Illustrations of chidren and childhood

This eclectic collection defies definition, but is roughly divided into two halves. The first half depicts scenes of life from the early twentieth century; family holidays, children playing, early motorists and aviators, both world wars, and views around the UK. The other side of the collection represents a magpie tendency and creative eye, encompassing a wide range of fascinating material from wartime postcards to elegantly chic 1950s fashion plates.

Reginald A. Malby, was one of the finest horticultural photographers of his era and official photographer of the Royal Horticultural Society in the early years of the twentieth century. As well as working in black and white, often photographing plant species for the first time, Reginald Malby employed colourists who would painstakingly apply colour to the 5cm square images using a magnifying glass and fine paintbrushes.

Expertly restored maps from around the world

The March of the Women Collection was painstakingly compiled piece by piece over a period of 30 years, and focuses on the activities of the suffragette movement from 1903 to 1914 and the role of women during the First World War.

The Marx Memorial Library was established in 1933 in Clerkenwell in East London as a permanent memorial to Karl Marx on the fiftieth anniversary of his death. The collection is an eclectic mix of politics, portraits and events where images of Robert Maxwell or Oswald Mosley sit side by side with photos of Billy Bragg, Sylvia Pankhurst, Graham Greene or Arthur Scargill. There are some great scenes of rallies, strikes, pickets, and campaigning.

A remarkable collection of artwork, ephemera, own photography, postcards, sketches and original documents of writer, lecturer, photographer and environmental activist John Massey Stewart (1932-2023). An authority on Russia and the former Soviet Union, John visited the USSR/Russia thirty times and crossed the whole country twice. Older archival material offers a comprehensive history of Russia, alongside John's photography from his travels, offering a unique glimpse of life across the former Soviet republics from Tallinn to Tashkent. The wider collection covers social history from around the globe and content relating to classical music.

Matania was a special artist for The Sphere where he provided illustrations of news events around the world at rapid speed, churning out images of impeccable quality covering a wide range of subjects from the Delhi Durbar of 1911 to shopping scenes in the West End of London. His watchwords were authenticity and accuracy, and his detailed, photo-realistic pictures were often based on eyewitness accounts, offering an insight which photographs failed to do.

Roger Mayne was a pioneering street photographer, and his most famous photographs document the communities around Southam Street in North Kensington continue to be the gold standard of this genre. He also created a body of work called The British at Leisure, which was commissioned by architect Theo Crosby for the Milan Triennale in 1964.

Book Illustration and general historical imagery

Photographer

This collection of colourised photographs brings a new appeal to some notable historical themes. While many black & white historical images are far from ordinary, their very familiarity can sometimes make them feel hackneyed. Colour gives freshness and immediacy to events that can seem remote. The collection includes some hard-hitting topics: World Wars One and Two, the Irish Civil War, the Spanish flu pandemic, child labour, Victorian asylums and crime scenes.

Founded in 1908, the original aim of the Medici Society was to bring the work of artists to the appreciation of a wider public with subjects chosen for their artistic value, beauty or sentiment. Over 100 years later, the original artwork is as captivating as ever, and the vast range of illustrations and fine art is both magical and inspiring.

Photography of Russian life and history

The superlative portraits of late 20th century figures by portrait photographer Tim Mercer are a relatively recent addition to the library. Having studied at the Royal College of Art, Tim spent 20 years in London where he worked freelance for magazines such as the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, Observer, Elle, and Tatler, capturing the faces of the cultural and social elite of the country.

The archive of New Scotland Yard is a fascinating and diverse visual record of the work of the Metropolitan Police Service from the early 19th century up until the present day, and covers all areas of police work. The archive also covers historic police vehicles, dog training, mounted police, new technology (and yes, there are several photos of THAT police call box), accidents, uniforms, badges, weapons and pictures sets of key incidents such as the Brixton Riots and Poll Tax demonstrations.

Photographer

Photographer

Among the dramatis personae of the MonoMania music hall images are well-known male impersonators such as Hettie King and Vesta Tilley, but also more obscure names such as Bessie Bonehill, and Flo Dixie. Other more tantalising turns are an underwater mermaid act, Vulcana the Strong Woman and Rosey Anslow and Ella Grahame, the roller-skating acrobats, just some of the stars who helped to make British variety theatre so vibrant and exciting in its heyday.

Gravuremontage Collection

Murray's oozed decadence and thrummed with good time atmosphere. The Krays, Peter Sellers and Jane Birkin were among its guests, who would sit at tables lit with lamps, while the tiny stage area filled with stunning girls in exquisite hand-stitched bejeweled costumes on themes as varied as the circus or cocktails. We are delighted to be representing the Murray's Cabaret Club Collection of costume designs, which are available for all areas of licensing including publishing, stationery, apparel and giftware.

Classic photos documenting the history of New York