Includes letters, copy letters, telegrams, and submitted work on articles and reviews between Terry Kilmartin (and Jim Rose, Ivor Brown, Nigel Gosling, and David Astor) and individuals and organisations including: Arnold Palmer, Herbert Palmer, Lord Frank Pakenham, Ian Parsons, Elisabeth Partridge, Eric Partridge, Edward Passmore, David Paul, JHB Peel, Edmund Penning-Rowsell, Lord Eustace Percy, Marjorie Perham, SH Perowne, Nikolaus Pevsner, Photostat Limited, HAR Philby, Aidan Philip (Syllabub), John Piper (also includes correspondence with Lionel Brett), Julian Pitt-Rivers, Wilson Plant, James Pope-Hennessy, Paul Popper Limited, Viscount Portal of Hungerford, Andrew Porter, Dr JG Porter, Hugh Gordon Porteus, JB Priestley, Nancy Proctor-Gregg.
Creator: The Observer Limited; Terry Kilmartin
Files of prints of the following individuals:
Box 1:
Pacey, Alice (Set by Jane Bown)
Pacino, Al (Set by Sue Adler)
Pacino, Al (Portrait by Sue Adler)
Packer, Kerry
Padley, Walter
Pagano, Margareta (Staff)
Page, Anthony
Page, Bruce
Page, Campbell (Staff)
Page, Frank (Staff)
Page, Hugo
Page, Kathy
Page, Kevin (Staff)
Page, Louise
Page, Tim
Pagett, Nicola (Sets by Jane Bown, Alan Titmass, Henrietta Butler and Nobby Clark)
Pagnamenta, Peter
Paige, Elaine (Including sets by Jane Bown and Nobby Clark)
Paine, William & Audrey (Set by Jane Bown)
Painter, George D
Paish, Prof Frank (Set by Michael Peto)
Paisley, Ian (Including sets by Tony McGrath and David Newell Smith)
Paisley, Ian (Including sets by Don McPhee, MArtin Arglesa and Sean Smith)
Paisley, Kyle
Box 2:
Pakraven, Shahwaz
Pakula, Alan
Palau, Luis
Paley, Grace
Palin, Michael (Including sets by Eamonn McCabe and Jane Bown)
Pallister, David (Staff)
Palme, Olof
Palmer, Angela (Staff)
Palmer, John (Staff)
Palmer, Lilli (Set by Jane Bown)
Palmer, Robert
Palmer, Stephen (Staff)
Palmer, Tony (Staff)
Palmer-Tomkinson, Tara
Palminteri, Chazz
Palumbo, Peter (Including set by Jane Bown)
Palunin, Sava
Pamuk, Orhan
Pandya, Nick (Staff)
Panic, Milan
Panov, Galina
Panov, Valey and Salia (Including set by Nobby Clark)
Panufnik, Andrzej
Paoli, Cecile
Paolini, Christopher (Set by Jane Bown)
Paolozzi, Eduardo
Papandreou, Andreas
Papas (Staff)
Papp, Joseph
Papworth, Rev John
Parahia, Murray (Set by Jane Bown)
Paratin, Phil
Pardoe, John
Paredes, Marisa
Parekh, Asha
Paretsky, Sara
Parfitt, David
Parfitt, David
Parfitt, Judy
Parikian, Manoug
Parini, Jay
Paris, Mica
Parish, Daphne (Including sets by Jane Bown and Sue Adler)
Park, Alex
Park, James
Park, Merle (Including set by Jane Bown)
Parker, Alan (Film Director)
Parker, Alan (Comedian)
Parker, Andi
Parker, Charlie (His widow and his instruments)
Parker, Cornelia
Parker, Diana (Set by Jane Bown)
Parker, Evan
Parker, Helen
Parker, John
Parker, Jon Kimura (Set by Allan Titmuss)
Parker, Sir Peter (Including set by Jane Bown)
Box 3:
Parker, Robert
Parker, Stephen (Staff)
Parker, Stewart (Sets by Martin Argles and Don McPhee)
Parker, Tim and Olaf
Parker, Tony
Parkes, Rev James (Sets by David Newell Smith and Michael Peto)
