Catalogue description Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)

This record is held by Labour History Archive and Study Centre (People's History Museum)

Details of CP
Reference: CP
Title: Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)
Description:

The collection includes the minutes of the Communist Party Executive Committee 1943 - 91, the Political Bureau 1924 -25, the Political Committee 1946 - 91, the Political Sub-Committee 1954 - 91 and the Economic Committee 1946 - 87 There are also extensive files on the International Department 1945 -91, national congresses 1920 - 91, industrial files 1950 - 91, and organisation files 1944 - 91. There are also files on some district and local parties, the People's Press Printing Society (Daily Worker and Morning Star) 1945 - 90, the Young Communist League 1922 - 87 and Women's Department papers 1933 - 91

 

There are also the papers of prominent Communist individuals Harry Pollitt 1905 - 59, Rajani Palme Dutt 1908 - 71, Willie Gallacher 1920 - 81, John Gollan 1931 - 77, Wal Hannington 1934 - 66, Ivor Montagu 1924 - 83, Bert Ramelson 1945 - 91, James Klugmann 1928 - 76, Kay Beauchamp 1961 - 79, Ben Bradley 1929 - 69, Dona Torr, which includes some Tom Mann material and Jack Woddis 1937 - 77

Date: 1812-1995
Arrangement:

56 Sub & sub-sub fonds as follows

The archives consist of the papers generated by the central party organisation as well as those created or belonging to associated / organisations.

 

Central / Executive Committee minutes CP/CENT/EC

 

Central Circulars CP/CENT/CIRC

 

Executive Committee Commissions CP/CENT/COMM

 

National Cultural Committee CP/CENT/CULT

 

Economic Committee CP/CENT/ECON

 

Party Educational Materials CP/CENT/ED

 

Industrial Department CP/CENT/IND

 

International Department CP/CENT/INT

 

Organisation Department CP/CENT/ORG

 

Peace Materials CP/CENT/PEA

 

Press and Publicity CP/CENT/PUB

 

Women's Department CP/CENT/WOM

 

Youth Organisations CP/CENT/YOUTH

 

Miscellaneous Sub-Committees CP/CENT/CTTE

 

Campaigns and Events CP/CENT/EVTS

 

Speakers' notes CP/CENT/SPN

 

Statements CP/CENT/STAT

 

Subject Files CP/CENT/SUBJ

 

Political Bureau / Committee CP/CENT/PC/1-17

 

Sub-Committee CP/CENT/PC/18-19

 

National Congresses CP/CENT/CONG

 

Central Correspondence CP/CENT/SEC

 

Communist International / CPGB papers CP/CENT/CI

 

Picture Library CP/CENT/PL

 

Communist Party: Individual papers CP/IND

 

Kay Beauchamp papers CP/IND/KAYB

 

Ben Bradley papers CP/IND/BRAD

 

Rajani Palme Dutt papers CP/IND/DUTT

 

Hymie Fagan papers CP/IND/FAG

 

William Gallacher papers CP/IND/GALL

 

John Gollan papers CP/IND/GOLL

 

Wal Hannington papers CP/IND/HANN

 

Allen Hutt papers CP/IND/HUTT

 

Margot Kettle papers CP/IND/KETT

 

James Klugmann papers CP/IND/KLUG

 

George Matthews papers CP/IND/MATH

 

Ivor Montagu papers CP/IND/MONT

 

JT and Molly Murphy papers CP/INDMURP

 

Harry Pollitt papers CP/IND/POLL

 

Bert Ramelson papers CP/IND/RAM

 

Claude Tayler papers CP/IND/TAY

 

Dona Torr papers CP/IND/TORR

 

William Wainwright papers CP/IND/WAIN

 

Jack Woddis papers CP/IND/WOD

 

Miscellaneous Individuals CP/IND/MISC

 

CPGB History materials CP/HIST

 

CPGB Local Papers CP/LOC

 

Hampshire and Dorset District CP/LOC/HD

 

Lewisham Borough CP/LOC/LEW

 

Miscellaneous local and district CP/LOC/MISC

 

North West District CP/LOC/NW

 

Scottish District CP/LOC/SCOT

 

South Midlands District CP/LOC/SMID

 

Yorkshire District CP/LOC/YORK

 

ETU Ballot Rigging Trial CP/MISC/ETU

 

Miscellaneous non-party organisations CP/ORG/MISC

 

Daily Worker / Morning Star and PPPS CP/PPPS

 

Young Communist League CP/YCL

Related material:

The LHASC has the archives of the London District Communist Party, which contains files, amongst others on district congresses 1926 - 88, miscellaneous advisory committees 1950 - 88, membership 1948 - 88, race relations 1950 - 83 and party branches 1944 - 81

 

The LHASC also holds runs of a number of Communist journals, including Labour Monthly, Marxism Today, Communist Review and the Jewish Clarion

 

The archives also contain microfilm of Comintern material relating to the CPGB in the 1920's & 30's and by Party in the 1980's, which was obtained by James Klugmann on a visit to Moscow in 1957.

Held by: Labour History Archive and Study Centre (People's History Museum), not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Creator:

Communist Party of Great Britain, 1920-1991

CPGB, 1920-1991

Access conditions:

Open to view with an appointment.

Immediate source of acquisition:

In 1994 they were deposited on permanent loan with the National Museum of Labour History. In 2000 they were put on permanent loan with the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, whilst still in the National Museum of Labour History.

Custodial history:

The Communist Party of Great Britain Archives were collected at the Communist Party Library in Hackney They date from 1943. Most administrative and political records before that date were sent to Moscow in 1938, where they were deposited at the Marx - Lenin Institute now the Russian Centre for Modern History. Until 1986 access was restricted, Subsequently they were sorted and listed by Francis King . On the demise of the Communist Party itself in 1991 they were placed under the control of the Communist Party Archives Trust

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