The University holds archive collections that are open for research to students, staff and members of the public (see Our Collections box to the right). Most collections, apart from the Richardson tapes and Donnelly & Thoms tapes, plus some Frederick Lanchester items, are unlisted at the moment, but information is gradually being added to our online catalogue. For catalogue updates, archives news, and blogs go to our news page.
Reference Number: LAN
Correspondence, sketchbooks, notebooks, patent applications, manuscripts of published works, blueprints and photographs relating to Lanchester’s work on aeronautics, motor engineering and many other subjects. The online catalogue including digital images is available on the Lanchester Interactive Archive website, or via our online catalogue.
Help in understanding how to search the archive is on our ‘How to search’ page.
Material relating to Frederick Lanchester is also held elsewhere e.g. Institution of Mechanical Engineers, University of Southampton, Royal Aeronautical Society, Coventry Transport Museum, Coventry Archives, Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, British Motor Museum.
Reference Number: COV
Published material e.g. annual reviews; prospectus’; newsletters; university, faculty, and services publications; photos. Some items relate to the university’s predecessors e.g. Lanchester College of Technology, Coventry College of Art, Lanchester Polytechnic – but note that most predecessor material is at Coventry Archives.
Reference Number: RIC
Recordings of interviews made during research by Kenneth Richardson, Senior Lecturer at Lanchester Polytechnic for his work and publications including the book Twentieth Century Coventry (1972). The collection also includes some transcripts of the interviews. Digital copies of the interviews and a few transcripts are available from our online catalogue. Also includes files and correspondence relating to the publication of the book and to a research project undertaken by Richardson on the social history of the British motor car industry.
Reference Number: DON
Audio cassettes, questionnaires and transcripts compiled during research for the book The motor car industry in Coventry since the 1890s: origins, development and structure by Prof. Tom Donnelly, Professor of Automotive Business, Centre for Business In Society at Coventry University & former Coventry University history lecturer David Thoms.
The cassettes have been digitised as part of the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project by its Midlands Hub team at Leicester University. The interviews are available to listen to and download via our online catalogue. There are also plans to digitise the transcripts as well.
Reference Number: HOB
Papers, catalogues, slides and drawings from the late Dr. Anthony Hobson, Honorary Research Fellow of Coventry Polytechnic, relating to the artist John Waterhouse. Dr. Hobson, who taught for many years as Head of the General Studies Department and Principal Lecturer in the History of Art, was the country’s leading authority on Waterhouse. There is also material and slides relating to his work as a lecturer at the polytechnic.
Reference Number: TER
Material collected by former Coventry University Honorary Life Fellow Celia Fitzhugh. Includes research files on Ellen Terry and her family, the theatre and other actors. There are also photographs, illustrations and postcards, newspaper cuttings, theatre programmes and published books on Terry and the theatre.
Reference Number: WIL
Papers, advertising proofs, magazines, books and research material from the collection of graphic designer Roy Wilfred Wilson. There may be copyright, privacy or data protection restrictions on some records.