Blog @ StrathArchives - LibGuides at University of Strathclyde

“It’s been a very good experience, I’ve felt very, very welcome and I have a very good impression of people from Glasgow. The most important for me, is that I could understand most of the things people have said to me! Your English is not that bad!”

Adios for now Ricardo, and perhaps one day we can return the visit to find out more about the archives of the University of Alicante!

Recent Posts

Discovering the Kirkwood papers: a history work placement

We are pleased to share Rachael Quigley’s article about the research she conducted as part of her History work placement. Rachael, and her colleague Sarah, researched our collections relating to Glasgow and populated our Glasgow resource guide.As an MSc Health History student at Strathclyde, I was given the opportunity to undertake an eight-week placement within the Archives & Special Collections Reading Room. Within this time, I have been able to delve into some of the amazing collections that are held here.Along with my fellow MSc student Sarah, we were tasked with the exciting opportunity to create a resource guide for the Glasgow-related collections, to time in with the celebration of Glasgow 850. We both chose collections which stood out to us – which was a difficult task within itself as they all hold such fascinating material. A particular highlight of my research has been the Kirkwood Papers. This collection documents the thinking and lifelong work of Colin Kirkwood, and his wife Gerri (Geraldine) Kirkwood, along with their many collaborators and friends. The couple led a life which was filled with important work in community activism, particularly in the inner-city scheme of Castlemilk, and adult education, as seen in the provision of Writers Workshops in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and across Scotland.While looking through the collection, I found myself responding with a range of emotions. Colin Kirkwood was a strong believer in the power of ordinary people over authority rule and took it upon himself to facilitate and encourage individuals within schemes like Castlemilk to express themselves and see the value of their own words.Within the ‘Mud and Stars’ Castlemilk writers workshop publication within the collection, there are strong themes: working-class struggles and despair, about having little money and worries of losing their jobs, their homes and their lives. But within this, there are many humorous stories, some written in Glasgow slang, about the day-to-day working-class life in a Glasgow scheme. What I took from looking at this part of the collection was that the Kirkwood’s beliefs and intentions were evident in the products of their work. Colin and Gerri Kirkwood saw potential in a scheme with a rough exterior but with a strong community full of voices to be heard. This feeling can be drawn out of some of the stories within ‘Mud and Stars’, which speak of the fresh-aired haven that Castlemilk was supposed to be when everyone moved there. It was contrasted with overcrowded and deteriorating schemes like the Gorbals and was seen to be a new and promising land. However, the stories go on to describe how unemployment, drug abuse, poor housing conditions and government policies had tarnished the once thriving area. This apparent feeling within the people of Castlemilk reiterated and confirmed the belief of Colin and Gerri Kirkwood that the communities within schemes like this had the ability and the right to express their thoughts, and on a wider scale that the deteriorating condition of inner-city schemes in Glasgow and other Scottish cities in the 1980s had to be recognised. Further information:Kirkwood papers (ref: KIR)Glasgow themed resource guideOur latest archival display (June - September 2025) on Level 3 of the Library showcases some of the collections featured in the enhanced resource guide....

‘A Wee Multitude’ of Glasgow: The George Wyllie papers

Sarah Darroch, History work placement student, has been working with us and her colleague Rachael to update our Glasgow themed resource guide. Sarah was particularly taken by the George Wyllie papers and features the collection in her article, below.Undertaking the work placement module at the Strathclyde Archives and Special Collections as a student doing an MSc in Historical Studies has proved to be an exciting and fulfilling role. Participating in the Glasgow 850 celebrations, by focusing on the Glasgow-related collections here, has allowed me to explore a multitude of collections relating to the rich history of Glasgow with a focus on the Robertson collection, the Glasgow Dilettanti Society, the Glasgow Novel collection and the George Wyllie collection. I took a particular interest in the works of Wyllie, who donated his papers to the University between 2006 and 2009.Wyllie was well-known for his innovation, interactive exhibits and often theatrical interpretations of art and forms of sculpture. ‘A Day Down a Goldmine’ (1982) aimed to represent Glasgow and its people, interpreting monetary value from the working-class perspectives of mine workers during the Thatcher government. ‘Running Clock’ (2000) is a staple to the streets of Glasgow city: positioned outside of the Buchanan Bus Station. It embodies the hustle and bustle of the city while also providing functionality by telling the time to passersby. This sculpture is a particular favourite of mine, I believe it to be the perfect balance of symbolism and functionality, highlighting the busy nature of the city while also being somewhat comic in its pose.George Wyllie’s innovative outlook on the collaboration of culture and artwork and his coining of the term ‘scul?ture’ aimed to leave viewers of his work with a lingering question in their minds. He often made references to Glasgow’s declining industry but also explored the idea of climate crisis and took these concepts outwith the city of Glasgow on his travels around the world. The archive includes documentation of these travels and ideas contained in Wyllie’s sketchbooks, which provide a unique and fascinating insight into the backbone of his work.The George Wyllie papers are available to view at the University of Strathclyde Archives and Special Collections, including correspondence, sketchbooks, writings, newspaper articles, exhibition papers, photographs, and awards. You can also find the oration presented by Professor A Reed for the Degree of Doctor of Letters awarded to Wyllie by the University in April 1990 for his artistic successes and this ‘gentle wit and sharp humour’ towards life and his work.Further information:George Wyllie papers (ref: T-WYL)Glasgow themed resource guideOur latest archival display (June - September 2025) on Level 3 of the Library showcases some of the collections featured in the enhanced resource guide....