Parkin, Michael (Staff)
Parkin, Michael (Gallerist, husband of Molly Parkin)
Parkin, Molly (Including set by Jane Bown)
Parkin, Sarah
Parkinson, Ann (Including set by Jane Bown)
Parkinson, Cecil (Including sets by Jane Bown, Neil Libbert, John Reardon, Dod Miller, David Mansel, Graham Turner, Sean Smith and David Sillitoe)
Parkinson, Geoffrey
Parkinson, Michael (Including set by Peter Johns)
Parkinson, Norman (Including set by Jane Bown)
Parks, Gordon (Set by Peter Johns)
Parks, Hilde
Parks, Tim
Parnes, Anthony Keith
Parr-Burman, Phil
Parrett, Janet (set by Jane Bown)
Parris, Mathew
Parry, Gareth (Staff)
Parry, Glyn
Parry, Jann (Staff)
Parry, Natasha
Parry, Terry
Parsons, Betty (Including set by Jane Bown)
Parsons, Charlie
Parsons, David (Set by Jane Bown)
Parsons, Denis (Set by Jane Bown)
Parsons, Estelle (Set by Peter Johns)
Parsons, Jed (Set by Jane Bown)
Parsons, Tony
Part, Arvo
Parton, Dolly
Partridge, Eric (Set by Stuart Heydinger)
Partridge, Francis (Including set by Jane Bown)
Partridge, David
Partridge, James
Partridge, Nick (Set by Jane Bown)
Pascall, Alex
Pasmore, Victor (Set by Jane Bown)
Pasolini, Pier Paolo
Pass, Nellie
Passmore, Nick (Staff)
Patachou
Patel, Prapilbhai (Set by Jane Bown)
Paterson, Alex
Paterson, Don
Patil, Madhav
Paton-Davis, John
Paton-Walsh, Jill
Patten, Brian*
Patten, Christopher
Patten, John (Including sets by Neil Libbert, Don McPhee, David Sillitoe and Graham Turner)
Patten-Walsh, Jill
Paterson, Bill
Patterson, Glen
Patterson, Harry
Patterson, Dr Margaret (Meg) (Including set by Jane Bown)
Box 4:
Patterson, Marie (Including set by Jane Bown)
Patterson, Paul
Patterson, Sarah
Patterson, Simon
Pattinson, Derek (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pattinson, Harry
Patterson, Hubert
Patullo, Polly
Paul, Lord (Sets by Eamonn McCabe and Sue Adler)
Paulin, Tom
Pauling, Dr Linus (Set by Karsh)
Paustovsky, Konstantin (Including sets by Neil Libbert and David Newell Smith)
Pavarotti, Luciano (Including sets by Jane Bown, Neil Libbert, Sue Adler, Tony McGrath, Peter Johns and Henrietta Butler)
Pavlova, Anna (Pictures of her possessions) (Set by Jane Bown)
Pavic, Milorad
Pawson, Richard (Set by Jane Bown)
Pawson, Tony (Staff)
Paxman, Jeremy (Sets by Neil Libbert and Eamonn McCabe)
Paxton, Tom
Payne, Cynthia (Including set by Jane Bown)
Payne, Max
Payne, Nicholas
Payne, Norman J
Payne, Sara (Set by Jane Bown)
Paine, William and Audrey (Set by Jane Bown)
Paynter, Will (Including sets by Jane Bown and Michael Peto)
Paz, Octavio
Peabody, Mr George (Statue of) (Set by Jane Bown)
Peacock, Prof Alan (Including set by Jane Bown)
Peacock, Michael (Sets by Stuart Heydinger and Michael Peto)
Peacock, Trevor
Pearce, Sir Austin
Pearce, Edward
Pearce, John
Pears, Peter (Sets by Jane Bown and Erich Auerbach)
Pearson, Ian
Pearson, Jenny (Staff)
Pearson, Neil (Set by Eamonn McCabe)
Pearson, Winifred (Set by Jane Bown)
Peart, Lord (Fred)
Peck, Bob
Peck, Ellen
Peck, Gregory (Set by Jane Bown)
Peck, John
