The vast majority of these papers relate to Whiteley's life between 1923 and 1938. They cover the years when she lived in England and are also a useful source for information concerning her travels in India, although there is practically nothing relating to her visit to Rome and the period of her residence in Austria.
There is an extensive series of letters written to Whiteley whilst she was living in England. These letters (MS 949/1B) indicate the friendships and contacts that she made in England and maintained overseas. They also give information about her work and activities during this period of her life. The ephemera and other material collected by Whiteley provides supporting information about her concerns and interests during this period (MS 949/5-7). There is a large amount of photographic material in this collection, the bulk of which was created during Whiteley's travels in India during 1924 and 1925 (MS 949/8-9). As well as being a source of information about Whiteley herself and the places which she visited, the images also give information about the region of Udaipur, its people, architecture and social customs. The photographic material is supported by letters to Whiteley and papers and letters written by her whilst in India (MS 949/3).
There is also a significant amount of material written by Whiteley for her own use (MS 949/4). It is rather difficult to make sense of much of this material, although some of it clearly relates to her interests and research. However, these papers clearly give an indication of Whiteley's state of mind at this period.
Whiteley , Opal , 1897-1992 , writer