Collection highlights

So far, we have acquired and catalogued over 100,000 items into the Archive. We have many more awaiting cataloguing, plus new acquisitions every week, so there’s always something new to discover at the Richard Roberts Archive.

 We specialise in print advertising and have criteria which allow us to collect print advertising from all periods that include print advertising. These periods run from William Caxton’s printed advertisements in 1468 to the present day. However, most of our collection dates from the seventeenth century onwards.

Our collections are broader than collections of magazines, periodicals and newspapers. From a cultural and historical standpoint, we consider that all printed material containing advertising is equally important.

 This includes:

• event programmes

• trade brochures and catalogues

• retail brochures and catalogues

• commemorative books paid for by advertising

• promotional leaflets and flyers