Co-operative Press Photographic Collection

The collection holds black and white photographs of the Co-operative Press dating between 1914-1994 alongside newspapers, newspaper cuttings, pen, ink and pencil drawings and some textual records such as committee minutes, letters and annual reports. Some of the photographs have been produced by photographic agencies, whilst their own photographers have taken others. The scope ranges from general country and city photographs, to more specific photographs of events of societies and congresses. The index to the classification scheme is below, main headings are in UPPER CASE, sub-heading are lower case and seperated from the main heading by a colon, where there is a second sub-heading this is seperated by a comma and where there is more than one sub-heading these are separated by a slash for example, ANIMALS: Birds/Cats/Dogs/Horses/Livestock, Cattle/Reptiles.

Index to classification scheme

• Advertising, see COMMUNICATIONS
• Aeroplanes see VEHICLES
• Airships see VEHICLES
• ANIMALS: Birds/Cats/Dogs/Horses/Livestock, Cattle/Reptiles
• ARCHITECTURE for architects' offices sees FACILITIES-SERVICE INDUSTRY FACILITIES
• ARCHITECTURAL & SITE COMPONENTS:Architectural Elements,Buildings,Floors
• ARP, see NATIONAL SECURITY
• ART:Sculpture/Paintings
• AUTOMOBILE SERVICE STATIONS
• AWARDS:Award Presentations/C.W.S Advertising Awards/D.I.T.B. Training Award
• Bakery, see COMMERCIAL FACILITIES
• Bedding see MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS- BEDS
• BIOGRAPHY
• BODIES OF WATER:Lakes & Ponds/Streams,Rivers
• Boats see VEHICLES-VESSELS
• BONDS
• BRIDGES
• BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION:Radio Broadcasting
• CATERING AND HOSPITALITY
• CELEBRATIONS:Christmas/Easter
• CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
• Churches see ‘FACILITIES- RELIGIOUS FACILITIES
• Cigarettes see TOBACCO PRODUCTS
• CLEANING:Refuse Disposal
• CLOTHING & DRESS:Accessories/Children/Coats/Dresses/Footwear/Hats/Hosiery/Jewelry/Shirts/Skirts/Sleepwear/Sport Clothes/Suits (clothing/Sweaters/Trousers/Underwear/Lingerie,Corsets/Wedding Clothing & Dress
• Coal Miners see PEOPLE
• Coal mining sees MINING
• COMMUNICATIONS:Advertising/Publicity
• COMMUNICATION DEVICES: Radios,Defiant Radios/Telephones/Televisions, Grundig Televisions
• Congresses see EVENTS
• Consumers, see PEOPLE
• Conventions see EVENTS
• CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION SECRETARIES' ASSOCIATION
• CO-OPERATIVE GROUP (GREAT BRITAIN),Celebrations also see CELEBRATIONS: Co-op Centenary 1944/International Co-op Day
• CO-OPERATIVE GROUP (GREAT BRITAIN), People:Employees/Executives/Members
• Co-operative Housing, see SELF-HELP HOUSING
• Co-operative Party, see ORGANIZATIONS-POLITICS & GOVERNMENT-POLITICAL PARTIES
• CO-OPERATIVE PRESS, LTD: Co-operative News/Reynolds News/Sunday Citizen /The Tablet
• CO-OPERATIVE PRINTING SOCIETY
• CO-OPERATIVE RETAIL SERVICES (GREAT BRITAIN) see also CO-OPERATIVE GROUP
• CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES (GREAT BRITAIN)
• CO-OPERATIVE UNION, LTD
• CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) see also CO-OPERATIVE GROUP/ Architects see FACILITIES/Food Division see MARKETING/Home Economics Department see HOME ECONOMICS
• CO-OPERATIVE WOMEN'S GUILD
• Curtains see MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS-DRAPERIES
• Dairies see FARMING
• DELIVERY OF GOODS
• DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
• Distribution centres, see WAREHOUSES
• DIVIDEND
• DIY
• DRILLING
• Dry Cleaning, see FACILITIES-SERVICE INDUSTRY-CLEANING ESTABLISHMENTS
