From the Levellers to the suffragettes, from Peterloo to Brexit, PHM’s collection spans four centuries of the history of working people and the development of democracy in Britain.
These pages allow you to access a wide range of material, combining digitised images with explanatory text. Not all objects in this database currently have an associated image, but we continue to add entries and images on an ongoing basis. This work is supported by the John Ellerman Foundation.
This search is for the museum collection only. Visit the archive pages to find out more about the archive collection or contact archive@phm.org.uk.
What is the difference between the object collection and archive collection?
The object collection is made up of two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) items. These include objects owned by political figures, placards from protests and strikes, posters, artworks, banners, and much more.
The archive collection consists of documents that were created or used by individuals or organisations that provide evidence of their activities. Often these are textual materials, such as correspondence, reports or minutes of meetings, but they can also be photographs, plans, maps and similar items.
What collections/items are commonly searched for?
If you believe that an image found on PHM's website infringes yours or someone else's intellectual property rights please see our Take Down Policy.
Looking to purchase or reproduce an image?
Contact collections@phm.org.uk.
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