The Manuscripts & Archives Collection provides an outstanding corpus of primary source material for the study of British architecture and related subject areas as well as the development of the architectural profession in Britain.

The Collection dates from the seventeenth century to the present day and includes a diverse range of manuscript, typescript and printed material, often illustrated, comprising:

• architects' personal papers, including correspondence, notebooks and diaries
• architects' job files, including contracts, specifications, correspondence and accounts
• press cuttings collections
• literary papers of architectural writers
• records of architectural societies
• notes and drafts of lectures, articles and books
• pamphlets, brochures, information leaflets
• the RIBA's own administrative archive

Many of these collections contain information that is little known or yet to be fully exploited, making the Archive an exciting source for those wishing to produce original work using new evidence.

Architecture is a visual art, but a documentary resource provides essential information to help explain and interpret the built environment. The Manuscripts Collection can be used in conjunction with the Library's comprehensive Books and Periodicals Collection, Photographs Collection and Drawings Collection to provide a comprehensive research and educational resource, enabling a greater understanding of the theories and principles behind the history and practice of architecture.

Collection of 57 personal journals of Thomas Rickman, 1807-1834

Architectural archives may

• aid the understanding and appreciation of architectural principles and methods of construction
• inform about historical buildings of merit and significance
• provide information to help conserve and restore buildings to their original condition
• help to inform the development of new architecture, which is necessarily based on accumulated knowledge as well as invention
• document the social and historical context of a building
• inspire and excite interest in architecture
• form a unique source, providing information that is not found elsewhere
• be contemporary with the buildings to which they refer, thus providing a perspective that cannot be gained from published sources, often written after the event, for a specific audience or with a specific agenda