• DRYMEN (Scotland
• DWELLINGS:Apartment Houses/Houses,Castles & Palaces/Houseboats/Self help Housing
• EDUCATION: Vocational Education
• ELECTRICITY
• ENERGY CONSERVATION
• ENTERTAINMENT: Circuses & Shows
• EVENTS:Beauty Contests see also PEOPLE-BEAUTY CONTESTANTS/Congresses and Conventions/Exhibitions/Fashion Shows/Fairs/Festivals,Music Festivals/Meetings
• Exhibitions, see EVENTS
• EXPRESS HIGHWAYS
• FACILITIES:Buildings/Historic Buildings
• Commercial Facilities:Eating & Drinking Facilities/Financial Facilities,Banks see also URBAN CO-OPERATIVE BANKS,Cash Dispensers/Mercantile Facilities/Stores & Shops/Bakeries/Drug Stores/Delicatessens/Department Stores/Opticians' shops/Stores & Shops Remodeling/Shoe stores/Supermarkets
• Funerary Facilities
• Cultural facilities:Libraries/Theatres
• Detention Facilities:Prisons
• Educational Facilities: School of Agriculture/Approved School/Ashridge College/Coleg Harlech/Collington Bise/Co-operative College, Manchester/Co-operative College Stanford Hall/Co-operative Press & Party Weekend School/Dalston Hall/The Hayes/Losehill Hall/Shorenells/Summer school/Settlements, Villages/Schools,Kindergartens/Health & Hygiene Facilities,Healthcare facilities/Veterinary Hospitals/Industrial Facilities,Factories/Religious Facilities,Churches/Residential Facilities,Slums/ Service Industry Facilities,Architects' offices,Cleaning establishments/Beauty shops see also GROOMING/Sports & Recreation Facilities,Camps,Private camps,Stadiums/Storage facilities,Warehouses
• FARMING:Agriculture/Dairy farming see also INDUSTRY-FOOD INDUSTRY-DAIRYING
• Fashion, see CLOTHING & DRESS
• Fashion shows, see EVENTS
• FIRST AID
• Flats, see DWELLINGS
• FOOD:Baked Products FACILITIES-MERCENTILE FACILITIES-BAKERIES/Bread/Cakes/Pies/Puddings/Beverages/Dairy Products,Ice cream & Ices,Milk,Eggs/Food Shelf life dating/Fruit/Frozen Foods/Meat see also INDUSTRY-FOOD INDUSTRY-MEAT INDUSTRY/Natural Foods/Preserves,Marmalades/Salads /Soups/Margarine/Seafood/Vegetables
• Food Magazines, see MARKETING
• FUEL
• FURNISHINGS: Pottery
• GEMS: Pearls
• Garages, see AUTOMOBILE SERVICE STATIONS
• GARDENING
• GREETING CARDS
• GROOMING:Hairdressing
• HANDICRAFT
• HEINZ, H. J. (Group)
• HIKING: Mountaineering
• Hire purchase, see SALES,CONDITIONAL
• HOBBIES
• Holiday camps see SPORTS & RECREATION FACILITIES
• HOME ECONOMICS
• HOOVER, Ltd
• Hospital, see FACILITIES- HEALTH & HYGEINE FACILITIES
• Hotels, see PUBLIC ACCOMODATION FACILITIES
• Houses, see DWELLINGS
• Household equipment, see MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS-HARDWARE
• HUNTING
• INDUSTRY:Ceramic Industry/Glass Industry/Chemical Industry/Paint Industry/Food Industry/Beverage Industry/Brewing Industry/ see also FARMING/Meat Industry/Oils & Fats/Pet Food Industry/Furniture Industry/Metallurgical Industry/Steel/Petroleum Industry/Textile Industry,Cotton Industry
• INTERIOR DECORATION
• INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (IBM)
• INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE ALLIANCE
• INTER-PERSONAL RELATIONS:Employee-Employer relations
• LAW & LEGAL AFFAIRS:Treaties, Peace Treaties
• Jewels, see GEMS
• Laundries see FACILITIES-SERVICE INDUSTRY-CLEANING ESTABLISHMENTS
• Lay Leadership see CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
• LEAGUE OF NATIONS
• MACHINERY:Electrical apparatus/Hydroelectric generators
• MANNERS & CUSTOMS
• MARKETING:Food Publications/Sales management
• MAPS
• Mechanical handling, see INDUSTRY
• Meetings, see EVENTS
• Menswear, see CLOTHING & DRESS-TROUSERS
• MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS: Products/Art/Beds/Carpets/Clocks & Watches/Counters/Draperies/Electronic Goods & Appliances/Fireplaces/Furnishings/Hardware/Kitchens/Lighting/Music/Radios/Refrigerators/Tobacco Products/Televisions/Shelving/Textiles
• MINING: Coal Mining
• MOD CULTURE (SUBCULTURE)
• Mods & Rockers see MOD CULTURE (Subculture)
• MONEY
• MUSIC ENSEMBLES see EVENTS-FESTVALS for music festivals:Bands/Choirs
• Motorways, see EXPRESS HIGHWAYS
• Music Festivals, see EVENTS-FESTIVALS-MUSIC FESTIVALS
• Music in stores, see MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS-PRODUCTS-MUSIC
• Mountaineering, see HIKING
• NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air force Institute)
• NATIONAL GUILD OF CO-OPERATORS
• NATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE CHEMISTS, LTD
• NATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE SPORTS ASSOCIATION
• NATIONAL SECURITY: Civil Defense,Air Raid Drills,Home Guard
• NATURAL PHENOMENA: Floods/Lightening
• OFFICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES: Computers
• ORGANIZATIONS: Charitable Organizations,Oxfam/Commercial Organizations,Insurance companies,Stationary Trade,Co-operatives,European Co-Operatives,National Co-operative of Chemists, Ltd/Labor Unions/Guilds/Legislative Bodies,Politics & Government,Political Campaigns, Political parties/Youth Organisations,Pathfinders,Woodcraft Folk:
• PARAFFIN
• Parliaments, see ORGANIZATIONS-LEGESLATIVE BODIES
• PEOPLE: Artists/Children,Infants,School Children/Cooks/Crowds/Dancers/Employees see also CO-OPERATIVE GROUP (GREAT BRITAIN)/Executives (International)see also CO-OPERATIVE GROUP (GREAT BRITAIN)/Foreign Visitors/Older People/People associated with Commercial Activities/Consumers/People associated with Education & Communication/Journalists/People associated with Entertainments & Sports,Celebrities/Musicians/People associated with Health & Safety/Police/People associated with Manual Labor/Miners,Coal Miners see also MINING/People associated with Politics and Government,Politicians,Rulers/People with disabilities/Romanies/Stewards/Teenagers/Women for Women in the War see WORLD WAR/Beauty contestants/Mothers
• PERIODICAL ILLUSTRATIONS
• PEST CONTROL
• Pest Control Companies, see PEST CONTROL
• Pharmacy, see FACILITIES-COMMERCIAL FACILITIES-DRUGSTORES
• PHOTOGRAPHY
• PLACES & PEOPLE (Europe and International)
• Playgroups, see FACILITIES-EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES-SCHOOLS-KINDERGARTENS
• POLLUTION
• Post Office, see POSTAL SERVICE
• POSTAGE STAMPS
• POSTAL SERVICE
• PRINTING
• PRODUCT INSPECTION
• PUBLIC ACCOMODATION FACILITIES: Caravansaries/Caravans/Hotels,Apartment Hotels
• RECREATION:Games/Bingo/Gambling
• Publicity, see COMMUNICATIONS
• Quality Control, see PRODUCT INSPECTION
• Renovations of old shops, see FACILITIES-MERCANTILE FACILITIES-STORES & SHOPS-REMODELING
• ROCHDALE EQUITABLE PIONEERS' SOCIETY
• ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
• SAFETY
• SALES, CONDITIONAL
• SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND (GREAT BRITAIN)
• SCOTTISH CO-OPERATIVE RETAIL SOCIETY also see CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY (Great Britain)
• SCOTTISH CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY also see CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY (Great Britain)
• SPORTS
• SUNBATHING
• TOBACCO PRODUCTS
• TOURISM
• TRANSPORTATION
• UNEMPLOYMENT
• UNITED CO_OPERATIVES Inc.
• URBAN CO-OPERATIVE BANKS
• VEHICLES:Aircraft,Airplanes,Airships,Helicopters/Vessels/Carts & Wagons,Grocery Carts/Floats Parades
• WATER
• WORLD WAR 1939-1945

