Sometimes architects create a collection of articles and cuttings to provide a record of their life and work. Examples include F.W.B. Yorke (1880-1957), Sir Herbert Baker (1862-1946) and Erno Goldfinger (1901-1987). Although these are not unique in themselves, the fact that they have been taken from diverse sources and brought together makes them totally irreplaceable. The Collection does not only contain documents of specifically architectural interest or relating just to architects and those in related professions. In the Archive of Sir Herbert Baker (1862-1946) the personal correspondence includes revealing letters between himself and such eminent men as Cecil Rhodes and T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). There are also a number of records dealing with activities during wartime, for example the memoirs of Eugene Kent, which relate to his experiences as a soldier on the front line during the First World War. The notebooks of the émigré architect, Berthold Lubetkin (1901-1990) include sections on his life in Moscow where he was a young art student during the time of the Russian Revolution.

Nomination Paper of Godfrey Samuel, 1947

For biographical information on members of the RIBA, the Manuscripts Collection holds an almost complete collection of the papers of election of RIBA members, dating from 1835 to the 1950's (later records are kept in the RIBA's Membership Department). These 'Nomination Papers' often include information on an architect's professional education, practice, architectural and literary works The amount of detail that the papers provide depends upon the date at which they were created and which class of membership they refer to, e.g. Fellows, Associates or Licentiates. The earlier papers, up to about 1880 are generally less detailed.

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