The London Mathematical Society maintains a collection of historical material, known as the LMS Archive. Most of the archive material owned by the Society is held at De Morgan House (Russell Square, London) and some material, notably the Hirst Letters, is held at UCL Special Collections.
The purpose of the Society’s Archive is to provide a permanent historical record of the activities of the London Mathematical Society. The Society’s Archive also provides protection for other significant material relating to mathematics in the UK that might otherwise be lost or destroyed, for the purposes of bibliographic reference and further study by historians of mathematics.
The Society’s Archive mainly consists of:
- Minute books for Council meetings and committee meetings (1865 - present day)
- Membership lists, cards and books
- Cash books and Ledgers
- The Berwick Prize file
- The Spitalfields Mathematical Society Receptacle
- The Society’s newsletters (1973 – present day)
- Some deposited papers: Mary L Cartwright; David Kendall
- The Hirst Letters
- The Tucker Collection of Photographs
- The Plücker Collection of mathematical models
A full catalogue is to follow.
The LMS also houses the archives of:
Access to the Archive
Numerous documents within the Society’s Archive are of considerable interest to mathematical historians and other scholars. The Archive may be accessed by bona fide scholars who wish to refer to it as part of their research.
Access to the Archive Room in De Morgan House is strictly by appointment only. Staff at De Morgan House will answer simple enquiries by email, telephone or letter, but it is not possible to undertake lengthy or complex enquiries on behalf of researchers, who will be asked to arrange to visit in person.
To arrange a visit, please email: librarian@lms.ac.uk