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Image credits: The Women's Library, London Metropolitan University - images references are 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 organisational papers, oral histories)
Museum (objects, textiles and visual materials)
Identifying images
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 cover a range of topics including women's rights, suffrage, sexuality, health, education, employment, reproductive rights, the family and the home and are the most extensive resource for women's history in the UK.
The collections include a wide range of resources for the study of women and religion. In addition to contemporary books, press cuttings, ephemera, pamphlets and periodicals on women's involvement in religious activities, the collections also contain archives on church campaigns for suffrage, the ordination of women in the Christian churches, and women's religious associations. The Library's collections include material on female saints, religious orders, missionaries, campaigners and religious societies and organisations such as the Girls' Friendly Society and the Church Missionary Society.
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 religion include:
Key reference sources
The Library holds the following guides and bibliographies, useful for identifying further information and material on the subject:
Apostolos-Cappadona, Diane. Dictionary of women in religious art. Oxford:Oxford University Press, c1998 Reading Room 704.942403
Canter, Aviva. The Jewish woman, 1900-1985:a bibliography. Fresh Meadows, N.Y:Biblio Press, 1987 OS Reading Room 016.3054089924
Hannam, June. British women's history: a bibliographical guide. Manchester:Manchester University Press, c1996 Reading Room 016.30540941
Johnson, Dale. A. Women and religion in Britain and Ireland: an annotated bibliography from the reformation to 1993. London:Scarecrow Press, 1995 Reading Room 016.20082
Kanner, Barbara. 'Religion and spiritualism' in Women in English social history 1800-1914: a guide to research, vol 1. New York, London: Garland, 1990, pp 516-659 Reading Room 016.305420942
Malmgreen,Gail. Religion in the lives of English women:1760-1930. London:Croom Helm, c1986 Reading Room 208.8042
Parbury, Kathleen. Women of grace: a biographical dictionary of British women saints, martyrs and reformers. Stocksfield: Oriel Press, 1985 Reading Room 274.100321
Tierney, Helen (ed). Women's studies encyclopaedia, Vol.3, History, philosophy, and religion. London: Greenwood Press, 1992 Reading Room 305.403
The Women's Library's recently published and newly available acquisitions
Periodicals
The Library holds a wide range of periodical on women, including academic titles, popular magazines and campaigning newsletters. Some relevant periodical titles on women and religion are Church militant, Jewish women's review, Catholic citizen, Newsheet/Women Living Under Muslim Laws International Solidarity Network. Further periodical titles can be found through the online 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, on religion from 260-296 include missionary work, women's position in the church and the Church of England..
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 Christian Women's Information and Resources, Church League for Women's Suffrage, Movement for the Ordination of Women and Jewish Women in London Group.
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 e-resources.
Archives (personal and organisational papers, 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 archive and museum catalogue or in the hard copy catalogues available in the Reading Room on the shelves adjacent to the Information Desk. The following archives, including records of organisations, societies, campaigns, personal papers and letters relate to women and religion:
2LSW Church League for Women's Suffrage
2SJA Records of St Joan's Society and Political Alliance (including the Records of the Catholic Women's Suffrage Society)
5AGO Records of the Anglican Group for the Ordination of Women (1928-78)
5SMW Records of the Society for the Ministry of Women in the Church
5GFS Records of the Girls' Friendly Society
5LCM Records of the League of Church Militant
5RCW Records of Catholic Women's Ordination
7AMR Papers of Agnes Maude Royden (Anglican Preacher)
7DDO Papers of Daisy Dobson (Royden's secretary)
7DEB Papers of Dorothea Edith Belfield (Deaconess)
7EHO Papers of Esther Hodge (President of Open Door International)
7EMF Papers of Everild Feeny (ordination campaigner)
7EOB Papers of Emil Oberholzer (campaign for the ordination of women)
7IDE Papers of Isobel Denby (Anglican)
7JBE Papers of Jennifer Beresford (Anglican social worker)
7LLS Papers of Lois Lang-Sims (Royden's niece)
7MAV Papers of Mairin Valdez (Roman Catholic feminist)
7MAT Papers of Mildred Anna Rosalie Tuker (Roman Catholic suffragette)
7URO Papers of Ursula Roberts (ordination campaigner)
9/06 Autograph Letter Collection: Women and the church
See also Church Missionary Society Archive: section II Missions to women on microfilm
Museum (objects, textiles and visual materials)
The museum collection comprises postcards, photographs, posters, banners and badges. 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 objects from the campaign for women's ordination.
Across the archive and museum useful search terms for locating objects include specific religions - Catholic*, Jew*, Christ*, and muslim, These include badges, banners and photographs.
A selection of images from our collections can be viewed and purchased at the Mary Evans Picture Library
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.
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: Parkhurst, Nathaniel. The faithful and diligent christian described and exemplified : on a sermon (with some additions), preached at the funeral of the Lady Elizabeth Brooke.. :..London : printed for Samuel Sprint at the Bell in little-Britain, andJohn Harding at the Bible and Anchor in Newport-Street near Leicester-fields, 1684. Vault CB 265.85 PAR ; Besant, Annie Wood. Disestablish the church : or, sins of the Church of England London : Freethought Publishing Company, 1886 Vault CB 262.03 BES ; Coole, B. Some brief observations on the paraphrase and notes of the judicious John Locke : relating to the women's excersing their spiritual gifts in the church. London : printed and sold by Philip Gwillim, at his wharf, at the end of Burr-Street in East-Smithfield, 1716 Vault CB 262.14 COO
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