Peck, M Scott (Set by Jane Bown)
Pedler, Dr Kit (Including set by Jane Bown)
Peel, John (Including set by Jane Bown)
Peers, Peter (Set by Jane Bown)
Pei, I M
Peitrowska, Agnieszka
Pekinel Twins
Pelevin, Viktor
Pelling, Rev John
Pelling, Rowan (Set by Jane Bown)
Pema, Jersun
Penderecki, Krystof (Including set by Neil Libbert)
Pendergrast, Mark
Pendleton, Frank
Pendragon, Arthur
Penhaligon, David
Penhaligon, Susan
Penhall, Joe (Set by David Sillitoe)
Penman, Ian
Pennebaker, Donn Alan
Penney, Jennifer
Box 5:
Penney, Lord
Pennington, Michael
Pennis, Dennis
Penny, Nicholas
Penrose, Prof Roger
Penrose, Sir Roland (Including set by Jane Bown)
Peploe, Mrs Christine (Set by Jane Bown)
Pepper, Dr Bill (Set by Jane Bown)
Pepper, Redd
Perahia, Murray (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pereira, Miguel (Set by Jane Bown)
Perelman, S J (Including set by Jane Bown)
Peres, Shimon (Including Judah Passow, Neil Libbert and Martin Argles)
Perez De Cuellar, Javier
Peri, Peter
Perkin, John (Staff)
Perkins, Anthony (Including sets by Jane Bown, Jack Nisberg and Roger Corbeau)
Perkins, Emily
Perkins, Stella
Perl, Mrs Verdun
Perlman, Isaac (Set by Jane Bown)
Perriam, Wendy
Perrot, Roy (Staff)
Perry, Dave
Perry, Frances (Staff)
Perry, Grayson
Perry, Lee 'Scratch'
Perry, Matthew
Persaud, Dr Raj (Set by Eamonn McCabe)
Pertwee, Bill
Pertwee, Jon
Perutz, Kathrin
Pesek, Libor
Peters, Andi
Peters, Clark
Peters, Ellis
Peterson, Eric
Peterson, Oscar (Sets by Jane Bown, Lorrie Graham and Murdo MacLeod)
Petherbridge, Edward (Set by Jane Bown)
Petit, Chris
Petre, Diana
Petrescu, Irina
Petronio, Stephen
Petry, Diana (Staff)
Petty, Cecil
Pevsner, Sir Nikolaus
Peyton, Baron John
Peyton, Mrs K M
Payton-Jones, Julia
Phelphs, Ted
Phibbs, Harry (Including set by Jane Bown)
Philby, Kim (Including set by Jane Bown)
Philips, Emo
Philips, Jane Ann
Pinter, Harold
Phillip, Caryl
Phillips, Leslie
Phillips, Captain Mark
Phillips, Melanie
Phillips, Robin
Phillips, Sian
Phillips, Tom
Box 6:
Phillips, Trevor
Phillis, Bob
Phipps, Jack
Phoenix, Pat
Phoenix, River
Piaf, Edith
Piano, Renzo
Picasso, Pablo
Picasso, Paloma
Piccoli, Michael
Pick, Helen (Hella) (Staff)*
Pickett, Cindy
Pickford, Mary
Pickup, Ronald
Piehler, H A
Pierce, Acton (Set by Jane Bown)
Pierce, Charles (Set by Jane Bown)
Piercy, Marge (Set by Jane Bown)
Piering, Scott
Pierre, D B C (Set by Jane Bown)
Piggott, Lester (2 copy negatives from colour reversal film)
Piggot-Smith, Tim
Pilger, John
Pilkington, Edward (Staff)
Pilkington, John (Staff)
Pilkington, Rev Pat (Set by Jane Bown)
Pilling, Anne
Pincher, Chapman (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pinchot, Ann
Pinney, Aza
Pinnock, Winsome
Pinter, Harold
Piotrowska, Agnieszka (Including set by Jane Bown)
Piper, Billy
Piper, John (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pisk, Litz
Pitcairn, Rev Theodore (Set by Jane Bown)
Pitt, Brad
Pitt-Kethley, Fiona
Pitt-Watson, David
Pitts, Martin (Set by Jane Bown)
Pizzey, Erin (Including set by Jane Bown)