Visitor from Alicante: a week with Ricardo

This week we hosted an Erasmus staff visitor from the University of Alicante archives. Ricardo Jose Lillo Giner spent the week here at the Andersonian Library shadowing our work in archives and meeting Library colleagues. Ricardo learned about our accessioning procedures, how we re-package photographs, our digital preservation workflows, and our Special Collections of books. He also learned about Customer Service Excellence award within the Library, research data management, reading list software, wellbeing initiatives, and copyright and compliance. Its fair to say that Ricardo had a busy week around the library! He has also found time to explore Glasgow and the surrounding areas. He took a boat trip on Loch Lomond, a train trip to Largs (for fish and chips, and ice-cream), and a bus to Edinburgh. When asked to sum up his week-long visit, Ricardo said:“It’s been a very good experience, I’ve felt very, very welcome and I have a very good impression of people from Glasgow. The most important for me, is that I could understand most of the things people have said to me! Your English is not that bad!”Adios for now Ricardo, and perhaps one day we can return the visit to find out more about the archives of the University of Alicante!...

New collection catalogue available: Laurie Kazan-Allen papers on asbestos

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the catalogue for the papers of prolific ban asbestos campaigner Laurie Kazan-Allen. This opens up over 75 archive boxes of materials to all researchers. Laurie Kazan-Allen is a hugely significant figure in the ban asbestos movement. She spent over 30 years researching, writing about and campaigning internationally to eradicate the asbestos hazard. In 1990, she was founding editor of the British Asbestos Newsletter: a quarterly publication distributed worldwide to solicitors, victim support groups, academics, medical personnel and research bodies. The British Asbestos Newsletter (BAN) was a vital tool to share information about asbestos, its effects and the plight of victims of the deadly substance, particularly in the days before the World Wide Web was at its height. At that time asbestos information was in the hands of multinational corporations, government agencies and other vested interests, most of whom were determined to keep tight control over key documents and information. Laurie Kazan Allen at a trade union conference in Australia, 2019 (Photograph courtesy of Laurie Kazan-Allen)Kazan-Allen was also the founder and coordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), established in 1999 to work towards a global asbestos ban and to support victims of asbestos-related diseases. From the very beginning, IBAS made common cause with trade unions, labour federations, environmental campaigns, human rights organisations and other like-minded civil society groups. The links forged were vital for progressing the international coalition which motivated and sustained all IBAS activities.The bulk of the collection is material gathered by Kazan-Allen on various aspects of asbestos, its uses, dangers and effects. Journal articles, correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, case documentation, leaflets and statistics have all been filed under thematic headings including: countries; international agencies; asbestos companies; scientific and medical developments; legal cases; individuals involved in historical and scientific research; and others.Laurie Kazan-Allen used these research files to write articles, speeches, and reports which are also represented within the collection and on the website of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat.This collection joins our growing and popular corpus of asbestos-related materials: some of our most frequently consulted collections. We look forward to welcoming researchers to access this new and important collection. Asked for her comments on the launch of the on-line catalogue, Kazan-Allen said:“I am delighted that the IBAS and BAN resources will be freely available to researchers at the University of Strathclyde archive in years to come. I chose to place these papers there as I knew that many of my esteemed colleagues had already done so including Alan Dalton, Nancy Tait, Geoffrey Tweedale and Michael Lees. We all stand on the shoulders of giants and remembering all those who encouraged us, I hope that these resources will serve to inspire and inform future generations.” Further information:Catalogue for Laurie Kazan-Allen papers on asbestosResource guide for asbestos collectionsInternational Ban Asbestos Secretariat websiteContact us to make an appointment or enquire about the collection.Feature image: Ban asbestos campaign badges (LKA/6/11)...

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Visitor from Alicante: a week with Ricardo

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