Bernal – scientist and socialist – was a life-long campaigner for peace. He was president of the Marx Memorial Library 1950-71 and his library was donated to the MML in 1979. The library includes reports from UN committees and international conferences, in addition to runs of periodicals on all aspects of twentieth century campaigns for peace.

Klugmann – historian of the Communist Party – was a writer, educator and speaker. He edited Marxism Today 1957-77 and was a member of the MML Committee 1967-77. His collection of radical literature, with a focus on Robert Owen, and early socialists such as Bray, Thompson and Gray, the Chartist movement and women’s rights, is housed at the Library.

A unique collection of over 2,000 posters form a core part of the Library’s collections. Areas of specialism include the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War and the anti-apartheid movement. Prints of some of these posters are available to buy in our shop.

The Spanish Collection comprises the archives of the International Brigade Association and those of individual Brigaders. It documents the Aid Spain campaign in the UK and abroad – a grass roots response to the Spanish Civil War 1936-39 –, the experiences of Brigaders fighting in Spain and subsequent campaigns against the Franco dictatorship. It includes photographs, diaries, correspondence, printed ephemera, periodicals and artefacts.

The Spanish Collection is currently being recatalogued, with work on the collection expected to finish in February 2018. The collection will be open to researchers throughout this period but if you are planning to visit before February 2018 please contact us in advance with details of the material you would like to see. We cannot guarantee access to material without advance bookings during this period. 

The Printers' Collection was donated to the MML in 2009 by the Graphical, Paper and Media Sector of Unite. The collection comprises journals, reports, photographs, banners and other artefacts relating to the print industry in the UK. For further information on the collection, visit the Printers' Collection website here http://www.printerscollection.org.uk/.

The Library holds a wide range of collections on individuals such as Wal Hannington, Phil Piratin, James Connolly, Noreen and Clive Branson and Helen Crawfurd, and organisations such as the British Soviet Friendship Society, the British Czechoslovak Friendship League and the China Campaign Committee.

The Marx Memorial Library has a phenomenal collection of historic photos. Here are samples from our Daily Worker/Morning Star archive.

Unless otherwise stated these images are Copyright Morning Star, Courtesy Marx Memorial Library, London. Efforts have been made to trace copyright where the status is not clear. If you have any further information regarding the intellectual property of unattributed photographs, please don't hesitate to get in touch at archives@mml.xyz.

Please email archives@mml.xyz for further information and if you would like to request copies for commercial use.