Planner, Nigel (Including set by Jane Bown)
Plastercaster, Cynthia
Pleasance, Angela
Pleasence, Donald (Including sets by Jane Bown, Nobby Clark and Peter Johns)
Pliatzky, Leo
Plimmer, Charlotte
Phsetskaya, Maya Mikhailova
Plommer, Leslie (Staff) (Including negatives)
Plowright, Joan (Including sets by Jane Bown, Nobby Clark and Peter Johns)
Plunkett, James
Podgorny, Nikolai
Poliakoff, Serge (Image by Karsh)
Poliakoff, Stephen
Polanski, Roman
Pollini, Maurizio
Pollock, Alice
Pollock, Jackson
Polskikh, Galina
Pompidou, Georges
Ponting, Clive (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pool, Hannah (Staff)
Box 7:
Pop, Iggy
Pope John Paul 2nd (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pope Paul 6th (Sets by Stuart Heydinger and Chris Smith)
Pope John 23rd (Sets by Karsh and Peter Keen)
Pope Pius 12th (Set by Karsh)
Portillo, Michael
Postelthwaite, Pete (Including set by Jane Bown)
Potter, Dennis (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pound, Ezra
Powell, Anthony (Including set by Jane Bown)
Powell, Gen Colin
Powell, Dilys
Powell, Enoch
Powell, Jonathan (Including a set by Jane Bown)
Pratchett, Terry (Including set by Jane Bown)
Preminger, Otto
Prescott, John (1)
Prescott, John (2) (Including set by Jane Bown)
Preston, Peter (Guardian Editor 1975-1995)
Box 8:
Preston, Simon (Including set by Jane Bown)
Prevert, Jacques (Image by Brassai)
Previn, Andre
Price, John
Price, Vincent
Priestland, Gerald (Set by Jane Bown)
Priestley, J B (Including sets by Jane Bown and Colin Jones)
Primarolo, Dawn
Prince (Including sets by Alan Titmass and Henrietta Butler)
Prince, Habold (Sets by Jane Bown and Nobby Clark)
Pringle, John (Staff)
Pringle, Valentine (Set by Jane Bown)
Prior, James (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pritchard, John (Sets by Colin Jones, Geofrey MacDominic, Tony McGrath, Erich Auerbach and Allan Titmuss)
Pritchett, Oliver (Set by Jane Bown)
Pritchett, Oliver (GDN Staff)
Pritchett, V S (Set by Jane Bown)
Prittie, Terence (GDN Staff)
Proby, P J
Procktor, Patrick
Profumo, John (Including set by Jane Bown)
Prokofiev, Madame (Set by Jane Bown)
Prokovsky, Andre
Proops, Marjorie (Sets by Jane Bown and Peter Johns)
Prosser, Edward (Set by Jane Bown)
Proulx, Annie (Including set by Jane Bown)
Prowse, Phillip (Set By Murdo MacLeod)
Pryce, Jonathan (Sets by Jane Bown, Nobby Clark, Richard Mildenhall and Neil Libbert)
Pryce Jones, Alan (Staff)
Pryke, Paula (Set by Jane Bown)
Pszoniak, Wojtek
Pullman, Bill
Purdie, Sam
Purum, Flora
Purvis, Stewart (Set by Jane Bown)
Putnam, Ashley
Puttnam, David (Including set by Jane Bown)
Pyke, Edward (Set by Jane Bown)
Pym, Francis (Including sets by Jane Bown and Lorrie Graham)
Pyne, Natasha (Set by Jane Bown)
Creator: The Observer Limited; Picture Desk; Observer Picture Library
Interview with Clare Hollingworth, defence correspondent for the Guardian. Conducted by Esther Addley on 12 February 2002. Also includes a data sheet containing biographical details and information about the recording.
Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):
Disc 1:
Track 1
00.25 Discusses upbringing and education
02.00 Father encouraged her interest in history
03.15 Memories of First World War whilst young
05.35 Gained a scholarship to London School of Slavonic Studies
07.05 Working at the League of Nations Union in London
08.00 Family disapproved of her interest in the Leagues of Nations Union
08.45 Stood as a Labour candidate for Melton Mowbray
09.15 Reported outbreak of World War II from Poland
09.40 Has since worked as a correspondent for Guardian and Telegraph
09.50 Changes in political stance over lifetime
10.30 Religion and growing up
11.05 Experience of boarding schools
12.15 *
13.20 Maintaining her maiden name once married
14.40 Return to England. Asked by the editor of the Telegraph to report on Poland during Second World War
15.00 Discussion of experience in Poland at outbreak of War
16.20 Driving over the German border
17.40 Remembers seeing German tanks before outbreak of War
18.40 Outbreak of War. Remembers German tanks invading Poland
19.00 Remained in Poland throughout War
19.20 Attempted to report from Poland
20.40 Unable to communicate with husband during War
21.00 Didn't consider herself to be brave or naive, was aware of dangers
21.40 Kit that she carried whilst travelling around Poland
Track 2
00.03 Left Poland and followed the path of the government across Eastern Europe
01.50 Experience of attempted arrest
03.30 Difficulty sending stories from Romania
04.15 Continued onto Greece
04.40 Effect of career on first marriage
Track 3
00.45 Hardworking attitude . Felt reporting was not just an interest, but that it was her duty
01.20 Occasionally worked eighteen hour days during war coverage
02.00 Holidays whilst reporting
02.20 Books produced on Poland and the Balkans
03.30 Interest in work stronger than interest in private life
05.15 Continued to travel onto Egypt
06.25 Nature of working relationship with Daily Telegraph. Worked for the Guardian later
Track 4
00.01 Visit to Egypt and meeting general Wavell
00.50 *
01.00 Remembers general Auchinleck
01.40 Relationship between military and reporters
02.10 Spent time at the Gezira club
03.00 Atmosphere in Cairo and Alexandria during the War, fear of German invasion
03.40 Remembers few other female foreign correspondents
04.00 General Montgomery's dislike of female correspondents
05.00 Hollingworth sent home from Tripoli
08.15 Sleeping in the desert
09.10 Experience of hearing Germans whilst sleeping in the desert
10.28 Learnt to fly whilst in Cairo
12.20 *
14.01 *
14.15 Friendship with Geoffrey Hoare
14.55 Friendly parting with first husband
15.45 Wore same desert uniform as male reporters
16.20 Use of typewriter in the desert
18.48 Considered herself to be an egalitarian
Track 5
00.03 Remembers her time in Palestine
00.30 Was present during the King David Hotel bombing, where she had been staying, she witnessed the explosion
01.13 Lost all of her posessions in the explosion
01.30 Her mother changed her will as she felt she was irresponsible to be staying at the hotel
02.40 How she saw the political situation then
03.30 View on present conflict
05.40 Moved to Paris after her husband's promotion whilst working for the Guardian
06.08 Covered Algerian War for the Guardian
06.25 Compares Guardian and Telegraph newspapers
08.00 Dangers encountered in Algeria
08.45 Only journalist to enter the Casbah of Algiers
09.40 Treatment in the Casbah
10.15 People suggested she was taking unnecessary risks in her war coverage
11.15 Considers some of her best work to have come out of her time in Algeria
12.15 Use of translators
Disc 2:
Track 1
00.19 Relationship with Donald and Melinda Maclean whilst in Cairo
01.22 *
04.10 Defection of Donald Maclean
06.45 Differences in religious beliefs between her and Hoare
08.40 Talks about Kim Philby and differences between him and Donald Maclean
10.00 Attempted to find Philby after disappearance in Beirut
10.38 Reaction to Guardian spiking her scoop on the movements of Philby
13.30 Went to work for the Guardian as defence correspondent
13.42 *
15.35 Differences between working overseas and working in London
Track 2
00.02 Friendship with Lord Donovan
00.36 Talks about her personal life
02.20 Friendship with Ted Heath
02.50 *
04.50 Decision to focus on career over having children
