Skip to main content

Our archives

See our archives and special collections

Our archives contain some of the earliest records relating to the history of higher education for women.

We hold institutional records of Bedford and Royal Holloway Colleges from the 19th century to the present day. We also have personal papers of prominent individuals with links to the Colleges as well as special collections, many of which relate to theatre history. A full list of our collections is available here or you can search the catalogue. Our rare book collections are searchable via the library catalogue.

Contact our archives

The Archives and Special Collections at Royal Holloway, University of London, has reopened.

Access is by appointment

Individual appointments are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 4pm. 

(Please note the archive reading room will close for lunch at 12.30pm and reopen at 1.30pm).

 

If you wish to book an individual appointment, please email archives@rhul.ac.uk

Requests for individual appointments should be made one week in advance however we endeavor to accommodate visits at shorter notice where possible.

Group visits are also available, please read our Guidelines for Group Visits before emailing archives@rhul.ac.uk for availability and for more information.

Explore Royal Holloway

Arrivals Sept 2017 77 1.jpg

Get help paying for your studies at Royal Holloway through a range of scholarships and bursaries.

clubs-societies_REDUCED.jpg

There are lots of exciting ways to get involved at Royal Holloway. Discover new interests and enjoy existing ones.

Accommodation home hero

Heading to university is exciting. Finding the right place to live will get you off to a good start.

September 2018 Open Day Ewd
Get a taste of our campus and the courses we offer, from virtual tours and webinars to in person Open Days.
Founders, clock tower, sky, ornate

Discover more about our academic departments and schools.

REF_2021.png

Find out why Royal Holloway is in the top 25% of UK universities for research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Immersive Technology

Royal Holloway is a research intensive university and our academics collaborate across disciplines to achieve excellence.

DOB6476 (1)
We believe our students are entitled to a world-class learning experience that helps them to thrive and respects diversity.
First years Emily Wilding Davison Building front view

Discover more about who we are today, and our vision for the future.

RHC PH.100.1.3 Founders south east 1886.w

Royal Holloway began as two pioneering colleges for the education of women in the 19th century, and their spirit lives on today.

Notable alumni Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

We’ve played a role in thousands of careers, some of them particularly remarkable.

Contact us
Information on how to get into contact with us at Royal Holloway.