Rnib Archive Collections
RNIB ARCHIVE COLLECTIONS
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (BFBA, NIB, RNIB) 1868 ONWARDS
Executive Council: Minutes 1868 onwards (see separate list for details)
These minutes form a complete record of the highest level of policy decisions made by the RNIB and its predecessors. The minute books include the first meeting of the Executive Council of British and Foreign Association for Improving the Embossed Literature of the Blind, signed by Dr Armitage.
COMMITTEE RECORDS (BFBA, NIB, RNIB) 1902 ONWARDS
Committees and Sub Committees: 1902 onwards (see separate list for details)
A complete set of RNIB Committee and Sub Committee papers, together with copies of the minutes of other organisations with which the RNIB was closely involved. A detailed survey listing is available.
CENTRAL REGISTRY FILES C 1920 – 1999
Several series of records, comprising c 10,000 files from 1920 – 1999, held by the central registry. There are some original indexes to this extensive and complex collection. The files are arranged in a structured alpha numerical order in the following series:
A: Appeals; B: Branches; C Committees; D Editorial; E Education (general); E1/2 Colleges and Institutions; F Foreign; G General miscellaneous; H Homes (general); H1/2 Homes (specific); K Headquarters; L Legacies; M Moon; P Placement (Employment) Policy; Q Investments; R Prevention of Blindness Research and Campaigns; S Societies (A – Z); T Technical ; U Music; V Volunteers; X Local
DIRECTORATE RECORDS c 1980 onwards
DG Office; International; Chairman’s Office
DIVISIONAL RECORDS c 1980 onwards
Education and Employment ; Technical Consumer Services;External Relations; Policy; Community Services; Finance and Resources
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
Records have been received from the following schools.
ChorleywoodCollege
Board Of Governors’ Minutes 1929 - 87
Photographs
Audio tapes
New College Worcester
Board of Governors’ Minutes
Photographs
Files
Sunshine Home Southport
Board of Governor’s records
Miscellaneous records
CondoverSchool
Board of Governors’ Minutes 1948 – 97
Sunshine Home East Grinstead
Board of Governor’s Minutes
RNIB INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER SERVICES
BFBA and NIB
Registers of Certificated Braille Writers 1906 – 64 (incomplete)
INSTITUTE FOR MASSAGE BY THE BLIND/ NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MASSAGE BY THE BLIND
Minute Books 1900 – 1916
EICHOLZ CLINIC
Director’s Committee minutes 1946 - 73 (with RNIB Cttee recs. series)
Visitor’s Book 1934 - 40
ADULT RESIDENTIAL HOMES:
Admission Books 1930s to 1960s
PERSONAL PAPERS
Armitage papers
Braille Journals (1879 –87)
Typescript Transcript of Braille Journals (undated)
Mss transcript of Progress
Miscellaneous letters to Dr Armitage and Miss Armitage
Papers of Dr Fred Reid (Trustee)
Uncatalogued collection of personal papers and correspondence of Dr Fred Reid, Trustee, RNIB. Braille, ms and ts documents, received 2002.
NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS
Various albums and loose newspaper cuttings, 1907 – 14 with later additions
PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
An extensive uncatalogued collection of prints, negatives and slides, including Royal Visits, Schools and Homes, Occupations and training, personalities etc , including Miscellaneous photographs received from Publications Department. C 10,000 items, 19th – 21st C.
FILMS AND VIDEOS
External Relations video collection
Southport film (1969)
RNIB Training film (1971)
AUDIO COLLECTIONS
Oral history tapes
Ian Bruce: interviews with former staff
Chorleywood: former pupils
Talking book LPs (USA)
RNIB PUBLICATIONS
Annual Reports; New Beacon; Insider;Leaflets
ARTEFACTS
Collecting boxes; Pictures; Sculpture; Silver, metalwork etc
ARCHIVES OF OTHER ORGANISATIONS
In addition to the records of the RNIB, the following collections have been transferred at various times to the custody of the RNIB. They are mainly original records.
The Committee Records (see separate detailed list) which were received from Governance Support also contain sets of minutes of various external organisations with which RNIB was closely involved.
THE ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFICATED BLIND MASSEURS
Minute Book 1919 – 1921
COLLEGE OF TEACHERS OF THE BLIND
Minute Books
Accounts
Correspondence
Register of Teachers
GARDNER’S TRUST FOR THE BLIND
Secretary’s Out Letter Books 1884 - 1937
HOME TEACHING SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND
MinuteBooks 1856 – 1926 (original mss volumes)
Annual reports (printed)
METROPOLITAN BLIND UNION / METROPOLITAN ADJACENT COUNTIES ASSOCIATION
Minute Books 1908 – 1930 (6 volumes of original minutes)
NATIONAL UNION OF PROFESSIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL BLIND
Minute Book 1921 - 34
NORTHERN COUNTIES ASSOCIATION
Minutes & papers 1934 – 68 (duplicate copies of minutes)
SRABSOUTH REGIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND
Minute Books
Registers of Members
HISTORIC LIBRARY MATERIAL
The RNIB Archive also holds the following material on behalf of the Research library. This material is available at FalconPark for reference purposes and is catalogued as part of the Library collection:
Early Literature
Embossed Literature Collection
RNIB Annual Reports
RNIB Publications
Local Societies Annual reports (UK and Overseas)
New Beacon
The Beacon
Insider
The Mentor