Collected papers, 1792-1943 (some undated), manuscript and typescript, of William Hichens, largely dating from the 1930s, comprising Swahili stories, verses, histories, and vocabularies, including transcriptions and translations of sources, and some correspondence of Hichens relating to Swahili literature.

Papers, 1881-1945, of Sir Charles Stewart Addis, comprising diaries kept by Addis, 1881-1945; correspondence with his family, colleagues and friends including Alexander Michie, 1886-1902, and Montagu Norman, 1921-1943; business papers, 1886-1945; speeches and articles, 1880-1941; newspaper cuttings, c1860-1949; and photographs. In addition to documenting Charles Stewart Addis's role as a leading financial adviser and negotiator, the collection gives an important insight into the development of international finance and monetary policy.

Letters, diaries, drafts of published works, papers and photographs, 1917-1980, of William Gawan Sewell, relating largely to his time in China. Material on the West China Union University includes histories, brochures, detailed descriptions, plans and photographs.

Papers, c1917-1990, of Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf relating to his work on tribes and anthropology in India, Ceylon, Nepal, Tibet and the Philippines.

Papers relating to anthropological fieldwork, 1936-1989, comprise diaries, 1936-1985, some by Betty Fürer-Haimendorf, including detailed accounts of fieldwork; field-notes, 1936-1989; research proposals and reports relating to fieldwork, c1953-1985; fieldwork questionnaires, 1949-1957, on marriage, economic status and kinship; house-lists and genealogies, undated; diagrams and charts on distribution of tribes, families, households, and herds, undated; maps, undated; official correspondence and permits to travel, c1974-1988; miscellaneous papers, c1960-1981, including some relating to travel arrangements.

Papers relating to tribal welfare and development, Andhra Pradesh, c1918-1985, comprise tour notes, c1918, 1945-1946; correspondence between Fürer-Haimendorf and the Revenue Department of the Nizam's Government, 1939-1949; reports on Hyderabad Tribal Affairs, c1935-1949; Gondi reading charts for adults produced as part of an education scheme, 1943-1948; correspondence with tribesmen concerning the alienation of tribal land, 1976-1978; notes on the position of Indian tribal populations, c1960-1985; press cuttings on tribal affairs in India, c1977-1984; Government reports and publications, c1949-1979; miscellaneous papers on tribal welfare, undated.

Working papers for teaching and research, c1949-1979, comprise conference and symposia papers, 1960-1978; lectures and seminar papers, c1949-1977; working papers (subject files) on miscellaneous research topics, c1960-1979 but largely undated; working papers created by René de Nebesky-Wojkowitz on Tibetan dance, religion and ritual, and on medicine and medicinal plants, undated.

Publications and accompanying material, c1917-1990, comprise published texts and articles, 1932-1990; rough drafts and working copies (books) [1939]-[1990]; rough drafts and working copies (articles), largely undated; publications containing photographs by Fürer-Haimendorf, 1937-1960; illustrations used in texts by Fürer-Haimendorf, undated; reviews of Fürer-Haimendorf's publications, 1943-1982; reviews by Fürer-Haimendorf, 1958-1983; extracts and notes from anthropological works by other authors, undated; bibliographies compiled by Fürer-Haimendorf, undated; a large collection of published and unpublished works by other authors, c1917-1989, largely on social and cultural anthropology, and particularly on India, Nepal and Tibet.

Miscellaneous papers, c1935-1989, include further correspondence with colleagues, other scholars, students, publishers, academic institutions and other organisations.

Working papers of John Willoughby Tarleton Allen, 1898-1978 and undated, the bulk dating from 1957-1978, including correspondence, 1963-1977; papers on Swahili culture, poetry and customs, 1903-1978 and undated; papers relating to the Danish Volunteer Training Society, including language instruction, 1969-1973, and Britain Tanzania Society, 1974-1977; published articles by Allen and others, 1898, 1970 and undated; undated photocopies of various Arabic manuscripts; tape recordings of literary performances; microfilms of Swahili material.

Papers of Francis Robert Moraes, 1930s-1974, reflecting his career as a journalist and author, particularly the period 1950-1974, and including his notebooks and diaries, 1950-1974, from Australia and New Zealand, South East Asia, China, Japan, Pakistan, India, Africa, Western and Eastern Europe and the USA; correspondence, 1956-1974, including professional and personal matters; newspaper clippings, regular columns and articles, 1945-1974, some for the Indian Express and Sunday Standard; reviews of his books, 1953-1961; photographs, 1930s-1970s; recorded broadcasts, 1965-1969; and the diary of Beryl Moraes, 1962.

