Feminist Archive North (FAN)

This material is held atFeminist Archive North

  • Reference
    • GB 3181 Feminist Archive North
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1969-c.2008
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • over 3,000 volumes

Scope and Content

The Feminist Archive North (FAN) holds a wide variety of material relating to the Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM) from 1969 to the present. Topics covered by FAN include the women’s peace movement, women’s studies, women and development, and violence against women. FAN includes personal and organisational documentary archives, conference papers, dissertations, books, and complete runs of important WLM journals such as Spare Rib, Shrew, Women’s Report, Scarlet Woman, Shifra and Women’s Voice. There are also leaflets, video and audio tapes, posters and other ephemera - a wealth of contemporary material, much of which is unique to this collection. As at 2008 the following archives and collections had been identified; only a few had been catalogued:

1 in 4 Collection - A volunteer led organisation based in Bradford to support victims of incest. The collection includes organisational papers and material concerning related organisations (Restricted Access)

Al Garthwaite Collection - Collection donated by Al Garthwaite, documenting her involvement in the Women's Liberation Movement and work as an activist. (Restricted Access)

Anne Torode Collection - Collection documenting various campaigns in which Torode was involved, including her work on 'Scarlet Woman'. The collection also includes autobiographical notes. (Restricted Access )

Bolton Women's Liberation Group Collection - Bolton Women's Liberation Group began in the late 1960s, with meetings continuing as of 2007. FAN's Bolton WLG collection currently contains collected press cuttings, from both local and national newspapers. (Open for consultation)

Carol Moss Collection - Material relating to a Women's Studies course organised and taught by Carol Moss at Bradford College. Files contain material relating to the course. (Open for consultation )

'Change' Collection - CHANGE was a women's human rights organisation based in London. The collection has an extensive reference section divided by geographic area. (Open for consultation)

'Crimes Against Women' conference collection - Notes, minutes, correspondence and associated publicity material relating to the conference. (Open for consultation)

Conferences Collection - An extensive collection, collected by Jalna Hanmer, containing material relating to regional, national and international conferences associated with the Women's Liberation Movement. (Open for consultation)

East Leeds Women's Workshop - The East Leeds Women's Workshop was established in 1981 with the specific aim of providing free vocational training for women in jobs which women were typically under-represented. The collection spans the full life of the society and contains extremely varied material. (Open for consultation)

Equal Opportunities Commission - The EOC office in Manchester kept Press cuttings and associated material as a reference collection for use by the EOC. The material was donated to FAN in 1997 and contains press cuttings from various national and local tabloids and broadsheets. (Open for consultation )

FINRRAGE Collection - FINRRAGE was an international campaigning organisation on the new reproductive technologies and genetic engineering, existing from 1984-1997. Files contain documentary material relating to early incarnations of FINRRAGE, UK groups, UK & international meetings and conferences, publications, research and other materials. (Open for consultation)

Gail Chester Collection - Material donated by Gail Chester. The collection documents Chester's work as a feminist activist and researcher. (Open for consultation)

Jalna Hanmer Collection - The collection contains material relating principally to Hanmer's work prior to coordinating Bradford University Women's Studies Unit. Other work is represented in the Conferences, Women's Studies and FINRRAGE collections. (Open for consultation )

Jane Stageman Collection Collection donated by Jane Stageman, and relating principally to her work in Health and Safety at Work campaigns. (Open for consultation)

Judith Weymont Collection - Collection containing material relating to Weymont's interest in the Women's Liberation Movement, and the area of sex discrimination in Sport. (Open for consultation )

June Hancock Collection - Material relating to a court case brought by June Hancock, who was at the time suffering from asbestos related lung disease, following childhood exposure to asbestos. (Open for consultation )

Justice For Women Collection - Collection documenting the work of Justice For Women, a campaigning feminist organisation which supports women who fought back against or killed violent male partners. The collection contains organisational, administrative, financial and publicity records. (Restricted Access )

Kerb Crawlers Rehabilitation Programme collection - KCRP was founded in 1997 in association with the West Yorkshire Police Authority and ran until 1999. The major aim of KCRP was to shift the emphasis from women in prostitution to men who paid for sex. This collection contains all existing organisational and associated records for KCRP. (Open for consultation )

Leeds District Party Women's Council Collection - Collection containing financial and administrative material relating to the organisation of Leeds Labour Party Women's Section, from 1974 to 1996. (Open for consultation )

Lena Milosevic - Press cuttings, notes & reference material collected by Lena Milosevic and relating to her work in education and various campaigns. (Open for consultation)

Lesbian Archive Manchester Collection - Material relating to attempts to create a national Lesbian Archive, based in Manchester. (Restricted Access )

Linda Shaw Collection - Collection relating to Shaw's interest in international women and development issues. (Open for consultation)

Northern Dykes Writing Group Collection - Papers documenting the work of the Northern Dykes Writing Group, an organisation based in Yorkshire, which ran from 1986 -1990. (Restricted Access)

Norwich Women's Centre Collection - Material representing Norwich Women's Centre, its activities and campaigns. An extensive collection, containing administrative, financial and organisational records. (pen for consultation)

