Our Collections 

Located in Holyoake House, Manchester, the National Co‑operative Archive is home to a wide array of collections covering the history of the co‑operative movement. Visitors can be inspired and learn from the Archive’s collections on a wide range of subjects including retail, women’s history, war, education, social history, film and photographs. We are creating a series of subject guides to help with research.

Special Collections Subject Guides and Articles

Searching our collections

Many of our collections have been catalogued and can be found on Archives Hub. Please be aware that we have been unable to update Archives Hub since November 2022 and so you will need to contact the archive for more information about the material you wish to see. Not everything is listed on the Hub and so we may be able to advise on further material that may be of interest to your research too.

Search collections on Archives Hub

Correspondence Collections

The Archive holds the correspondence of individuals who shaped the early co-operative movement and influenced others to become co-operators. These include Robert Owen who is known worldwide as the Father of Co-operation, George Jacob Holyoake who championed co-operation and Edward Owen Greening, a key figure in the international movement.

Business Records

We hold a range of records produced by retail and wholesale co-operative societies across the country. These collections include minute books, financial records, correspondence and photographs and include CWS (Co-operative Wholesale Society), Co-op Group and Workers Co-operatives. Other co‑operative organisations are represented such as the Co-operative Women’s Guild, Co‑operative Union, Co-operative Press and Co-operative College. 

Journals & Pamphlets

The Archive boasts complete runs of journals such as Woman’s Outlook, The Co-operator and the Co‑operative News. The journals cover a wide range of subjects from members’ magazines, publications for employees, cultural magazines and titles aimed at young people. They cover subjects such as co‑operative education, management, employment,  trade unions and domestic life from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Finding Aid listing most of the periodical titles.

Photographs

Our photograph collections document the lives of co-operative employees and members as well as showing how co-operative stores and factories operated at different times. Events such as store openings and society celebrations can be found  along with pictures that were used in newspapers and journals.

Films

The co-operative movement was active in film making from the turn of the twentieth century. The films were aimed at promoting co-operative ideas and values and to show the benefits of membership of a co-operative society. The films were produced to inform and entertain as well as being used for advertising and promotional purposes.

Advertising & Packaging

The Archive’s magazines and journals contain adverts for a wide range of products. They can be used for looking at the history of advertising, product information and branding. We also hold a range of sample food packaging from the 1930s to the present day.

Printed books

We hold a number of books collections which include the Robert Owen and George Jacob Holyoake collections as well as a number of books on society histories.  Our printed books cover a variety of subjects and themes including management training, architecture, the history of co-operation and of many co-operators.  The dates range from the early 1800s to the present day.

Images - CHT Collections