Archives of the Action for Blind People / London Association for the Blind (LAB), comprising:

minutes of LAB Directors' and Annual General Meetings, 1944-1972;

minutes of LAB Homes and Hostels / Buildings Sub-committee, 1928-1932; Buildings and Estates / General Purposes and Buildings Committee, 1932-1942; General Purposes and Trading subcommittee 1942-1946 and Building and Estates Sub committee, 1946-1948;

minutes of LAB Finance sub-committee, 1928-1930; 1930-1938; Finance and general purposes subcommittee, 1938-1952;

minutes of the LAB Ladies Committee of the Association, 1911-1917; and Sales sub-committee of the Ladies Committee, 1920;

LAB Memoranda and Articles of Association, 1910, 1962, 1978, 1985; List of officers and patrons of the Association, 1857-1965;

LAB Analysis of Balance sheets, 1857-1956; Audit notebook, 1924-1926; Annual statements of accounts 1931, 1934-1939; Account book (of donations?) 1961-1981; Bought ledger and Blind average books, 1928-1945; Managers (weekly) reports, 1886-1887;

scrap book containing press cuttings relating to the Association, 1937-1965; Scrap book containing Association publicity material including flyers for events and fundraising circulars, 1928-1954;

LAB Visitors Book, 1954-1978;

printed matter including Annual Reports 1876-77; 1879-1987; The Blind Record, 1914-1924, 1937-1938; News for LAB, Numbers 5, 7, 8 [1960s-1970s]; Re:Action 2001-2003;

printed catalogues [1920s-1930s]; 'Plastic mouldings by the Blind'; Brochures and leaflets relating to LAB Hostels, Cooper Lodge postcards; opening of Swail House, Epsom, 1952;

files relating to moulding shop development Reports and notes, 1954-1955; Welding lesson notes, 1988; correspondence relating to bequests, 1972-1983; papers and letters relating to the opening of the Russell Hotel, Bognor Regis, by Princes Alexandra, Jul 1968;

photographs 1920s-2003;

Hearth and Home, 1936, (renamed Alphega (Sportswear) Ltd, then Lafega) Hearth and Home share certificates, 1910-1926; Lafega Register of members, directors, managers, transfers and mortgages and charges, 1910-1971; Minutes of H& Board of directors of the Company, including register of shareholders, 1910-1926; minutes of H&H/ Lafega annual meetings and directors' meetings, 1925-1944; Lafega Annual statements of accounts, 1936-1972 (incomplete);

Wheyo Tool Company Ltd
minutes of Directors, 1964-1970; Register of shares, and company directors etc, 1949-1971; minutes of AGM 1971; Annual statement of accounts, 1964-1971;

Archives of the Barclay institutions comprising minutes of the Committee of the Barclay Institutions for the Blind, 1919-1931; Barclay Workshop reference book, [1905-1943]; minutes of Barclay Workshops (for Blind Women), 1905-1912; 1912-1926; 1926-1942; Barclay Home Reports, 1893-1942; Barclay Workshop Reports, 1906-1943.

Minutes, 1875-1958; Chairman's papers, 1928-1929; Committee papers, 1926-1938; rule book, 1936; annual reports, 1878-1957; correspondence with the Ministry of Health, 1920-1957; correspondence with the Board of Education, 1921-1947; correspondence with Kent County Education Committee, 1920-1937; case papers, 1929-1946; orders for goods placed by the Army Ordnance Department, the Blind Employment Factory, the Port of London Authority and the Office of Works, 1915-1928; correspondence with Banstead, Holborn and Hackney Poor Law Unions, 1926-1928; advertising handout, 1930; legal papers, 1890-1892; sales particulars, including catalogues, inventories and agreements, 1891-1935; papers regarding the centralization of collections for the blind in London, 1923; correspondence with the Charity Commissioners, 1900s; financial accounts, 1925-1960.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to school health, 1944-1965, including general files relating to: juvenile delinquency, physically disabled pupils, special schools, blind and partially sighted pupils, education of the deaf, residential schools, epilepsy, mentally deficient pupils, medical inspections, ear, nose and throat clinics, dermatological survey of schoolchildren, provision of medicines and vitamins, child guidance centres, holiday camps for diabetic and epileptic children, speech therapy, first aid equipment, accidents, employment of children, 'latch-key' children, school canteens, head lice, ophthalmic treatment, colour vision testing, orthopaedic treatment, physiotherapy, surveys of the health and development of children, precautions against tuberculosis, vaccination, maladjusted children, dyslexia, control of infectious diseases and school meals.

These photographs show life at a selection of London schools, 1895-1905; comprising: the Rosendale Road School, West Dulwich; Anerley Deaf School, Acre Lane; Stockwell Training College; The Chaucer School, Bermondsey; and Sayer Street School, New Kent Road.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Public Assistance and Welfare Department relating to blind and partially sighted people, 1930-1965, including papers relating to home teaching; papers relating to use of the wireless (radio); case files and index cards. Please note that access to the case files may be restricted under the Data Protection Act.

Records of the Royal Association for Deaf People. The collection contains a wealth of information relating to the development of work with Deaf people over the 19th and 20th centuries in London and south-east England, including relief of the necessitous poor in the 19th century, the establishment of Deaf church communities from the 1880s and the early promotion of Sign Language as a recognised form of communication in the 1850s by Reverend Samuel Smith.

The records include:

Corporate records (LMA/4172/A) in relation to the Association's Trustee Committee, Standing Subcommittee, Executive Committee, Building Committee, Spiritual Subcommittee, Personnel Committee, Property and Personnel Sub-Committee, Finance and Fund Raising Committee, Public Relations Subcommittee, secretary's correspondence, annual reports, agreements, permanent year end papers, annual general meetings, Board of Trustees papers, and Essex Deaf Council.

Financial and Staff records (LMA/4172/B) consisting of accounts, legacies, salaries and expenses, and Staff meetings Minutes, and administration.

Records of Saint Faith's Home (LMA/4172/C) consisting of minutes of the Management Committee, accounts, and registration.

Branch and Mission Church records (LMA/4172/D) in relation to Croydon Branch, Saint Barnabus Church in Lerwisham, Saint Matthews Mission and Saint Paul's Hall in Walworth, Woolwich Deaf and Dumb Mission in Beresford Square, Saint Bedes in Lambeth, All Saints in Croydon, Saint Saviours Chapel on Oxford Street, Saint John of Beverely on Green Lane, All Saints in West Ham, and Saint Cedd in Romford.

Printed Material and photographs (LMA/4172/E) consisting of press cuttings, magazines and newsletters, events material and talks, photographs, posters/leaflets and advertising material, staff resources, and historical notes.

Audio-visual records (LMA/4172/F) consisting of videos and audio cassettes.

Electronic records (LMA/4172/G) consisting of documents saved on a CD.

Property records (LMA/4172/H) in relation to 120 Selhurst Road in Croydon, 26 Harold Road in Essex, and 4 The Drive in Middlesex.

Case papers of the London County Council Welfare Department relating to blind and partially sighted persons, 1930-1956. Please note that files may be closed for Data Protection purposes.