Non Port of London Authority (PLA) archives

Since 1986 there have been substantial donations of non-PLA material, from organisations connected with the cargo handling side of the Port and from private individuals. The most significant collections comprise:

• National Association of Port Employers archive
• London Wharfingers Association archive
• British Ports Association archive – covering the port transport industry nationally
• Scrutton’s archive – the major stevedoring company in the Port of London
• Coal Meters’ Committee and Coal Factors’ Society
• Facsimile volumes of Lloyds Registers (1764-1900).

From the early 1980s, staff began to actively record the far-fetching consequences of the regeneration of Docklands under the aegis of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC). As a result of the collection mow also includes:

• LDDC reports, publications and papers;
• Developers’ plans, proposals, and reports;
• Docklands Forum archive and publications;
• Local newspaper and periodicals;
• Public enquirers and such as London City Airport and the Limehouse Link;
• Estate agents’ publicity material;
• Posters, plans and marketing material;
• Reports and papers on transport infrastructure;
• Papers, reports and publications from Docklands community action groups;
• Academic publications and articles;
• Some 125,000 contemporary photographs.

In 1985 a programme of oral history recording was implemented, resulting in the creation of 300 tapes and transcripts detailing the working lives of men and women drawn from a wide spectrum of occupations and livelihoods associated with the river, the docks and the East End of London.

As a result of building up these collections, the Library & Archive has established itself as London’s single most important source for those wishing to study historic and contemporary aspects of the port and Docklands.

The collection continues to be added to in the form of fresh oral testimony interviews and significant donations of  material from commercial organisations and community groups. Amongst  the latter, the Island History Trust and the Docklands Poster Group archives have both been deposited with the Museum for the benefit of future generations.