05.13 *
06.09 *
Track 3
00.01 Discussion of Kashmir in the 1960s and friendship with Indira Gandhi
01.00 Personality of Indira Gandhi
Track 4
00.00 Indira Gandhi's help during her career
01.10 Present situation in Kashmir
01.40 Her attraction to war coverage
04.40 Coverage of the Vietnam War for the Guardian
06.25 *
07.50 Belief that America could not win Vietnam War
08.38 Death of Hoare in 1966
11.00 Discussion of career of Hoare
12.12 *
Track 5
00.10 Went to China after Vietnam to set up the office for the Daily Telegraph
01.01 Benefitted from time spent in China
01.38 Things she learnt as a journalist in Peking
02.15 *
03.00 She was trusted by her sources
05.40 Meeting Chairman Mao
06.25 Meeting Henry Kissinger
07.29 *
08.28 Frustrations met when working in China
09.15 Remembers accomodation in China
Track 6
Test
Track 7
00.00 *
01.05 Dislike for Margaret Thatcher
02.14 Return to London after death of Chairman Mao to work for the Telegraph as defence correspondent
02.40 Interest in world defence
03.38 Moved to Hong Kong for the Sunday Telegraph
04.45 Discusses her work for the Telegraph whilst in Hong Kong
05.50 No wish to retire, due to her continued interest in the news
07.13 Deterioration of eye sight since teenage years
09.08 *
11.15 Sleeping on the floor to remain hardy
12.00 Wish to continue writing
12.40 Changes in Hong Kong since the transfer of sovereignty
12.48*
14.40 Desire to report from Afghanistan
17.00 Instinct for journalism
17.25 Newspapers today. Strength of the the Times, the Telegraph, and the Guardian as newspapers
18.30 Constantly listening to the news. Places radios under her pillow
Includes correspondence from and concerning Seale.
Other correspondents include: David Astor; Michael Davie; Donald Trelford; Robert Stephens; William Millinship; Des Wilson; Bob Chesshyre; Jane Blackstock; Jeremy Hunt; Roger Harrison; Andrew Wilson.
Subjects covered include: his Observer Foreign News Service work; Kim Philby; affairs concerning the Lebanon, Israel and other Middle East countries; matters concerning the management of The Observer including book publishing, syndication, Observer Art, and his book 'The Hilton Assignment'; Seale contributing articles to The Observer; Patrick Seale Books Limited.
Also includes: memorandum on Encounter by John Mander.
Creator: The Observer Limited; Editor's Office; Donald Trelford
Includes correspondence from and concerning Stephens.
Other correspondents include: David Astor; Tristan Jones; Fred [Tomlinson]; Michael Glenny; Donald Trelford; Ken Obank; Roger Harrison; William Millinship.
Subjects covered include: The Observer's coverage of Middle Eastern and North African affairs particularly Egypt, Cyprus, Israel, the Suez Crisis, and the Lebanon; Nora Beloff; Stephens' life in Paris; French political affairs; South Africa; Kim Philby; James Morris; Canadian affairs; Soviet affairs; Stephens writing a book for the Carnegie Foundation; Stephens' terms and conditions of employment with The Observer and his retirement.
Also includes: 'The Great Powers, the Arabs and the Israelis' by Bernard Lewis; 'The Great Powers and the Middle East' by Stephens; copy of 'Common Security - a programme for disarmament' by Jonathan Power.
Creator: The Observer Limited; Editor's Office; Donald Trelford
Correspondence file relating to Kim Philby and his work as the Observer's Middle East Correspondent.
Includes informal letter of application, draft articles from Franco's Spain, cancelled letter of resignation from 1952, ongoing negotiation of a joint agreement with the Economist in 1956, letters about mail and newspaper censorship, letters about expenses and payment, unused pieces, relationship to fellow correspondent Rawle Knox and the need for journalistic objectivity, contract extension letters, letters about a possible contract with the Indian Express, article suggestions and travel plans by cable, letters about the Dead Sea Scrolls, letter about Tomlinson's retirement, correspondence regarding Gavin Young's journey to the Middle East, last cable from Philby before his disappearance, cables about his supposed bad health, letters about his disappearance.
Correspondents include David Astor, Fred Tomlinson, John Midgley, Donald Trelford, Michael Davie, Mark Arnold-Forster, Paul Ferris, John Thompson, Miss Caton Jones and LJ Cane.
