Collection guides

African manuscripts and archives

Original documents from and about the continent

Architecture manuscripts: 1600 to present

Papers for the study of architectural history, plus personal and professional papers.

Art History and Artists' Papers: Western Manuscrip...

Papers for the study of art history, and personal and professional papers of artists.

Arundel manuscripts

Medieval and early modern manuscripts collected by Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel

Ashley Library

The Ashley Library of English literature

Asian Britain: archives and manuscripts

Significant resources relating to Asian Britain among our archival and manuscript collections

Black Britain: archives and manuscripts

Resources relating to Black Britain in our archive and manuscript collections

Bookbindings

A wide-ranging collection of fine and historic bindings

Burney manuscripts

One of the most significant collections of classical material in the British Library

Classical Latin manuscripts

Manuscripts of Latin authors from before 600

Cotton manuscripts

The library of Sir Robert Cotton (1571–1631)

Culinary manuscripts: 17th century

Manuscripts written in English relating to domestic cookery in the 17th century, including recipes, bills of fare and ho...

Culinary manuscripts: 18th century

Manuscripts written in English relating to domestic cookery in the 18th century, including recipes, bills of fare and ho...

Culinary manuscripts: 19th - 20th century

Manuscripts written in English relating to domestic cookery in the 19th - 20th centuries, including recipes, bills of fa...

Early printed copies of classical texts

Our collection of incunabula is the largest in the world