Primary source guide
Select a source type for recommended links.
Books
| Database | Information type |
|---|---|
| America’s Historical Imprints (1639-1819) | Books, pamphlets, broadsides and government documents |
| Early European Books (1450-1700) | Rare and unique books digitised from European collections |
| Making of the Modern World (1450-1850) | Literature on economics and trade |
Journals
| Database | Information type |
|---|---|
| British Periodicals Collection I & II (c.1680s-1930s) | Subjects cover the arts, science and the social sciences |
| Church Missionary Society Periodicals (1804-2009) | Publications from the Church Missionary Society |
| Eighteenth Century Journals: a portal to newspapers and periodicals (c.1685-1815) | Covers all aspects of 18th C social, political and literary life |
| Nineteenth Century UK Periodicals | Women’s, children’s, humour and leisure/sport |
| Historical Texts (1475-1914) | Thomason Tracts, periodicals from the civil war (1640-1661) |
| Trench Journals and Unit Magazines of the First World War (1914-1918) | Written and illustrated by service personnel of all nations |
News
| Database | Information type |
|---|---|
| 17th and 18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers | Published in London with some provincial, Irish and Scottish papers |
| Accessible Archives (1726-1902) | Includes African American Newspapers (1737-1902) |
| America’s Historical Imprints (1639-1819) | American and Caribbean Newspapers (1718-1876) |
| Caribbean Newspapers (1718-1876) | More than 140 newspapers from 22 islands |
| Daily Mail Historical Archive (1896-2004) | Digitised access to over 100 years of this popular tabloid |
| Illustrated London News Archive (1842-2003) | Covers British and world events |
| The Independent Digital Archive (1986-2012) | Coverage from the paper’s beginning in 1986 |
| Proquest Historical Newspapers (1791-2003) | The Guardian (1821-2003); The Observer (1791-2003) |
| Times Digital Archive (1785-2006) | Historical events from the French Revolution to the Falklands War |
| Times of India (1838-2004) | Historical local, regional and national news |
| World Scholar:Latin America and the Caribbean (c.15th C-20>th | Selections from 19th century US newspapers |
Pamphlets
| Database | Information type |
|---|---|
| 19th Century British Pamphlets (via JSTOR) | Includes the LSE Library pamphlet collection of pamphlets published by pressure groups, political parties and trades unions |
| America’s Historical Imprints (1639-1819) | Pamphlets and broadsides on all aspects of US history |
| China, Culture and Society (c.1750-1929) | Rare pamphlets on East Asia |
| Historical Texts (1475-1914) | Pamphlets from Early English Books, Eighteenth Century Collections and British Library 19th Century Collection |
| John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera (18th C-20th C) | Covers entertainment, book trade, popular prints, crimes, murders and executions, and advertising |
| Making of the Modern World (1450-1850) | Pamphlets on economics and trade |
| World Scholar: Latin America and the Caribbean (c.15th C-20th C) | Pamphlets on Latin American independence (19th C) |
Official
| Database | Information type |
|---|---|
| Arab-Israeli Relations (1917-1970) | British Foreign, Colonial Office and War Office papers |
| British Non-Parliamentary Publications | Non-parliamentary documents. Earliest date back to 19th C |
| British Parliamentary Publications | British Official Pubs (1688-1995), Papers on Ireland (1801-1922) |
| Confidential Print: Africa (1839-1966) | Covers British involvement in North Africa and the Middle East |
| Declassified Documents Reference System (20th C-21st C) | Declassified documents from the CIA, FBI, State Department |
| World Scholar: Latin America and the Caribbean (c.15th C-20th C) | Records of the US Department of State relating to Latin America |
| State Papers Online (1509-1704) | State Papers Domestic, Foreign, Scotland, Ireland |
| UK Parliamentary Papers (1688-present) | House of Commons sessional papers from 1715 to the present |
Personal
| Database | Information type |
|---|---|
| America’s Historical Imprints (1639-1819) | Includes diaries, letters and memoirs |
| Defining Gender (1450-1910) |
Gender, leisure and consumer culture. Includes diaries and letters |
| Electronic Enlightenment (17th – mid-19th C) |
Edited correspondence from the early modern period |
| Empire Online (1492-1969) | Includes correspondence, exploration journals and memoirs |
| Grand Tour (c.1550-1850) | Accounts of the English abroad. Includes letters and diaries |
| India, Raj & Empire (18th – 20th C) | The history of History of South Asia. Includes diaries and letters |
| Perdita Manuscripts (16th – 17th C) | Manuscripts written by women. Includes diaries, letters, memoirs |
Audiovisual
| Database | Information type |
|---|---|
| Box of Broadcasts | An off-air recording and media archive service |
| Foreign Broadcast Information Service Daily Reports (1974-1996) | Transcripts of broadcasts and news from around the world |
| March of Time (1935-1967) |
Time Inc.’s unique and controversial newsreel service |