Opp2K Collection - Opp2K was a membership organisation run specifically by and for Leeds employers with the aim of providing a forum to 'consider and implement positive initiatives in the employment of women'. (Open for consultation)

Pavilion Collection - Pavilion was set up in 1983, as a gallery-based organisation concerned with the promotion and exhibition of photography which engaged with critical feminist discourses. The collection contains administrative, organisational and reference papers, as well as original artwork and a rich series of posters and other promotional material. (Open for consultation)

Rachel Peto Collection - Collection containing material relating to Peto's interest in the Women's Liberation Movement, with particular emphasis on Equal Opportunities and Discrimination Against Lesbians. (Restricted Access )

Ruth Carter Collection - Collection of published material concerning various feminist issues, including women's studies international meetings and networks. (Open for consultation)

Ruth Ingram Collection - Leaflets, pamphlets and associated material collected by Ruth Ingram. The collection contains material focussing on lesbian issues, particularly Clause 28, and various women's groups and organisation, including Leeds Women's Centre and various Rape Crisis Centres. (Open for consultation)

Sandra McNeill Collection - The collection documents McNeill's work as an activist and researcher working against violence against women. Files contain correspondence, research notes, press cuttings, publicity, campaign material and associated memorabilia. (Restricted Access )

Sheila Saunders Collection - Material donated by Sheila Saunders, documenting her work as an activist and researcher. (Restricted Access )

Spare Rib Collection - Correspondence and associated material relating to Spare Rib. Files contain letters addressed to the magazine collective (1974 - 1978), and the results of a reader survey, conducted in 1974, including returned anonymous questionnaires. (Open for consultation)

Terry Wragg Collection - Collection documenting Wragg's work in Women in the Media, and referring to her work with the Leeds Animation Workshop, including some VHS copies of films. (Open for consultation )

Trouble & Strife Collection - Correspondence and associated material addressed to Jalna Hanmer, specifically concerning articles written for 'Trouble & Strife'. (Open for consultation)

TUCRIC Collection - TUCRIC was set up in 1978 to serve the information needs of women's groups, community groups and trade unions. The collection contains books, newsletters and press cuttings collected and arranged by TUCRIC from 1971-1990. (Open for consultation)

Women against Fundamentalism (WAF) Northern Group - WAF was a feminist organisation, launched in 1989 to challenge the rise of fundamentalism in all religions. Collection principally consists of publicity material, with some organisational and administrative records. (Open for consultation)

Women's Aid Airedale Collection - Collection relating to Airedale Women's Aid, a volunteer led organisation offering support to women at risk from violence. The collection includes a wide range of material including administrative and promotional material. (Open for consultation)

Women's Aid Collection - Collection containing material relating to the development and organisation of Women's Aid, at national level. Contains a wide range of material including administrative and financial material, promotional leaflets, posters and press cuttings. (Open for consultation)

Women's Film, Television and Video Network - An organisation based in London, originally named The Women's Audio Advisory Service, later renamed the Women's Film, Television and Video Network (WFTVN). The collection contains extensive administrative and organisational records, as well as publicity material and example's of women's work in television in various audio visual media. (Open for consultation)

Women's Information, Referral and Enquiry Service - A collection of organisational and reference material relating to the Women's Information, Referral and Enquiry Service. (Restricted Access )

Women's Studies Collection - Collection documenting Jalna Hanmer's teaching and research work in the field of women's studies. Includes course content, administrative and financial records and reference material compiled for students. (Open for consultation)

WoMenwith Hill Peace Camp - Collection containing material relating to the women-only peace camps established at Menwith Hill military base near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, from 1993-1999. The collection contains extensive records relating to the development of the camp and its activities. (Open for consultation)

'Women & Development' - Developed by Ruth Pearson as a reference library for students studying the 'Women & Development' course at East Anglia University, c. 1985-1994. (Open for consultation)

Administrative / Biographical History

The Feminist Archive North was created in the 1980s, when material from the Feminist Archive South, the sister archive founded earlier in the South-West and as at 2008 located in the University of Bristol, was relocated to the North of England. FAN was housed first in the University of Bradford and then in Leeds Metropolitan University. During this time the collection grew. In 2001 FAN was moved to the University of Leeds. FAN is a registered charity (no. 282681).

Access Information

The Archive is regularly used by women students, academics, and activists for research and/ or interest. We are presently open by appointment only. To enquire about either the contents of the archive or access to its holdings, please contact the Feminist Archive North: fa_north@yahoo.co.uk

Acquisition Information

Various

Other Finding Aids

See the University of Leeds Special Collections http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/ and the Feminist Archive North http://www.feministarchivenorth.org.uk/index.htm for more details (web details correct as at Jan 2009)

Archivist's Note

Description by Feminist Archive North / Leeds University Special Collections; edited and submitted to the Archives Hub by Teresa Doherty in 2008 as part of the Genesis 2008 Project.

Accruals

Items continue to be donated/purchased as appropriate

Related Material

The other key collections in the UK on women include The Women's Library, London Metropolitan University; Feminist Archive South at Bristol University and the Glasgow Women's Library, Mitchell Library.

Corporate Names