Business papers of George Bernard Shaw, 1872-1950, mainly comprising correspondence, royalty details, contracts, copyright notices and other financial material, including papers relating to the performance of Shaw's plays in the UK and abroad by professional and amateur companies, 1896-1950; material concerning Shaw's dealings with literary agents, publishers, translators and various regulatory bodies, 1899-1950; printed blank contracts regulating the production and performance of Shaw's work in the UK and abroad, 1900-[1950]; correspondence, contracts, statements of royalties and other papers relating to the translation, publication and performance of Shaw's plays in countries other than the UK, 1907-1950; correspondence and bills of Messrs Leighton-Straker, bookbinders, 1911-1949, and Messrs R & R Clarke, printers, 1908-1949, including details of texts, numbers ordered and cost per unit; papers relating to dealings with Constable and Company Ltd, publishers, [1919]-1950; material relating to dealings with Messrs Brentano, US publishers, 1889-1946, notably royalty statements, accounts of sales, copyright agreements, and other material related to the publication of Shaw's plays and literary works in the USA; correspondence between Shaw and Paul Reynolds, his literary agent in the USA, 1907-1922, including details of payments made to Shaw for various articles, the serialisation of his plays in magazines, and copyright details; correspondence and papers concerning Shaw's dealings with literary agents in other European countries, [1903-1949], notably relating to the translation, publication and performance of his works; papers relating to litigation about copyright in the USA, 1927-1950; material relating to legal actions brought by Shaw against various unauthorised central European productions and publications, 1906-1910; correspondence relating to the adaptation and filming of Shaw's plays, 1913-[1950], including material concerning the development of the British and Irish film industries and the funding, marketing and distribution of films; correspondence concerning broadcasting rights, 1949-1950, mainly of Shaw's talks and adaptations of his plays; papers relating to the translation of Shaw's works, 1904-1949, into Russian, Czech, French, German and Polish; correspondence, receipts and contracts relating to Shaw's personal finances, 1872-1950, including details of his insurance policies and investments, property, income tax in the UK and USA, bank statements, royalty payments, and the disposal of the estate of Charlotte Shaw; papers relating to property owned by Shaw in Ireland and at Shaw's Corner, 1920-1949; material concerning dealings with J N Mason and Co, solicitors, 1891-1948, including the post-nuptial agreement made between Shaw and his wife; bills and letters relating to the purchase and hire of motor cars, 1900-1950; engagement diaries, 1877-1950; personal and domestic bills and receipts, 1872-1950, including hotel bills collected by Shaw during tours of the UK and Europe; notebooks and ledgers containing records of royalty payments, 1898-1950; copies of letters from Charlotte Shaw, 1899-1936, including letters to Alys Russell and Blanche Patch, with photographs of Charlotte's family and friends; material given to the Library by users of the Shaw papers, 1961-1970, notably copies of The California Shavian, 1961-1962.

Papers of the Society of Labour Lawyers, mainly dating 1949-1979, including: Annual reports and accounts. Minutes of Annual General Meetings and Executive Committee meetings. Rules of the Society. Newsletters and circulars. Membership records. Papers regarding conferences and other Society events. Subject files on topics such as racial discrimination, illegitimacy, homosexuality and abortion. Subject files relating to reform of the justice system, such as: improving access to the law (provision of legal aid and advice); criminal procedure; and, ending capital punishment. The subject files include correspondence, memoranda, sub-committee papers and evidence to government inquiries and Royal Commissions. Correspondence with members of the Society, MPs and others, including Gerald Gardiner (Lord Chancellor, 1964-70) and Samuel Silkin (Attorney General, 1974-79). Correspondence of the Society's Honorary Secretaries, Jean Graham Hall and Conrad Ascher.

Court Leet Roll of the Manor of Keninghale, 1521-1547, presumably Kenninghall, Norfolk.

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.

Records, 1926-1951, of the Chinese Government Purchasing Commission (CGPC), including information on the state of Chinese communications; the workings of the Chinese Ministries of Communications, Railways and Industries; Chinese banking; construction and engineering technology and the work of British manufacturers; and some information on Chinese educational and cultural institutions in receipt of subsidies from the Board of Trustees for the Administration of the Indemnity Funds Remitted by the British Government.

Records, 1926-1951, relating to the foundation and constitution of the CGPC comprise printed report of the Anglo-Chinese Advisory Committee (China Indemnity Advisory Committee), 1926; correspondence, largely letters from the Board of Trustees to the CPGC, 1931-1950, concerning the constitution of the Commission, procedural issues, personnel and financial matters; file on procedure on appointment of a new member of the Commission, 1947-1948; correspondence concerning events preceding the winding-up of the Commission, 1951.

