The College Archives

The College Archives provide a record of Magdalene as an institution and its current and former Members. It hold records dating from the sixteenth century up to the present day.

The collections comprise several types of records including:

• Records relating to the administration and governance of the College.
• Records relating to the College’s estates and buildings.
• Drawings, plans, maps and photographs relating to the history and development of the College.
• Personal papers of past and present students and Fellows.
• Records relating to student groups and organisations associated with the College.
• Photographs of College buildings, people and events.

Notable collections include the papers of several former Masters of Magdalene College, among them Daniel Waterland (1683-1740), Peter Peckard (1718-1797), and A. C. Benson (1862-1925), as well as the papers of other well-known alumni, such as George Mallory (1886-1924).

The Archives are housed in a the purpose-built Archive Centre in the New Library, to ensure their preservation for future generations. The Centre includes a reading room for students and researchers, to widen access to the Archives’ holdings.