Papers, 1914-1983, of Sir John Mansfield Addis, comprising correspondence relating to Addis's education at Rugby and Oxford (1925-1936); correspondence, including that with his sister Robina Addis, diaries and research material relating to his diplomatic career (1933-1974); and material relating to his retirement years (1975-1982) including reports of South East Asian Tours, lecture notes, research and scholarly work. Also includes personal items (1914-1983) and photographs (1933-1974).

Papers, 1890-1957, of William Millman and his wife's first husband, Walter Stapleton, comprising correspondence, education and language (Lokele) material concerning missionary work in Yakusu, Belgian Congo (Zaire), Central Africa. Also includes photographs of missionaries and tribal groups, and a copy of a volume of the experiences of Edith Millman (1913-1938), taken from her letters and diaries.

Papers, c1900-1992, collected by Jean Boyd, relating to northern Nigeria from the late 18th century to the 1990s.

Papers on Nana Asma'u include copies of her manuscript poems (1820-1865) and later papers relating to her work, including translations, 1976-1984. Papers on works by Shehu dan Fodio include copies of his poems on male-female relationships (1789 and undated) and later papers relating to his work, 1975-1981. Papers on works by Asma'u's female relatives and descendants include copies of poems and writings by various authors (c1860-1934 and undated) and later papers relating to the subject, c1950-1990. Other material comprises field notes on the remnants of Asma'u's disciples, the Yan Taru, 1973-1990; papers on the milieu in which Asma'u lived in Gobir, c1900-1984, including Gobir chiefs; papers, including press cuttings, on the situation of women in northern Nigeria in the 1980s, the subjects including Muslims, prostitution, women's organizations, medical matters, and women's education.

Papers, 1903-1992, including articles, reports and press cuttings, on Sokoto relate to geological history, prehistory, palaeontology, archaeology, pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history, the subjects including the social and economic history of the city of Sokoto, colonial administration, British fears over Mahdism, and local government and economic issues in Sokoto state in modern Nigeria.

Three volumes contain over 500 postcards, many in colour, relating to Nigeria, including images of people, cultural events, various places, and other aspects of Nigerian life [late 20th century].

Papers, c1910-1983, of Abraham Nahum Stencl, relating to his life and work and to modern Yiddish literature, and comprising papers relating to his life, 1934-1978, including letters received from his family, photographs, press cuttings relating to his life and work, and personal documents; manuscript and printed writings, 1930-1980, in verse and prose, including some autobiographical and works on literature; papers, 1918-1983, largely dating from the 1940s and after, relating to Loshn un Lebn and the Friends of Yiddish circle, other friends and acquaintances, Jewish organisations, and Stencl's involvement in literary events, comprising letters received and other papers, including works by other authors, of over 200 correspondents, some of them annotated by Stencl; ephemera, c1910-1982, accumulated by Stencl, including postcards, membership cards, receipts, tickets, greeting cards, circulars, advertisements, and flyers.

Papers, 1888-1981, chiefly comprising the correspondence and personal papers of Sir Alwyne Ogden, also including his diaries (c1920-1970), photographs, notes and drafts for his autobiography. The collection also adds detail to the life of his wife Jessie Ogden and her father, Albert Henry Bridge.

Papers, 1893-1940, of the Rev Charles Perry Scott and the Rev Percy Melville Scott, together with those of fellow missionaries of the North China and Shantung Mission. Also included is a continuous series of the North China and Shantung Mission Quarterly Papers (January 1893-October 1936), and the correspondence and diaries of Maurice Woodforde Scott dating from his time in China with Butterfield & Swire (1934-1937).

Correspondence, diaries, photographs and papers relating to South Africa, 1938-1993, collected by Hannah Stanton. They include a large amount of correspondence concerning her campaign work on issues such as apartheid; journals covering her trips abroad and appointment diaries; speeches and sermons; material concerning Helen Joseph; and a large number of photographs of friends of Hannah Stanton.

Papers, c1830-1925, of Major-General Sir Henry Marion Durand and Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, giving a good picture of their work, particularly Henry Mortimer Durand. These include a set of Henry Mortimer Durand's diaries (1870-1907); a large selection of correspondence (1872-1922) (correspondents include Lord Lansdowne, Grey, Curzon and Roberts); and a collection of press cuttings (1902-1908) relating to the period when he was Ambassador in America. Henry Mortimer Durand also wrote a number of literary works, some of which are present in this collection. Also of interest are a number of family photograph albums, depicting scenes of India, Europe and America.

