Africa.