About the Archive
The Archive exists due to the dedication of Richard Roberts, an enthusiastic collector of ‘stuff’.
The collection, which Richard has diligently curated for over 20 years, is based on the belief that advertising serves as an effective snapshot of daily life. Richard’s unique private collection forms the basis of what is now an extensive archive of print advertising located in Stockport.
The historic and cultural value of such material is enormous: The wording and images of advertising have always depicted the essence of what advertisers want to say about the quality of their product.
Where possible each advert remains in its original binding, together with editorial articles, opinion pieces and other social commentaries - thus giving researchers an excellent window into daily life around the world from the past to the present.
Our values
Social history
We aim to preserve, and make available for research, print advertising of any products, in any language and from any period.
The text and images of advertising serve to document changing fashions in everything from speech, clothing, food and transport to entire companies or industries.
The chosen media is also vital to the understanding the intendedsocial audience, from working-class newspapers to society magazines.
Public access
Through the Archive collection we aim to connect with researchers to reveal the fascinating history of daily life and industries through advertising.
We currently provide public presentations using materials housed at the Archive and are working hard to catalogue and digitise the collection for easier access.
Through this we encourage the public to carry out research with the Archive and to spread the word about our collection.
Preservation
Our collection policy is the saving and preserving of print publications from all periods that include advertising.
Our acquisition criteria are broader than simply magazines and newspapers. We consider programmes, brochures and catalogues, commemorative books, leaflets and flyers to be equally important.
We aim to acquire complete publications that retain the advertisement’s context.
Our team
Richard Roberts – Chair
Richard is a mechanical engineer and former information technology project manager who first became interested in advertising in the early 2000s.
His interest turned to a passion that led to the founding of the Richard Roberts Archive. The Archive has since developed from Richard’s private collection to a publicly accessible research centre.
He is the director and archive consultant of the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain. He has owned several Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows and a rare 1956 James Young Silver Cloud saloon.
Dr. Craig Horner – Trustee
Craig Horner is a senior lecturer in history at Manchester Metropolitan University. His research is in late-Victorian mobility, especially cycling and motoring.
He has written on early motoring, most recentlyThe Emergence of Bicycling and Automobility in Britainpublished by Bloomsbury in 2021 and edits theannual albumAspects of Motoring History for the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain.
Peter Moss - Trustee
Peter is a chemical engineer and industrial consultant with a passion for motoring history that dates back to his very earliest years – his family owning old cars as diverse as a 5CV Citroën and a 4½-litre Bentley.
He is a director, publicity officer and webmaster of the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain and has written articles for specialist motoring publications. He has given talks at the 2017 and 2019 European Motoring History Conferences.
In 2021, Peter and Richard published their joint work Making a Marque, the history of Rolls-Royce promotion from 1904 to 1940, which contains many items from the Archive. It is out now from all good bookshops.
Katie Hilton – Trustee
Katie is a designer specialising in creating engaging experiences for the museum and heritage sector.
She holds an undergraduate degree in Graphic Design and is currently undertaking a postgraduate degree in Heritage and Interpretation. Throughout her career spanning over a decade, she has had the pleasure to develop her hobby of visiting museums into helping other visitors access and enjoy heritage collections such as the Richard Roberts Archive.