Political papers of Stanley Orme, 1974-2004, comprise papers relating to his work as a government minister in the Northern Ireland Office and subsequently the Department for Health and Social Security (1974-1979), Labour Party Opposition Spokesman on Trade and Industry (1979-1983), Energy (1983-1987), and Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (1987-1992). Papers from Orme's period in the Northern Ireland Office are related mainly to his work on industrial democracy in Harland and Wolff shipyard, and also contains reports of visits to USA to meet politicians to discuss Northern Ireland politics. Section 2 contains many articles and speeches by Orme relating to health and social security. Section 3 consists mainly in correspondence, and includes discussions of industrial policy and unemployment. Orme's role as Opposition Spokesman on Energy has been divided into two sections. Section 4 covers the general policy area of energy, dealing with such issues as fuel poverty, nuclear power, and industrial relations in the energy sector, whilst Section 5 is devoted to the significant amount of material relating to the 1984-1985 miners' strike. Section 6 contains material from Orme's Chairmanship of the Parliamentary Labour Party, and Section 7 contains articles and speeches written throughout Orme's career.

Records of Political and Economic Planning and the Policy Studies Institute, 1922-1987, comprising the following: Administrative papers, 1931-1978, notably minutes of the Executive Council, 1933-1978, the Trustees, 1938-1961, the PEP Club Committee, 1942-1955 and the Finance and General Purposes Committee, 1953-1964; membership and circulation lists, 1931-1955; legal and financial papers, mainly concerning property, 1933-1963; correspondence with publishers, 1934-1938; bulletins, 1934-1984; papers relating to weekend meetings to review research in progress, 1944-1954; material concerning funding and finance from various bodies, 1956-1969; papers of the PEP Trust, 1933-1949. Research papers, 1931-1974, notably papers of working groups, 1922-1944, on subjects including employment, industry, local government, health, housing, education and international trade; material concerning PEP publications, 1933-1980, notably broadsheets and reports, mainly concerning the finance, administration and publication of the studies; files concerning post-war studies which resulted in more than one publication, 1939-1970, notably on population, industry, economics, trade unions, mental health, the common market, and social studies; material concerning unprinted papers, 1931-1973; press cuttings, 1931-1942. Papers of John Pinder, Director of PEP (1964-1985), [1925]-1987, including unsigned minutes, correspondence and papers of the Executive Committee, 1950-1978, and Special Executive Meetings, 1971-1976; reports of the Programme Planning Committee, 1964-1966; minutes and papers of staff meetings, 1958-1972; material concerning PEP history and records, 1931-[1980], including early documents and correspondence concerning foundation; financial material, 1948-1977; printed material, [1925]-1978, including PEP memorandum and articles of association, and papers relating to the PEP/PSI merger; papers concerning the joint PEP and Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) project on the European Community, 1965-1976, including material relating to the Ford Foundation Grant, correspondence, and study papers; material concerning PEP studies and publications, 1965-1987, notably on mental health, public reaction to disability, urban growth, professional migration, industry, economics, the labour market, and UK race relations; papers relating to European bodies, or bodies concerned with European issues, 1960-1977, including the Committee for Economic Development, the European Movement, the Overseas Development Institute, the Race Relations Board and the Federal Trust; personal papers of John Pinder, 1967-1975, including lectures, articles and reviews by him and material relating to his European interests. Papers of other contributors to PEP/PSI, [1940]-1982, notably papers concerning PEP administration, the compilation of statistics for propaganda purposes during World War Two, architecture, social science higher education, company law and responsibilities, labour market policies, the training of adults for skilled employment, transport policy and personal mobility, racial equality, and voluntary youth organisations.

Records collected or created by the Returned Volunteers Association, [1962-1997] including: correspondence and papers relating to VSO, including volunteers reports and papers relating to reorientation weekends; correspondence and papers relating to European Non Governmental Organisations and BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development), including EVI (Ex-Volunteers International) and European Community projects; correspondence and papers relating to sending agencies, including CIIR (Catholic Institute for International Relations), IVS (International Voluntary Service) and UNAIS (United Nations Association International Service); RVA Policy Group papers; BVALG (British Volunteer Agencies Liaison Group) minutes, November 1986-July 1993; BVP (British Volunteers Programme) Committee papers, c1978-c1983; RVA national conferences, 1979-1990; training courses and events for returners and local groups; publications, c1967-c1997, including VOSA News, RVA London Newsletter, VOSA/RVA Newsletter, Feedback, Comeback, plus handbooks, guides and pamphlets; BVP (British Volunteer Programme) Committee minutes 1969-1983 and Council minutes, 1974-1983, plus Overseas Development Group report on BVP, 1978; Council for Volunteers Overseas minutes, 1964-1972; Lockwood Committee minutes, 1962-1969.

