Chapter 9: Special Collections

9.1 Theatre Collection

The Theatre Collection contains around 30,000 theatre programmes and large numbers of playbills, news cuttings, portraits etc, dating from the early 19th century to the present day. The collection mainly covers theatres in the West End, but also includes coverage of several other London theatres and a small amount of programmes for provincial and foreign theatres.

There are boxed programmes filed alphabetically by theatre, 17 small volumes of programmes 1860-1938, and twelve large scrapbooks of programmes and cuttings 1880s-1939. Included among the programmes are several early souvenir programmes, many for the Lyceum Theatre. Playbills dating from about 1800 include many early ones for the Theatres Royal in Covent Garden and Drury Lane. Other material includes portfolios of 19th century items on the Adelphi, Alhambra and Royal Aquarium; eleven volumes of news cuttings and programmes of Her Majesty's Theatre 1844-1858 and more than 50 songs of the 18th century sung in Marylebone Gardens, including songs by William Defesch and James Hook.

There is a card index to programmes in the theatre scrapbooks and the 17 small volumes of programmes. Financial records and correspondence 1715-1849 pertaining to the Theatres Royal Covent Garden, Drury Lane and Lincoln's Inn Fields exist in a microfilm collection entitled 'The English Stage after the Restoration: Archives of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century British Theatres Royal' from the British Library. The collection comprises 35 reels. A summary list of the theatre collection is available. (See also Chapter 22: Family and personal papers for Benjamin Webster).

[More details of the Theatre Collection]

9.2 A M Broadley

The library has the A M Broadley collections, "Annals of the Haymarket" and "Some Social, Political and Literary Landmarks of Bath and Piccadilly, 1711-1911", both four-volume compilations containing manuscripts, prints, engravings and cartoons. These collections are fully indexed.

9.3 Ashbridge Collection

The Ashbridge Collection, an exceptionally comprehensive private collection of books, maps, prints, water colours and drawings relating to St Marylebone, was made by Arthur Ashbridge, District Surveyor of St Marylebone in 1884-1918, and bequeathed to St Marylebone Borough Council in 1943. The collection contains 4,630 items. A catalogue was published in book form in 1959.

9.4 Preston Blake Collection (on the poet and artist William Blake)

The Preston Blake collection came into the possession of Westminster Libraries and Archives in 1967 through the generosity of its owner and creator, Kerrison Preston. There are at present approximately 700 volumes in the collection, which also contains periodicals, catalogues and transparencies.

There are four outstanding items in the collection. The first of these is a complete series of original autographed letters written by Blake to his foremost patron, Thomas Butts. The other items are Blake’s own printed copy of his first book of poems, “Poetical Sketches", the “Book of Job", containing the artist’s proof copies; and artist’s proofs of the seven large engraved illustrations of Dante.

A project to digitise the Preston Blake Collection is ongoing and can be viewed at http://www.motco.com/westminster/

9.5 Extra-Illustrated Collections

Extra-illustrated collections include Thomas Pennant's "Some Account of London", one edition with six volumes (1793), and another with three Westminster volumes (1825); and Charles Knight's "London", compiled by T Purland in 1841 (20 vols.).

9.6 Inns and Taverns

Some manuscript notes on local subjects are held, including an 82-volume scrapbook, complete with cuttings and newspaper advertisements, "Inns, Taverns, Alehouses, Coffee Houses, etc. in and around London", compiled by D Foster c1900. The arrangement is alphabetical by public house, and there are full contents lists.

9.7 Parliamentary Representation of Westminster

"The parliamentary representation of Westminster from the thirteenth century to the present day", by John Edward Smith and W Parkinson Smith is a 1923 typescript work in two volumes.

9.8 Housing

Artizans', Labourers' & General Dwellings Company Ltd.
Annual reports and accounts 1880-1956 (incomplete)
St Marylebone Housing Association
Annual reports and accounts 1927-1985 (incomplete); committee minutes 1890-1935 (incomplete)

9.9 Businesses

Francis Edwards Ltd.
Booksellers, Marylebone High Street. Catalogues 1938-1982 (incomplete)
Whiteley's
Catalogues for general goods, wines, cigars, provisions, etc, issues of the magazine and photographs 1885-1958