The Co-operative Press stems from September 2nd 1871 when the first edition of the Co-operative News was published. This newspaper had its roots in the publication of the Manchester Equitable Society's Co-operator (1858), which was transferred into various hands until the North of England Newspaper Ltd was formed in 1871 and the first Co-operative News was published. In 1873 the Co-operative Newspaper Society was established.

From the newspaper's inception, Thomas Hayes and William Nuttall from the Co-operative Printing Society took editorial responsibility for its paper, The Co-operative News. However, in 1887 the Co-operative Newspaper Society took up its own printing and from December 1891 took to printing outside papers such as Co-operative Official and Co-operative Educator alongside its own publications of the Millgate Monthly (1905) and Our Circle (1907). Perhaps the News' most famous editor, Samuel Bamford became both editor and secretary in 1875 and was responsible for starting the 'Women's Corner' column in the Co-operative News, which was written by Alice Acland and is contributed to the commencement of the Women's Co-operative movement. Upon his death in 1898 his son W. M. Bamford took over the roles of editor and secretary.

Regional editions of the News were in high demand, and the paper ran special editions for Ireland, Scotland and the south, north and midlands in England, including the Scottish Co-operator. The Co-operative Newspaper Society and the Scottish Co-operator Newspaper Society amalgamated in 1921, which resulted in the National Co-operative Publishing Society. The National Co-operative Publishing Society expanded its repertoire, producing the Co-operative News alongside other publications such as Woman's Outlook (1919) and Co-operative Youth. In 1929 the society purchased a national paper Reynolds News (which later was renamed the Sunday Citizen) and continued to produce this paper until it folded in 1967. In 1935 the Society changed its name to the Co-operative Press Ltd. The Scottish Co-operator changed its name to Co-operative News Scottish Edition in 1975 and ceased publication in 1980. Today, the Co-operative Press still publishes the Co-operative News, which is famed as the oldest co-operative newspaper in the world.

The collection has been listed in its original subject order, in order of boxes and individual box contents. Each file heading is from the original classification scheme. This is pending a more detailed listing and arrangement. An index has been provided to allow searching by subject. This has been arranged according to the Thesaurus for Graphic Materials I & II at the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/tgm1/).

The collection is open to any accredited reader, subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Some files in this collection are subject to Data Protection legislation as they contain sensitive information and material under 30 years old is closed to access. It is advised that you contact the Archivist before visiting.

The Co-operative Press deposited the collection with the Archive in 2000.

A listing of all the file headings from the classification scheme. Full archival cataloguing is being undertaken.

Prints, some delicate.

Description compiled by Karyn Stuckey, Assistant Archivist Jan 2007 from earlier notes by Stephanie Nield, National Co-operative Archive volunteer Jan 2005.

All reproduction requests should be submitted to: National Co-operative Archive,
Co-operative College,
Holyoake House,
Hanover Street,
Manchester,
M60 0AS

Telephone: 0161 246 2925,
Email: archive@co-op.ac.uk

• W. M. Bamford Our Fifty Years 1871 to 1921. The National Co-operative Publishing Society Limited, Manchester
• Johnston Birchall (1994) Co-op the people's business. Manchester University Press
• Arnold Bonner (1970) British Co-operation. Co-operative Union Ltd. Manchester.
• Co-operative Press Ltd. The Co-operative News. Online, http://www.thenews.coop [viewed 14th January 2005]