Records of the Guildhall Art Gallery, comprising memorandum on the establishment of the Guildhall Art Gallery and the appointment of a Director, 1944; article The Corporation's Picture Collection and the Guildhall Art Gallery, 1965; extracts relating to the portraits of the Fire Judges, 1670-1705, and reports on the restoration of the portraits, 1945; Chamber vouchers, orders for payment and receipts for drawing, framing, setting up, inscribing and decorating the Fire Judges portraits, 1671 and order for payment for painting the pictures of the King and the Duke of York, 1672.

The City of London's first commissions were portraits of the judges appointed to assess property claims in the wake of the Great Fire of London - the so-called 'Fire Judges'. These were followed by portraits of kings and queens and of other individuals who had rendered a service which the City of London wished to recognise.

Records of relating to the Archives and Conservation Studio, 1971-2004, comprising:

Surveys and reports on the condition of the archives, 1974-[1986]; Reports and correspondence on the construction and maintenance of the archives store, 1980-1985; Archivist reports, 1980-1987; Historical articles and papers by John Thackray, Honorary Archivist, 1971-1984; material on Archive fundraising and appeals, 2003-2004;

Conservator's reports, 1981-1986; Records of the Joint British Library and Geological Society conservation facility, later Burlington House Conservation Project, 1983-1987; Records relating to the construction, equipment and work of the conservation studio, 1979-1985; Photographs of the work of the conservation studio, later photographs of items requested from the Society's collections, 1981-1999.

Archives, [1957]-1996, of Africa95, including material from the festival administrators, producers and participants.

Various deposits, c1980-1996, on individual artists or on planning Africa95 include correspondence, printed material, photographs, and slides of the work of artists from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the USA.

Records of the central administration, 1991-1996, comprise planning papers and correspondence, 1991-1993; minutes of the Executive Committee, 1993-1995, Board of Trustees, 1995-1996, Funding Committee, 1993-1994, and Annual General Meeting, 1995; Chairman's correspondence, 1993-1996; research materials on non-western arts in Europe; Executive Council records, comprising correspondence, 1992-1995, reports received, 1993, 1995, and Trustees' report and financial statements, 1995; contracts, information and correspondence of the Co-ordinator, 1993-1994; International Council of Artists proposals, contact lists and correspondence, 1993-1994; brochures, 1993-1995; legal papers concerning incorporation, lease of premises, and charitable status, 1993-1995.

Records relating to arts management, 1980-1996, cover funding and sponsorship, 1993-1995; publicity, 1994-1995; press activity, 1994-1996, including cuttings; posters, 1993-1995; general administration, including personnel and finance, 1994-1995; arts organisations and other festivals, 1991-1995; subject files, 1985-1996, including exhibition catalogues on people and places including Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, the USA, and Zimbabwe; videos, 1980-1995, including artists and their work; publications and exhibition catalogues, 1980-1995, for Algeria, Angola, France, Korea, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the UK.

Records relating to finance and development, 1991-1996, cover budgets and funding, companies and sponsorship, and Trusts.

Records on receptions and launches, 1993-1995, relate to events in various locations.

Records relating to Africa95 Nigeria, 1994-1995, include correspondence and photographs.

Records relating to arts events across the UK cover visual arts (photography, fine art, sculpture, calligraphy, metalwork, textiles, and architecture), 1991-1996; cinema, 1993-1995; music, including classical, traditional, gospel, world, jazz, reggae, and popular music [1957]-1996 (including videos, sound recordings and scores); performing arts, including dance, theatre, and puppetry, 1989-1996 (including videos); literature, including poetry, 1993-1995.

Records relating to other activities cover conferences on African arts, including events at the School of Oriental and African Studies, Royal African Society, and Courtauld Institute of Art, 1993-1996; education and young peoples' events, 1993-1996; international workshops and residencies, including events in Senegal, Zimbabwe, London, and Yorkshire, 1990-1996; television and radio, 1992-1995 (including sound recordings of programmes on Radios 1, 3 and 4).

Records relating to post-festival administration, 1994-1996, cover evaluation, celebratory concert, finance, and archive arrangements.