Discover our collections

Archives & Special Collections brings together an extensive range of rare, unique, and internationally important collections. 

We offer a number of ways for you to discover what we hold, including our dedicated search services, introductory overviews, and thematic & subject guides

 

Search services

University Collections

This search service allows you to discover resources across Archives & Special Collections and The Hunterian.  Using the advanced search allows you to refine your search to find items within the following collections held within Archives & Special Collections.

  • Select 'Archives and Special Collections' from the 'Department' dropdown
  • Select the relevant collection title from the 'Collection' dropdown
  • Enter your search term in the relevant field which will appear below.

The ASC collections that can be searched are:

  • University Archive - the official records of the University of Glasgow created and accumulated since our foundation in 1451, and records of the University's staff, alumni, and associated organisations.
  • Manuscripts - an outstanding library of rare material including illuminated medieval and renaissance manuscripts, personal collections of correspondence, music scores, drawings, early photographs, maps, and ephemera.
  • Scottish Business Archive - records of Scottish businesses dating from the 18th century to the present.
  • Scottish Theatre Archive - programmes scripts, production notes, photographs, posters, press cuttings, business papers and correspondence of Scotland's theatres.

Rare books - Search

Search our rare book collections: works predominantly pre-1800 in date, but also items such as 19th-century colour plate books and works emanating from private presses.

Please see our guide to searching for copy specific information using the rare books search. 

Incunabula - Search 

Search the 1,000 plus rare books printed before 1501 held across our collections.

Archives Hub - Archives & Special Collections Search

This search service allows searching across the collections of over 350 UK institutions.  This Archives & Special Collections search allows a search within these ASC collections:

  • University Archive - the official records of the University of Glasgow created and accumulated since our foundation in 1451, and records of the University's staff, alumni, and associated organisations.
  • Scottish Business Archive - records of Scottish businesses dating from the 18th century to the present.

You can search across the collections of the over 350 UK institutions which are part of the Archives Hub using this search.

House of Fraser Archive - Search

Search the archives of the 100 plus department stores which have formed the House of Fraser.

Nineteenth century novels

Search the just under 1,800 titles in the Novel collection, a resource of major importance for scholars of late 18th- and 19th-century fiction.

Chapbooks

Details of the 1,000 small paper-covered booklets held across the collections.  Also includes details of titles held in Edinburgh Central Library, National Library of Scotland, and University of Stirling.

 

Introductory overviews of collections

University Archives

The official records of the University since 1451 and records deposited by staff, alumni, and associated organisations. 

Rare books and manuscripts

Internationally significant manuscripts collections including music scores, drawings, early photographs, maps and ephemera; and collections of rare books predominantly pre-1800, but also items such as 19th-century colour plate books and works emanating from private presses. 

Scottish Business Archive

Records of Scottish businesses dating from the 18th century to the present. 

Scottish Theatre Archive

Programmes scripts, production notes, photographs, posters, press cuttings, business papers and correspondence of Scotland's theatres. 

Art, Literature, and Performing Arts

Collections of artists and photographers, collections of writers and publishers, and records of Scottish theatre and collections of music

Medical humanities

Research resources relating to forensic medicine, zika virus, William Hunter's library and more. 

Incunabula

A collection of rare books printed prior to 1501.

19th century novels

1,800 items including many works outside the boundaries of the mainstream 19th-century fiction canon.

Hill and Adamson photo collection

Photographs produced by the partnership of David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson between 1843 and 1847. 

Scottish Chapbooks

Small paper-covered booklets in circulation from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

 

Thematic and subject guides

University Archive guides

Highlighting sources of information we hold that relate to the University of Glasgow. 

Scottish Business Archive guides

Research topic guides to our business archives. 

University & Scottish Business Archive guides

Research topic guides to these collections.

Special collections A-Z

Browse the introductions to our named special collections. 

Special collections A-Z subject

Subject guides to our rare book, manuscript, and Scottish Theatre Archive collections.