Papers of Beatrice Nancy Seear, Baroness Seear of Paddington, [1930]-1997, mainly comprising case studies, reports and memoranda relating to her work with the Runnymeade Industrial Unit, the London Business School Minority Groups, and the Community Relations Commission, as well as material concerning women's employment.

Papers of Beatrice Serota, 1953-2002, relate to her work in London local government, as a Minister of State, member of the House of Lords and of a number of advisory bodies and committees, including the Advisory Council on the Penal System and the Commission on Local Administration. Includes correspondence, reports, publications, notes, speeches and other papers.

Papers relating to the Ministry of Agriculture's Departmental Committee of Inquiry into Statutory Smallholdings, 1964-1967, collected by Michael Wise, including papers relating to the appointment of the Committee; papers circulated to members of the Committee by the Secretary; papers prepared by Committee members; written and oral evidence submitted to the Committee by a variety of organisations and individuals; papers written by the Committee commenting on evidence submitted to them; papers relating to the Committee's visits to local authority and Land Settlement Association smallholdings estates around England and Wales; maps and slides relating to the Committee's investigations; copies of legislation relating to smallholdings; pamphlets and other publications relating to smallholdings; press cuttings relating to the Committee's reports. Most of the papers are either carbon or typescript copies, rather than original documents.

Subjects covered include the origins of smallholdings policy; smallholdings legislation; the financial position of smallholdings authorities; the management costs of smallholdings estates; the social and economic position of smallholders; the geographical distribution of smallholdings estates.

Survival Programmes comprises photographs (all black and white), interview transcripts, drafts and other materials relating to the book Survival Programmes by the Exit Photography Group (Nicholas Battye/Chris Steele-Perkins/Paul Trevor). The photographs and interviews were made between 1974 and 1979, and record life in Britain's inner urban areas in the 1970s.

This collection contains Betacam cassettes of interviews and transcripts of interviews with leading political figures and members of the public from Margaret Thatcher's Premiership, 1979-1990. The subject matter ranges from issues of social history during the 1980s to ideological commentary on the nature of Thatcherism. The interviews also cover the impact of Thatcherism after Mrs Thatcher's departure from office.

This collection contains betacam videotapes and transcripts of interviews with leading political figures and members of the public during the 1970s and broadcast as the documentary 'The Writing on the Wall'. The collection covers many areas of political and social history during the period, most notably trade unionism and industrial relations.

Papers and correspondence regarding finance and tax (Labour Party); papers and notes from Titmuss' social administration related research; papers and correspondence relating to the London School of Economics; official papers and notes from Titmuss' involvement with advisory committees and international organisations; overseas research papers and notes.

Papers of the Tory Reform Group, 1970-2006, including correspondence, minutes of meetings, financial papers, membership records and files regarding events and seminars. Subjects covered include economics, the environment, social policy and Europe (including papers regarding the Single Currency/Euro). The collection also contains papers of PEST - Pressure for Economic and Social Toryism (TRG/1), Parliamentary Mainstream and Conservative Mainstream (TRG/3), and the Macleod Group of Conservative MPs (TRG/4).

Papers collected by Alan Hart and David McLean, including material relating to the following organisations: AIDS AHEAD (AIDS Health Education and Advice for the Deaf): correspondence and papers, newsletters, press cuttings, c 1987-1990; Campaign for Homosexual Equality, c 1979-1985, including conference papers, reports and newsletters of Croydon, Lewisham, Hampstead and Islington and Haringey CHE groups; Frontliners, a self-help group for people with AIDS or ARC, 1988-1992, including annual reports and accounts, financial records, correspondence, minutes and issues of Frontiers, the Frontliners magazine; Gays and Lesbians in Accountancy (GALIA), 1995-1996: newsletters and circulars; Albany Society, 1983, and London Lesbian and Gay Centre, 1983; Gay Community Organisation and GCO Distribution Services, 1980-1984, including papers relating to the foundation of GCO, minutes of meetings, correspondence, financial accounts, grant applications; Greater London Council (GLC) Gay Working Party, Haringey and Islington Councils Lesbian and Gay Working Groups, 1984-1986: minutes, correspondence and other papers; Open University Gay Society/Open University Lesbian and Gay Society, 1975-1985, including correspondence, newsletters; Terrence Higgins Trust, 1985-1987: newsletters, reports, circulars. Also includes: World Health Organisation papers relating to AIDS, including papers of WHO 'First International Conference on the Global Impact of AIDS', London, March 1988, newsletters and other publications, 1987-1990; publications, leaflets and press cuttings, [1974-1995], mainly regarding AIDS (including AIDS and the deaf), gay rights, gay parenting and sex education; gay fiction and photo magazines (including Gay Confessions, Kurt), brochures issued by travel agents specialising in gay holidays, gay and lesbian guides to London and other ephemera, 1970-1995; publications isssued by Inner London Education Authority and other education-related organisations re racial and sexual equality, c 1985-1987; letters to Alan Hart and David McLean, 1994-1999, mainly from MPs and politicians re debates on age of homosexual consent and Section 28; two Thethil Gay News cartoons by Peter Wicker, 1974; badges.