Financial records, 1931-1951, comprise papers on the Board Account, 1937-1950; papers on the Chin Fund (apparently a grant paid to Constance Chin, a patient of the Bethlem Royal Hospital), 1945-1951; summaries of expenses relating to purchase orders made by Chinese ministries, 1931-1951; Indemnity Fund cash books, 1937-1950; invoices and receipts relating to CGPC business, 1937-1951; financial statements and correspondence relating to banking matters with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, 1931-1951, the subjects including investments and tax.

Operational records, c1928-1951, relating to the administration of purchase orders, comprise register of tenders/purchase orders, 1942-1946; contract registers (not comprehensive), 1931-1949, recording the management of contracts for the supply and delivery in China of plant, machinery and other materials manufactured in the UK for the Chinese government, and over 1,000 related contract files for engineering companies and manufacturers for industrial, construction, railway and other projects; tender forms, 1934, issued to contractors by the CGPC; specifications and standards, c1928-1937 and undated, largely for the construction of railways and carriages; correspondence concerning administration of purchase orders, 1932-1951, relating especially to delivery of locomotive spare parts and related materials; registers of export licences issue to British manufacturers under wartime regulations, 1941-1946; applications for export licences, 1939-1945; registers of shipments, insurance, freight and inspection fees, 1931-1951; shipping letters, 1937-1950, issued for CGPC shipments; general correspondence concerning the administration of the CGPC, 1931-1951, including correspondence with solicitors and correspondence concerning the CGPC premises in Tothill Street, London.

Annual reports and accounts, 1931-1950, comprise typescript accounts and reports, 1931-1950, of the CGPC and published annual reports, 1931-1950, including summaries of receipts and payments; and annual reports of the Board of Trustees, 1931-1938.

Miscellaneous records, c1932-1950, comprise one file including papers on subjects including railways, training Chinese students, Japanese imperialism, and CGPC records, a photograph of ships in harbour, and maps of China and the Far East.

Records, 1939-1943, of the China Purchasing Agency Ltd comprise standing regulations of the Board of Directors, undated; correspondence, 1939-1943, concerning various purchase orders; miscellaneous items, c1939-1940, including list of tenders passed for acceptance, 1939, and an undated schedule of materials shipped.

Correspondence and papers, 1814-1958, of and relating to Robert Morrison and his missionary work, translations, and life in China and Malacca, comprising letters of Morrison to various correspondents, 1820-1830; three letter books of Thomas Fisher, 1824-1836, largely comprising copy letters from Fisher in Hoxton to Morrison in Canton and Morrison's replies, and also including correspondence between Fisher and John Robert Morrison, Fisher's papers relating to memoirs of Robert Morrison, and various cuttings and inserts; manuscript translation by William Milne, 1814, of a Chinese catechism compiled and printed at Canton by Morrison (1811-1812); manuscripts of and relating to Morrison and his translations and missionary work, 1824-1826; undated [early 19th century] copy of Morrison's domestic memoir, written in 1824, including references to his family; Morrison's grant of power of attorney, 1826; manuscript containing copies [1832] of various letters from Morrison, 1809-1832; examples of texts printed at Morrison's press, 1831 and undated; publications of Morrison, comprising a printed list of his publications [after 1822], discourse given at Hoxton Academy (1825), pamphlet on Chinese language and literature, Chinese Miscellany (1825), and manuscript of the same; printed report on missionary work in China, 1832; papers relating to the Anglo-Chinese College, Malacca, comprising a deed, 1820, printed prospectus, c1820, and reports, 1823-1836 (incomplete series); copies of The Indo-Chinese Gleaner, 1821, and The Evangelist and Miscellanea Sinica, 1833; printed report on China and Canton, 1823; papers relating to Morrison, 1934-1958, including correspondence, typescripts and press cuttings.

Papers, 1846-1950s, of Elizabeth Lomas, comprising certificates and testimonials for her education and teaching posts in England, 1888-1918; postcards of England; typescript and manuscript notes, addresses, stories, poems, etc, from her life in Madagascar [1919-1939]; diaries and notebooks including notes on personal and domestic matters, poetry, and press cuttings, 1920s-1930s; photographs of individuals, groups and places in Madagascar [1919-1939]; typescript circulars relating to missionary work in Madagascar, 1947-1950; various letters received, 1890s-1950s; various personal papers, 1900s-1950s; papers relating to Lomas family affairs, 1846-1916, including documents relating to probate and property and various certificates; photographs of her family and ancestors [19th-20th century].

