The major collections of the Archive include:
Co-operative Party
Co-operative Women’s Guild pamphlets and journals
Co-operative Press records and photographic collection
Papers of Robert Owen, George Jacob Holyoake and Edward Owen Greening
Consumer co-operative societies records including Royal Arsenal, South Suburban, Birmingham, Derby, Leicester, Enfield and St Albans
Co-operative society histories
National Co-operative Film Archive
National Co-operative Oral History Archive
Christian Socialist movement material
Journals from the early 19th century to the present day
Co-operative Congress Proceedings and Co-operative Statistics
International Co-operative Alliance Congress reports and journals
The collections of the Archive are used for a wide variety of subjects:
Local history
Co-operative societies are an integral part of their communities and the development of a society often points towards changes in the life of the community.
Subject researchers
‘From the cradle to the grave’ is an accurate description of the subject areas that can be studied. The co-operative movement has a wealth of archive material covering a breadth that is not found in other archives. The most common subjects studied (in alphabetical order) dairies, education, employment, funerals, politics, retailing, women’s studies, youth groups. Queries can, however, be on anything that co-operative societies have been involved with, such as cinemas, fish and chip shops, housing, manufacturing, the peace movement, public houses, turkish baths, wartime rationing - the list is endless.
Family history
Researchers can learn about a relative if they were well known within the movement, or can learn more about the organisations that played an important part in their relative’s life.
Building history
Occupiers of former co-operative premises sometimes wish to research the origins of the building and become interested in the activity that went on there.
Academic research
From school projects to undergraduate dissertations and doctorates.
AE Waterson the first Co-operative MP (The Co-operative News January 4 1919)
Alfred Edward Waterson (1880-1964), first Co-operative MP was elected to Parliament in 1918. He held his seat until 1922, then became the national organiser for the Co-operative Party. He retired in 1945. The Co-operative News, the national weekly newspaper of the co-operative movement, comments on the first Co-operative Party election victory.