Papers of Ian Townson, including: Bill Thornycroft: letters, 1976-1990; Brixton Faeries and other theatre groups: including play scripts, song sheets, programmes and flyers; Brixton Housing Co-operative: minutes, newsletters and other papers, 1980-1986; Communist Party Gay Rights Committee: includes statements and letters from Bill Thornycroft, 1976-1979; Gay Activists' Alliance: minutes and campaign papers, 1978-1979; Gay Pride: includes minutes of meetings, flyers and correspondence, 1978-1996; History of the Gay Community in Brixton, 1972-1982: interviews, correspondence and other papers regarding a proposed book, 1970s-1990s; Icebreakers: correspondence, leaflets, press cuttings, notes and other papers, 1970s-1995; International Gay Rights Congress: poster and papers, 1974; Lambeth Council: includes papers of a Working Party on Police and Community Relations in Lambeth and Working Party on services and employment for gays and lesbians, mainly 1984-86; National Council for Civil Liberties: papers on gay issues, 1975-1982; 'Nighthawks': papers regarding the film, 1979; papers regarding squatting and gay squats, 1970s; photographs, including gay activists, Brixton riots, demonstrations, Gay Pride marches, squats, squatters and plays; photographs of friends and colleagues of Ian Townson: including Colm Clifford, Julian Hows, Ken Livingstone (in 1976), Bill Thornycroft and many others; South London Gay Liberation Front: minutes, agendas and other papers, 1980-1986; various papers regarding gay events (including discos, dances, Pride), issues and groups (including Gay Liberation Front and Campaign for Homosexual Equality), especially in Brixton/South London: badges, flyers, leaflets, magazines, newsletters, posters, programmes and stickers; gay publications and press cuttings.

The Camerawork Archive contains material relating to the touring exhibitions programme, as well as administrative files relating to the running of the organisation. Records include prints, invoices, cuttings and hire charges.

Also included are a set of papers relating to the 1975 ‘Camera Obscured?’ lecture series, funding proposals, annual reports and proposal letters. There is also documentation of events, including transparencies and negatives of installation and buildings. Typically files include papers relating to fundraising and correspondence, and some photographic material such as prints, negatives and transparencies.

Projects include; ‘Factory Photographs’ by Nick Hedges, ‘Brick Lane’ by Paul Trevor, Martin Parr ‘The Non-Conformists’, ‘Work Stations’ by Anna Fox, commissioned by Camerawork and The Museum of London (1987) and Representing Disability: A day of talks and events (1987).

The archive has a particular focus on Cockpit Gallery Holborn exhibition programme, with some material also relating to touring shows. This material includes posters, prints, invoices and cuttings. There is also some documentation of events, including transparencies and negatives of installation and buildings.

The gallery's shows covered a wide range of social and political issues from educational, activist and artistic perspectives, with a broad educational and community mindset.

It was part of a broader development of photographic practices in the 1970s and 1980s, concerning issues of social emancipation and representation. Some of the exhibitions were co-curated with participants or with other community groups or with school students who were encouraged to take portraits of each other, or self-portraits.

In other exhibitions, the gallery invited established photographers to show their work who were also dealing with issues of representation, such as Armet Francis, Anita Corbin, and Jo Spence.

Notable projects include:
'100 Months of Women’s Liberation with Spare Rib', 1980
'Julie Mimmack: The Cage is Fixed', 1981
'Promises, Promises': An exhibition based on Henry Grant's Photographs, 1984
'Our Way of Rockin',' 1984
'Armet Francis: The Black Triangle', 1985
'Staying on: A photographic exhibition about staying on at school', 1985
'Homeworking: Time for Change', 1985
'On Yer Bikes Boys', 1986
'The Picture of Health?' A touring exhibition by Jessica Evans, Rosy Martin, Maggie Murray, Jo Spence, Yana [?Jana] Stajno, 1986
'Aurat Shakti: Asian Women Living in the Country,' Cockpit Gallery Holborn, 3 - 26 Mar 1986
Jo Spence, Photography Workshop, 'Beyond the Family Album... Public and Private Images', 1987
Rosy Martin and the Women’s Design Service, 'It’s Not All Swings and Roundabouts', 1989.