Records, 1869-1967, of John Swire & Sons Ltd, comprising the bulk of known surviving material stored in the London Office, covering the development of the firm from about 1870 to 1947, and including series of correspondence coming in and out of the London Office; legal material including original deeds and leases; accounts; organisation papers; and photographs. The importance of the collection lies in the comprehensiveness of the nineteenth and twentieth century correspondence in illustrating the development of the firm and its subsidiaries from the London side where policies were decided, and from the Eastern side where they were implemented. It also gives a good picture of leading figures and firms involved in the Far Eastern trade at that time such as Jardine, Matheson & Company, the China Merchants Company and Holt's, and reveals aspects of Chinese trade and British business philosophy at the end of the Victorian era.

Papers, 1925-[1960s], of Sir Richard Winstedt relating to his publications, comprising annotated proofs of Malay dictionary, 1960; manuscripts of Malay Dictionary, undated; copy of his An English-Malay Dictionary (1952), with extensive manuscript annotations and alterations [after 1952]; manuscripts and typescripts for his memoirs Start from Alif: Count from One (published in 1969), largely relating to his time in south-east Asia [1960s]; manuscript on philosophy, undated; letter on Malay law to [S G?] Vesey-Fitzgerald, 1945; letter on a Malay manuscript from P Voorholne[?] of the Bibliotheek der Rijks-Universiteit te Leiden, 1951; part of a letter on Raffles College and educational needs in Malaya from an unknown correspondent, 1965; miscellaneous offprints by Winstedt on Malay literature, law, customs and culture, 1925, 1929, 1945, and undated.

Papers, 1972-1981 (some undated), on the Philippines, including typescripts, correspondence, maps, legal documents, press cuttings and other published material, some of the material produced by the Catholic Church, dealing with affairs in the Philippines, including the work of the Panamin government agency, the Chico River Basin Project (Northern Luzon) to dam the Chico River and submerge tribal villages, attempts to 'modernise' and convert minority ethnic groups to Christianity, including alleged abuses of human rights, and the political situation, including the policies of Ferdinand Marcos.

Typescript legal papers (some copies) on a case of Civil Appeal in the Federal Court, Malaysia, 1980, concerning the succession to the 14th Undang (ruling chief) of the luak (territory) of Jelebu in the state of Negri Sembilan, including constitutional questions, and some information on the historical background; with two related booklets, 1981.

Papers, 1949-1957, of Sir Charles Noble Arden-Clarke, giving an insight into events during the transition of the Gold Coast to independent Ghana, including the State of Emergency (1950). The papers comprise typescripts of speeches to local clubs and societies, discussions with the Legislative Council, and some correspondence arranging meetings, 1949-1957, including two congratulatory telegrams received on the independence of Ghana, 1956, and speech when sworn in as Governor-General of Ghana, 1957; text of a radio broadcast on democracy and elections at the General Election, 1956; other papers, 1954-1957, comprising letters received congratulating him on his work, legal documents concerning a libel by the Ghana Nationalist newspaper, articles on Arden-Clarke from The Observer and The Ghana Evening News, and copy letter by Arden-Clarke concerning appointment of the next Governor of Ghana, 1957.

Papers, 1954-[1982], relating to the banana industry in Cameroon and in particular to organisations representing banana growers, comprising microfiche copies, undated, of papers relating to companies including Elders and Fyffes Ltd and United Fruit Shippers Ltd; meteorological statistics (1929-1982) for Tiko, Loum, Mbanga and Nkongsamba [1982]; British Cameroons Co-operative Department printed reports, 1954-1958, including statistics relating to bananas and other products, and related issues; BCUF (Bakweri Co-operative Union of Farmers) and Contracts file, 1957-1965, comprising typescript and printed papers and contracts with Elders and Fyffes Ltd relating to banana production and sales; typescript papers by David Philip on Sigatoka disease and the BCUF, 1958, and Cameroon Banana Industry, c1980; selected typescript minutes and papers of SDIBC (Syndicat de Defense de Interêts Bananier du Cameroon), 1959-1980; selected typescript minutes, 1962-1965, of FEBACAM (Federation Bananiers du Cameroon) and UGECOBAM; typescript extracts from IFAC (Institut Français de Recherches Fruitières) Programme de Reconversion Bananiere and agreements with smallholders, 1967; typescript papers on land tenure, 1967-1976.