Diaries, correspondence, photographs and papers, 1911-1984, of Diane Noakes. The majority of the papers relate to her life in England, but some relate to her work in Uganda (1951-1958).

Papers, 1924-c1958, of James Philip Mills, comprising correspondence, diaries, reports, lecture notes and articles, relating to his experiences in North East India, and his later teaching and research on the area.

Diaries, correspondence, genealogical papers, photographs and press cuttings, 1793-1966, of Edward Charles Mackintosh Bowra and Cecil Arthur Verner Bowra.

Papers, 1870-1914, of Roland Lyon Nosworthy Michell, including his diaries, 1872, 1873, 1878, journals, 1870-1872, 1874-1876, and correspondence, 1878-1914, together with research material for his publications, including notes on the Dervish sects, of which he had a first hand knowledge.

Papers, 1950s-1980s, of Professor David W Arnott on West African languages, comprising papers, including notes and questionnaires, from his study leave (1955-1956) spent travelling from Nigeria through Niger, Dahomey (Benin), Upper Volta (Burkina Faso), French Sudan (Mali), Senegal and Gambia to Guinea and Sierra Leone; copies (photocopied and photographic) of manuscripts; translations and transcriptions; transcriptions of language recordings; seminar and conference papers; teaching material; offprints of articles by Arnott; typescripts or corrected proofs of articles; and reviews of books by other authors. The papers relate largely to Nigeria but also to Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal, relating mainly to Fulfulde, Fula and Fulani (language of the Fulani people of West Africa), and also to Tiv and to Hausa poetry and songs. The subjects include literature, including poetry (religious and non-religious), oral literature and folklore, proverbial lore, Islamic influences on African literary cultures, grammar, including morphology, verbal and nominal systems, nouns, vocabulary, and the distribution of dialects.

Papers, 1890-1957, of Sir Edward Denison Ross and his wife Dora, comprising his correspondence, including that with his wife (1902-1940); personal material including diaries and notebooks of Lady Ross; articles, lecture notes, language material and notes gathered by J. A. Chapman whilst editing Denison Ross's autobiography Both Ends of the Candle published in 1943.

Les Coleman (6 May 1945 - January 17 2013) was an artist, poet, sculptor, art lecturer, critic, and collector. A lifelong connoisseur and collector of the surreal, obscure and esoteric Coleman accumulated a unique, rare and significant literary and visual library in his lifetime. It is the latter which he donated to the University of Arts London.

Amongst the Les Coleman Collection is a significant collection of comics from North American underground [1968-1980] and alternative [1980-present] comic book movements. Perhaps the most significant component of the collection is Coleman's Robert Crumb material, which is possibly one of the largest in the UK. Other highlights in the collection include large collections of the work of Canadian comic book artist Julie Douchet and Serbian artist Aleksandar Zograf, complete runs of classic counter-cultural comics Arcade, Bijou Funnies and Raw. In addition to comics Coleman also acquired various signed and limited edition prints by comic book artists such as Charles Burns, Joe Coleman, Joost Swarte, Archer Prewitt and Aline-Kominsky Crumb. An admirer and champion of the art form Coleman organised and curated various comic exhibitions in his lifetime. A prominent British comic commentator and critic, Coleman was also in correspondence with various artists including Doucet, Zograf, Mack White, Jeff Johnson and Prewitt.

The second part of the Coleman collection is comprised of art, illustration and humour books from America, Australia, the UK and Europe (predominantly France and Belgium). Coleman's twin fascinations in this area were cartoons and surrealism, and his favoured artists range from the gentle newspaper gags of 'Larry' to the dark absurdist visions of Roland Topor. Other prominent artists in this part of the collection include Charles Addams, Edward Gorey, Saul Steinberg, HM Bateman, Glenn Baxter, Ivor Cutler, Maurice Henry, Sempé and Siné.

The third part of the collection is made up of Coleman's personal papers. Amongst this part of the collections there is a great deal of correspondence with his contemporaries in the art world such as painter, collaborator and teacher Patrick Hughes, the artist and children's' illustrator Tony Blundell, artist and colleague Charlie Holmes, artist and illustrator Chris Vine, French surrealist and publisher Marcel Mariën, and many more. Additionally there is a large collection of postcards and Christmas cards, many designed by the aforementioned artists. There is also some draft artwork and research material for a cartoon strip entitled 'Ying and Yang' which Coleman created in collaboration with Hughes. There is also a large collection of research material, primarily consisting of handwritten notes, annotated scans and photocopies, photographs, and sketches. Research material relates both to Coleman's teaching and curation careers.