Material collected by Arthur Ebenezer Cooke, 1886-1936, mainly concerning trade unions of lithographic artists, designers, engravers and process workers, notably reports and official bulletins of the International Federation of Lithographers, Printers and Similar Trades, and the International Secretariat of Lithographic and Allied Trades, 1906-1927; papers relating to the Joint Industrial Council of the Printing and Allied Trades of Great Britain and Ireland, 1921-1935, including notes by Cooke, constitution and rules, and reports on education and health problems relating to the trade; records of the National Joint Industrial Council for the Process Engraving Industry, 1920-1935, notably minutes of meetings; reports and documents of meetings of the Non-Manual Workers Advisory Council of the Trades Union Congress General Council, 1932-1936; papers of the National Federation of Professional Workers, 1930-1935, notably material relating to social insurance; records of the Printing and Kindred Trades Federation, 1906-1935, including bulletins, annual reports, conference papers, and papers of the Executive Committee; rules of the Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Writers, Draughtsmen, and Copperplate and Wood Engravers, 1889-1932; material relating to the Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Engravers and Process Workers (later the Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Engravers and Process Workers), 1886-1935, including rules, annual reports, the quarterly society newspaper, documents relating to the development of the Society, 1886-1914, minutes of the Executive Council and the Executive Committee meetings, 1919-1935, minutes of Executive Joint Committee meetings, 1926-1936, material relating to the wages of lithographic workers, 1919-1936, papers concerning unemployment and unemployment levies, 1913-1935, and correspondence, 1911-1935, mainly to and from Cooke, on subjects including the organisation of the Society, affiliation with the Labour Party, the Trades Union Congress, and the wage levels and working conditions of its members; papers of the London Branch of the Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Engravers and Process Workers, 1912-1934, mainly comprising correspondence, minutes and reports; memoranda of agreements between printing societies, 1916-1936, mainly relating to amalgamations of various societies and national wage levels for the printing profession; copies of The Process Journal, 1930-1935; material collated by Cooke, 1907-1909, relating to the Labour Party, the Independent Labour Party, and trade unionism in Bristol; a typescript copy of Cooke's memoirs covering the years 1862 to 1935.

Cash book giving customer name and amount paid only. Includes references to payments concerning Fry and Hunt, later J S Fry and Sons, chocolate manufacturers; withdrawals by Windover and his brother Arthur Fry up to 1835 and payments concerning work done at Type Street Foundry premises.

Papers relating to the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, 1830, comprising a colour print of the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow from an engraving by Augustus Fox, after the drawing by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd. It was printed by Jones and Co, Temple of the Muses, Finsbury Square, London, on 21 Aug 1830.

Papers of Sir Frank Short comprising notebooks c1905-1924; photographs; letters 1889-1924; drawings, and experimental work; monographs, 1912, 1920; copper plates, and account book of William Bernard Cooke (1778-1855, engraver) with J M W Turner, 1822-1825.

The collection consists mainly of minutes, financial records, manuscripts of unpublished texts and correspondence. It provides interesting detail on what one section of society thought would provide education for another. There is much useful information on the reading preferences of the public, and on the growth and development of Mechanics' Institutes. Most of those concerned with the founding of the Society as a project in self-education were also involved in the founding of the new University of London (now University College London) and some, like Augustus De Morgan and George Long, actually taught there. There is also considerable information on the work of publishers, illustrators, engravers and booksellers and on writers, whether already established authorities in their field or young hopefuls, like G H Lewes, who sought to establish themselves through the Society's patronage.

Papers of Nathaniel Sparks including letters to Sparks from Alfred Bentley, artist and drypoint engraver, 1916-1917, with 2 photographs; and letters and photographs from Malcolm Osborne, 1916-1925.