Fonds GB 0372 RS1 - New Left Archive

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0372 RS1

Title

New Left Archive

Date(s)

  • 1899-1993 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

116 Files

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

As a result of Nikita Khrushchev's Secret Speech denouncing Joseph Stalin and the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956, many abandoned the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) and began to rethink its orthodox Marxism. Some joined various Trotskyist groupings or the Labour Party.

The Marxist historians E. P. Thompson and Ralph Miliband established the Communist Party Historians Group and a dissenting journal within the CPGB called Reasoner. Once expelled from the party, they began the New Reasoner from 1957. In 1960, this journal merged with the Universities and Left Review to form the New Left Review. These journals attempted to synthesise a theoretical position of a revisionist, humanist, socialist Marxism, departing from orthodox Marxist theory. This publishing effort made the ideas of culturally oriented theorists available to an undergraduate reading audience. In this early period, many on the New Left were involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, formed in 1957.

Under the long-standing editorial leadership of Perry Anderson, the New Left Review popularised the Frankfurt School, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser and other forms of Marxism. Other periodicals like Socialist Register, started in 1964, and Radical Philosophy, started in 1972, have also been associated with the New Left, and published a range of important writings in this field.

As the campus orientation of the American New Left became clear in the mid to late 1960s, the student sections of the British New Left began taking action. The London School of Economics became a key site of British student militancy. The influence of protests against the Vietnam War and of the May 1968 events in France were also felt strongly throughout the British New Left. Some within the British New Left joined the International Socialists, which later became Socialist Workers Party while others became involved with groups such as the International Marxist Group.The politics of the British New Left can be contrasted with Solidarity, UK, which continued to focus primarily on industrial issues.

Archival history

GB 0372 RS1 1899-1993 Fonds 116 Files Samuel , Raphael Elkan , 1934-1996 , historian

As a result of Nikita Khrushchev's Secret Speech denouncing Joseph Stalin and the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956, many abandoned the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) and began to rethink its orthodox Marxism. Some joined various Trotskyist groupings or the Labour Party.

The Marxist historians E. P. Thompson and Ralph Miliband established the Communist Party Historians Group and a dissenting journal within the CPGB called Reasoner. Once expelled from the party, they began the New Reasoner from 1957. In 1960, this journal merged with the Universities and Left Review to form the New Left Review. These journals attempted to synthesise a theoretical position of a revisionist, humanist, socialist Marxism, departing from orthodox Marxist theory. This publishing effort made the ideas of culturally oriented theorists available to an undergraduate reading audience. In this early period, many on the New Left were involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, formed in 1957.

Under the long-standing editorial leadership of Perry Anderson, the New Left Review popularised the Frankfurt School, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser and other forms of Marxism. Other periodicals like Socialist Register, started in 1964, and Radical Philosophy, started in 1972, have also been associated with the New Left, and published a range of important writings in this field.

As the campus orientation of the American New Left became clear in the mid to late 1960s, the student sections of the British New Left began taking action. The London School of Economics became a key site of British student militancy. The influence of protests against the Vietnam War and of the May 1968 events in France were also felt strongly throughout the British New Left. Some within the British New Left joined the International Socialists, which later became Socialist Workers Party while others became involved with groups such as the International Marxist Group.The politics of the British New Left can be contrasted with Solidarity, UK, which continued to focus primarily on industrial issues.

Transferred to Bishopsgate Institute from Ruskin College, 2011.

Papers and correspondence of the New Left Archive (1947-1993), compiled by Raphael Samuel, including: correspondence, editorial minutes, press cuttings, drafts and publicity material concerning the founding and administration of Universities and Left Review, 1956-1993; correspondence, financial papers, plans and other material regarding the Universities and Left Review Club and the Partisan Coffee House, 1957-1961; papers, correspondence, notes, minutes and publicity material concerning the student movement and other organisations, 1957-1976; interviews transcripts, notes and other material from Raphael Samuel's work with the Institute of Community Studies, 1957-1962; minutes, papers, teaching papers and reports gathered by Samuel regarding Ruskin College, Oxford, 1899-1993.

The material is arranged in a roughly chronological sequence.

Open.

Photocopying and scanning facilities are available for a charge and will be completed by archival staff if condition and copyright permits. Digital photography (without flash) is permitted for research purposes on completion of the Library's Copyright Declaration form and with respect to current UK copyright law.

English.

Hard copy handlist available; ADLIB Online Catalogue.

Entry compiled by Stefan Dickers.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

3 December 2011. Protest movements Student movements Samuel , Raphael Elkan , 1934-1996 , historian Partisan Coffee House Universities and Left Review Club Institute of Community Studies New Left Archive Ruskin College, Oxford Student sociology Political movements Educational sociology Educational sciences

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Transferred to Bishopsgate Institute from Ruskin College, 2011.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers and correspondence of the New Left Archive (1947-1993), compiled by Raphael Samuel, including: correspondence, editorial minutes, press cuttings, drafts and publicity material concerning the founding and administration of Universities and Left Review, 1956-1993; correspondence, financial papers, plans and other material regarding the Universities and Left Review Club and the Partisan Coffee House, 1957-1961; papers, correspondence, notes, minutes and publicity material concerning the student movement and other organisations, 1957-1976; interviews transcripts, notes and other material from Raphael Samuel's work with the Institute of Community Studies, 1957-1962; minutes, papers, teaching papers and reports gathered by Samuel regarding Ruskin College, Oxford, 1899-1993.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The material is arranged in a roughly chronological sequence.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopying and scanning facilities are available for a charge and will be completed by archival staff if condition and copyright permits. Digital photography (without flash) is permitted for research purposes on completion of the Library's Copyright Declaration form and with respect to current UK copyright law.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Hard copy handlist available; ADLIB Online Catalogue.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Bishopsgate Institute

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area