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Image credits: The Women's Library, London Metropolitan - see image references at the end
See our collections on display in our free exhibitions "All work and low pay: the story of women and work" and "Cycling to Suffrage: The Bicycle and Women's Rights, 1890-1914" and related events
Key class numbers and search terms
Key references, latest academic works and acquisitions
Periodicals
Press cuttings and ephemera
Zines and artist books
Electronic resources
Archives (personal and organisations' papers and oral histories)
Museum (objects, textiles and visual materials)
Identifying images
Web Archive
Further information
The Women's Library, founded in 1926 as the Library of the London Society for Women's Service, exists to document and explore women's lives in Britain in the past, now and in the future. Printed material, ephemera, archives, oral histories and museum objects together form The Women's Library collections. The collections include a wide range of resources related to women and the built environment from historical materials to contemporary books, pamphlets and periodicals. The collections range from materials relating to women’s involvement in architecture as both creators and users of facilities, women designers and environments specifically tailored and built for women such as shelters, housing and refuges. The Library also holds relevant press cuttings and ephemera, organisational records and personal papers.
Key class numbers and search terms
The printed collections of The Women's Library are arranged in the Dewey Decimal Classification and listed on London Metropolitan University's online catalogue, available in the Reading Room and via the website. Key class numbers and search terms for women and architecture include:
Architecture (General) 720
Architecture relating to women 720.82
Housing 363.5
Interior design 747
Planning: area 711
Planning: landscape 712
Urban development 307.1416
Key references, latest academic works and acquisitions
The Library holds the following guides and bibliographies, useful for identifying further information and material on the subject:
Adams, Annmarie, ‘Architecture for feminism? : the design of the Women's Library’, London, Wolfville, N.S., 2004. Vault oversize pamphlet 022.30941 ADA
Bulos, Marjorie (ed.) Making a place for women : a resource handbook on women and the built environment; compiled by Jos Boys with Rosa Ainley and Maureen Farish. London : Department of Planning, Housing and Development, South Bank Polytechnic, [1989?]. Vault oversize pamphlet 711.082 MAK
Rendell, Jane et al. Gender space architecture : an interdisciplinary introduction. London : Routledge, 2000. Reading Room 720.82 GEN
Saylor, Henry H. Dictionary of architecture. New York : Wiley, 1963. Quick Ref 720.3 SAY
Walker, John Albert. A glossary of art, architecture and design since 1945. 3rd ed., London : Library Association Publishing, 1992. Reading Room Quick Ref 709.04 WAL
Women and housing : a directory of information and resources / devised by Janet Richards ; further research by Sue Broughton. London : Housing Employment Register and Advice, 1986. Vault pamphlet 363.59 WOM
The Women's Library's most recently published and newly available acquisitions
Periodicals
The Library holds a wide range of periodicals on women, including academic titles, popular magazines and campaigning newsletters. Some relevant periodical titles are WEB : women and the built environment, Homes and gardens, House beautiful, Shelter information bulletin. Further periodical titles on the subject can be identified through the printed materials catalogue.
For further guidance on identifying periodicals click here.
Press cuttings and ephemera
The presscuttings collections cover the whole of the 20th century and are particularly valuable for identifying contemporary comment where retrospective online newspaper coverage is unavailable. The Library holds microfilmed cuttings, up to 1979, includes an entire reel dedicated to women and architecture, planning and design on reel 77.
The Library's ephemera collection contains information relating to women's organisations, including leaflets, flyers, minutes of meetings, agendas and all kinds of campaign literature. It includes ephemera for for architecture from RIBA and the Women’s Design Service.
Zines and artist books
The Library's collections currently include more than 350 zines and 27 artist books.
Electronic resources
Electronic resources (online journals and databases) are currently only available to London Metropolitan University staff and students, and can be accessed via the online catalogue with their institutional identification and password. London Metropolitan Academic Liaison Librarians have provided a list of relevant resources for architecture and interior design.
Archives (personal and organisations' papers and oral histories)
A brief guide to the archives is available on The Women's Library's website. Further details of archives available for research can be found in the archives and museum catalogue or in the hard copy finding aids in the Reading Room on the shelves adjacent to the Information Desk. The following archives, including records of organisations, societies, campaigns, personal papers, letters related to women and architecture, interior design and housing:
5ERC Records of Essex Road Women’s Centre (1970-1976)
5MIA Records of Mothers in Action (1965-1989)
7EDR Papers of Ethel DM (Robin) Robson (1895-1954) ; domestic science teacher
7GLE Papers of Gertrude Leverkus (1899-1976); architect
7MEH Papers of Mary Eliza Haweis and family (1848-1898) writer and illustrator and family
7MMO Papers of May Morris (1862-1938); President of Women's Guild of Art
8NLS National Life Story Collection: Fawcett Collection (Interviews with various women involved in housing and planning) (1990-1992)
11TWL/F – Records of The Women's Library (Press cutting folders relating specifically to the new Women’s Library building) (1964-2010)
Museum (objects, textiles and visual materials)
This Collection includes badges, postcards, photographs, posters, textiles, some ceramics and other objects. Further details of museum objects available for research can be found in the archive and museum catalogue or in the hard copy catalogues available in the Reading Room on the shelves adjacent to the Information Desk. Specifically the Library holds various materials that relate to the campaign to increase the numbers of women becoming involved in careers in engineering and construction. Museum objects on this topic can be located in the catalogue using terms such as engineer*, construction and building.
Identifying images
Images can be found throughout The Women's Library's collections. Many digital images are available on Flickr, Vads, the archives catalogue (click on the number in the left hand side) and Mary Evans Picture Library. Use Mary Evans Picture Library's fast service for a non-watermarked high resolution images suitable for publication. If you require an image which has not been digitised you are welcome to use our reprographic service. Normal copyright conditions will apply.
Web Archive
This collection of web sites about Women's Issues is maintained by the British Library in collaboration with the Women's Library, London Metropolitan University. The collection was established in 2005 and has been regularly added to ever since. It includes sites of women's organisations and campaigns, research reports, government publications and statistics pertaining to women, personal sites of women, such as blogs, and women focused e-zines. Specifically relevant to Architecture and design are sites such as The Women’s Design Service, The UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (UKRC) and Domestic Sluttery.
A selection of images from our collections can be viewed at the Mary Evans Picture Library
Further information
The staff of The Women's Library can help you find material relating to your subject area; please don't hesitate to ask. You can contact the Information Desk staff prior to your visit via email twlinfodesk@londonmet.ac.uk, telephone 020 7320 3515, or by asking at the Information Desk in the Reading Room on the day of your visit.
Image references
Woman's Kingdom London : National Union of Women Suffrage Societies, 1914. p. 20 Vault pamphlet 640.740241 WOM ; Women's Pioneer Housing. London : [Women's Pioneer Housing Ltd.], [1936]. 363.5920941 WOM Vault pamphlet ; Pumphrey, Ronaold. Industry and town planning. Faber and Faber, [1941] UDC pamphlet box 465
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