Records of The Horticultural Advertiser, 1930-1960

The collection comprises:

• Draft memoranda and articles of association, 21 May 1930 (BHA 1).
• Certificate of incorporation, 21 May 1930 (BHA 2).
• Agreements and deeds, 1930-1954 (BHA 3).
• Signed directors meeting minute books, 1930-1960 (BHA 4).
• Printed final accounts, 1931-1960 (BHA 5).
• Copies of 1948 Companies Act returns, 1950-1959 (BHA 6).
• Issues of The Horticultural Advertiser for 5 October 1927, 16 September 1931, 14 April 1943 and 6 January 1960 (BHA 7).
• Extensive series of financial, shareholding, personnel and sales records, correspondence, case files, advertisement day books, and registers of subscribers, advertisers and editorial contributors, 1920-1960.

The archive includes records relating to the share ownership, constitution and management of the company as well as records relating specifically to the production of a newspaper such as lists of subscribers, advertisers and contributors. While the running of The Horticultural Advertiser is well documented, survivals of creative contributions to the newspaper such as photographs, drawings and written articles are limited. Only four issues of the newspaper are present in the collection.

The Horticultural Advertiser was an advertising newspaper for the horticultural trade, first published on 26 April 1883 by nurserymen, Charles (1857-1930) and Alfred Pearson. It offered nurserymen, seedsmen and horticultural equipment manufacturers and service providers a place to advertise to a specialist market and editorial features tailored to their business. Although it had been a mouthpiece for the Horticultural Trade Association for years, the paper was only appointed as an official organ of the society in 1920. It had its first office at Chilwell House, Nottinghamshire but it moved to Lowdham, Nottinghamshire in 1900.

In 1926, the Pearson Brothers converted their joint ownership of The Horticultural Advertiser into a limited company with shares being taken up by some 45 nurserymen. Following the death of Charles Pearson in 1930, a new company was formed taking the name The Horticultural Advertiser (1930) Ltd. Mr Du Cann, the General Secretary of the Horticultural Trade Association took over the editorial role of the paper and it moved to Sentinel House, London. The advertising function was taken over by Thomas Forman and Son Ltd, a firm of Nottingham printers who had printed every copy of The Horticultural Advertiser since 1883.

During the second world war the nursery business was restricted, foreign advertisers were cut off and, for economy, the editorial and advertising functions were reunited in Nottingham under a Mr Benson.

The Horticultural Advertiser went into voluntary liquidation in 1960 when the paper's printers, who had been providing subsidised printing for some preceding years, gave notice of bringing their costs up to market level from 1 January 1960. The last issue of The Horticultural Advertiser was published on 9 January 1960.

Items in series BHA 1-BHA 7 have been sorted chronologically. Sorting and listing of the rest of the collection has yet to be undertaken.

ACCESS: Listed series in the collection are accessible to all registered readers but readers wishing to use the collection are advised to contact the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in writing in advance. Some series are restricted pending full listing.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this is often difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

LANGUAGE: English

The collection was given to The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts in April 1961.