Papers, 1890-1987, of Melvin Perlman, comprising correspondence; research data gathered during 1959-1962 for his study on Toro marriages in Uganda; data gathered for his research on Tea Estate Workers in Uganda; and his articles and lectures.

Papers, 1931-1990, of Sir James Norman Dalrymple Anderson, comprising correspondence, articles and documents concerned with Islamic law in the Middle East and East Africa; sermons, lectures and notes on Christianity; personal correspondence including an exchange of letters with the Archbishop of Canterbury, 1960; and personal documents.

Records, 1902-1977 and undated, of and accumulated by the Restatement of African Law Project (RALP), School of Oriental and African Studies, comprising papers of RALP relating to administration, including minutes; and research material, such as notes, publications, theses, and other collected papers, on tribes and places including Basutoland (Lesotho), Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Northern Rhodesia and Zambia, Sierra Leone, the Sudan, Tanganyika, Zanzibar and Tanzania, and Uganda, relating to customs, aspects of law including succession, slavery, marriage and divorce, land tenure, legal systems, including customary law, legislation, courts, and particular legal cases.

Archives of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), 1903-2000, comprising Charter of Incorporation, 1916, and other documents relating to the development of the School, 1903-1947, including Interim Report & Appendices Regarding Proposed School of Oriental & African Languages in London, 1911; minutes of the Governing Body, 1913-2000, and principal Committees, 1916-2000; appointments of Directors and Secretaries; Grant of Charter of Arms; School Development Policies, 1945-1990s, and papers relating to the Bloomsbury site, 1944-1945; general correspondence, 1916-2000; staff records, 1916-2000; student records, 1916-2000, and course files, 1970s-2000; students' union papers, 1957-1972; press cuttings, 1909-1917; picture archive, 1916-2000, including photographs, prints and drawings.

Records, c1725, 1799-1986, of the United Society for Christian Literature (USCL) and its predecessors, including the Religious Tract Society, comprise:

Executive Committee minutes for the RTS, 1799-1935 (some gaps) (Ref: USCL 1-113), continued under the USCL, 1935-1953 (Ref: USCL 113-122), and other minutes, including copyright, finance, and local associations, for the RTS, 1806-1935, and USCL, 1935-1972 (Ref: USCL 123-149, USCL Add 6, 15, 19-22);

copies of outgoing RTS letters, 1824-1889 (Ref: USCL 150-195); miscellaneous correspondence of the RTS, 1824-1847 (Ref: USCL Add 23-26);

annual reports for the RTS, 1820-1935 (many gaps) (Ref: USCL 311-336, USCL Add 34), USCL, 1935-1962 (Ref: USCL 337-357, USCL/S 69-72, 99-103, USCL Add 38), and RTS (China), continued under the USCL, 1884-1947 (Ref: USCL 366-376);

ledgers and accounts, 1836-1952 (Ref: USCL 196-231);

papers of the RTS, succeeded by the USCL, relating to copyright, 1825-1835 (Ref: USCL Add 1-2); reports of sub-committees on anti-popery, 1839, and new warehouses, 1844 (Ref: USCL Add 3-4); salaries books, 1851-1938 (Ref: USCL Add 5); letters, report and pamphlet relating to the Assam mission, India, 1857-1859 (Ref: USCL Add 7); legacies book, 1911-1986 (Ref: USCL Add 11); USCL register of members, 1946-1963, also including declarations of employee names, 1948-1972 (Ref: USCL Add 16); USCL papers concerning premises in Lusaka, Rhodesia, 1949-1955 (Ref: USCL Add 17); reports on USCL officials' visits to India and Ceylon, Northern Rhodesia, and Zambia, 1950-1969 (Ref: USCL Add 18); papers documenting USCL history, 1927-1976 and undated, including notes, chronology, printed material, and photographs, including the fire damage of 1941 (Ref: USCL Add 64-71);

RTS and USCL printed tracts, c1920-c1950 (Ref: USCL 400-401); annotated listings of RTS publications, 1842-1859 (Ref: USCL Add 39); RTS publications, 1822-1934 and undated (Ref: USCL Add 41-57); USCL publications, 1935-1962 and undated (Ref: USCL Add 57-62); miscellaneous publications, c1725, 1816-1960, including some on the work of the RTS but also including other publications, some by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (Ref: USCL 377-399, USCL Add 40, 63).

There are also records, 1858-1950, of the Christian Literature Society (CLS) for India (and Africa) and its predecessor; and records, 1885-1977, of the UCSL (Scotland) and its predecessors.