Oxford Brookes University Collection

The Oxford Brookes University Collection consists of material relating to the history of the University itself. The University began its existence as the Oxford School of Art in 1865, and since then has undergone many changes, evolving from a School of Art into a Technical School, a College of Technology, a Polytechnic, and finally into a University in 1992.

The collection includes administrative papers, academic papers, staff papers and photographs. The material varies greatly from principals reports, committee minutes, policy documents and plans, to prospectuses, publicity material, press cuttings, and staff and student magazines.

The collection also includes papers relating to John Henry Brookes (1891-1975), the spiritual founder of the University. The papers predominantly consist of material collected for two exhibitions which were held in 1993 and 1994, but some later material has also been added. The papers include institutional records relating to Brookes’ roles at the various forerunners of the University, and personal papers including correspondence, artwork by Brookes, press cuttings, photographs and biographical information.

The collection is also constantly growing. We are always trying to expand the range of material we hold and fill gaps in the collection, and would encourage potential depositors to get in touch.

The collection can be viewed in the Special Collections Reading Room, and descriptions of material in the collection can be browsed on the Archive Catalogue. Cataloguing of the collection is ongoing and new records are regularly added to the catalogue.

Other University collections are held at the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History.