Archives & historical information held by the Blackheath Society

The Blackheath Society has been collecting and creating archives and information on the area since its foundation in 1937. The list below summarises what the society holds, its formats and how it can be accessed; much has been digitized and much of this is available on the society archive website: https://www.blackheatharchive.org/. All material unless specified was created in hard copy and is physically stored by the society. Some of the material contains personal information, so access is subject to GDPR restrictions.

Resources permitting, the society will consider requests for personal access from researchers, either by phone: 0208 297 1937; or email: archives@blackheath.org.uk.

Key to abbreviations
·         (ABC) archive collection reference
·         (C) catalogue available (c) catalogue in progress
·         Digitised material available on the society’s archive website: https://www.blackheatharchive.org/

o    (D) Fully digitised from originals held by the society
o    (D only) digitised from items loaned to the society and returned
o    (d) partially digitised

Records of organisations, businesses and individuals

Blackheath Society 1937-. (BS) (d) (c)

The society exists to preserve and enhance the character and amenities of Blackheath and surrounding area.
Minute books; secretary’s reports; agms; annual accounts; annual reports (D); newsletters (d); membership records; correspondence; photos of historic local scenes, many copies (D); local photo survey 2000; extensive file of documents about particular issues.

Blackheath Preservation Trust 1937-2016 (BPT) (C)

The trust was a company established to protect, refurbish and let buildings of historical significance.
Minute books; annual reports; accounts; file on each of the properties it owned including some pre-ownership property deeds and leases. Link to catalogue here.

Neil Rhind (NR) (c)

Neil Rhind, 1937-2024 was a local resident with a lifetime involvement in local issues the Blackheath Society and the BPT, and as an author and campaigner.
Research papers, including files on localities, individual properties and individuals; texts of talks and walks. Also includes research notes by A R Martin (1901-1973) society founder and researcher; notes of research on Greenwich by Ralph Hyde; also original property deeds and survey late 18c of Page estate lands in Blackheath, Eltham Plumstead etc.
He contributed hugely to the society’s illustrations collection (see below) and many of his runs of periodicals are listed below.

Stephen Moreton Prichard, photographer (SMP)

Photographs 1960s-2000s

Marten family (MA) (C) (d)

Family scrapbook of local family with illustrations, invitations cuttings etc 1870s. Link to catalogue here.

Westcombe Park Estate (WPE) (C)

Volume of directors’ minutes, 1877-1886. Link to catalogue here.

Dyer Son and Creasy, auctioneers (DSC) (C)

Correspondence about valuation, and rentals books, 1853-1902. Link to catalogue here.

Carden Godfrey Macfadyen, architects, (CGM) (C)

Plans and drawings of local commissions, 1962-1980. Link to catalogue here

Alex Grant (AG) (C)

Papers from time as ward councilor, 1998-2014. Link to catalogue here.

A R Martin (ARM) (C)

Alan Roger Martin, 1901-1974, was an important and industrious local resident and founder member of both the Blackheath Society and Blackheath Preservation Trust.
This small collection, 1850s-1950s, is of personal papers and photographs of visits with the Kent Archaeological Society. Link to catalogue here.

Alan and Sylvia Blanc, (ASB) (C)

Photos of village improvement scheme, 1960s. Link to catalogue here.

W Braxton Sinclair, architect (1883-1962) (WBS) (C)

Plans and drawings for properties in Maze Hill and Montpelier Vale undergoing post- war reconstruction. Link to catalogue here.

Pam Schweitzer, (1945-), theatre manager and pioneer of reminiscence therapy

Publications by and about Age Exchange Theatre. Copies loaned from the owner (D only)

Alfred Wood, preacher and local historian (1921-2021)

Publications, sermons illustrations. Copies loaned from the owner (D only)

Publications and periodicals

The society has a small library of publications about the locality and a large collection of periodicals including:

Blackheath Guide - 1889-57, 1978-1986 (d)

Blackheath Reporter -1959-1996 (D)

Blackheath Gazette - 1990-96 (D)

The Guide - 1989-91, 1995-1999 (D)

Greenwich Society Magazine - 1969—2018 (D)

Westcombe News - 1974 – 2022 (D)

Maps (C)

Copies of 1:1250 OS sheets for area nd c 2000
Sheets from 1951 Greater London Plan
Two folders of copies of maps of the locality.
Link to catalogue here.

Illustrations

These are listed under their creators, above, but significant collections are:

· Blackheath Society local views mostly copies arranged alphabetically, wide range of dates, c.15,0000 images. (D)

· Blackheath Society Millennium survey. A comprehensive survey of streetscapes and buildings, c2000, c.6000 images colour.

· Stephen Moreton Prichard, freelance photographer (mostly) b/w photos of locality and copy work, 1960s-2000s (d)

· Peter Kent, artworks of Greenwich and the Thames - originals with the artist (D only)

· John Graham Lane, album of Edwardian postcards (D)

· Alan and Sylvia Blanc, (ASB) (C) photos of village improvement scheme, 1960s

Other ONLINE Archive Materials

Our online archive materials are increasingly diverse and now include video and sound files, as well as images, and we plan to continue to add these to the publicly accessible archive as quickly as possible. We also have a number of newspaper articles, derived from the British Newspaper Archive www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk which reflect historical events in Blackheath.

Get In Touch

If you have any items - whether photographs, stories, memories, recordings, anything - which you think may be of significance or amusement to people interested in the history of Blackheath, please contact:

Allan Griffin or Len Reilly
archives@blackheath.org