Sin título
Records of the Observer newspaper, mainly dating from 1920s onwards. Includes: board minutes and papers; correspondence and subject files of managing directors; financial papers; staff files; correspondence and papers of Observer editors David Astor and Donald Trelford; picture desk prints and negatives; printing, circulation and distribution statements and television adverts.
Few documents relating to the Observer's early years are known to have survived and the majority of those that have survived remain within private collections. For example, the archive of JL Garvin (editor of the Observer 1908 - 1942) is held by the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas.
Administrative/Biographical history: As befits the oldest Sunday newspaper in the world, the history of the Observer is a volatile and varied one. The paper was founded in 1791 by WS Bourne on the simple premise that "the establishment of a Sunday newspaper would obtain him a rapid fortune"; within three years Bourne found himself £1,600 in debt. Though early editions of advertisements for the paper promised a paper "Unbiased by Prejudice - Uninfluenced by Party...Whose Principal is Independence", Bourne attempted to cut his losses and sell the title to the government. They declined.
In its first century, the Observer was in varying degrees a scurrilous gossip sheet, government propaganda rag and provocative thorn-in-the-side of the establishment. Throughout the nineteenth century, however, the paper's character changed and came to reflect the more sober morality of the age.
In 1820 proprietor William Innell Clement defied a government ban on reporting proceedings against the Cato Street conspirators, refused to appear in court and left a £500 fine unpaid. This victory for the freedom of the press became characteristic of the paper in future years, and was typical of the Observer as it developed a reputation for serious coverage of politics and literature.
Some glamour was restored to the title by Frederick Beer, who installed his wife Rachel (Siegfried Sassoon's aunt) as editor in 1891. Under her control the paper achieved one of its greatest exclusives: the admission by Count Esterhazy that he had forged the letters that condemned innocent Jewish officer Captain Dreyfus to Devil's Island. The story provoked an international outcry and led to the release and pardon of Dreyfus and court martial of Esterhazy. She was a remarkable woman - not content with running one national newspaper, she managed to combine editing the Observer with the same job at the Sunday Times.
When the Observer entered the twentieth century, the paper was owned for a brief time by Lord Northcliffe, who appointed JL Garvin to the editorship. Garvin was a maverick Tory who contrived to edit the paper almost exclusively via a special telephone line installed between the newspaper office and his luxurious house in Beaconsfield.
It was not until 1948 that the paper became genuinely free from political allegiance, when David Astor was made proprietor and editor. Astor turned the paper into a trust-owned non-party publication and helped to establish its reputation as the voice of post-war liberal Britain. During this period many famous writers were on the staff, including George Orwell, Conor Cruise O'Brien, and more infamously Kim Philby.
Between 1977 and 1993 the paper was owned by two large international companies, first Atlantic Richfield and then 'Tiny' Rowland's company Lonrho. A controversial period in the paper's history reached its climax with the bitter battle between Rowland and Mohamed Al Fayed for control of the department store Harrods. When the Department of Trade and Industry published a damning report into the conduct of Mr Fayed, editor Donald Trelford took the momentous decision to print a midweek edition of the paper.
The birth of the Independent and subsequently its sister title The Independent on Sunday increased the pressure on the Observer in what was an already crowded Sunday broadsheet market, and when it became clear that the paper was for sale a merger between the two Sunday titles was mooted. Faced with the acquisition of a natural ally by a major competitor, the Guardian Media Group acquired the Observer in 1993. As a result the Observer has been able to maintain its editorial independence, ensuring the continuation of the paper's long-standing tradition of liberal politics and independent journalism.
The Observer has continued its reputation for setting, rather than following the news agenda, breaking stories including exposing the cash-for-access scandal dubbed Lobbygate, and leading the way in covering of issues like GM foods and cloning.
Roger Alton, editor 1998-2007, defined the paper's stance in the context of a long and varied history: "The Observer is Britain's oldest Sunday newspaper and it has been making mischief, poking its nose where it shouldn't and reporting the best in arts, culture, politics, sport, business and skulduggery for over two hundred years. We aim to keep it that way and maintain its position as Britain's most exciting Sunday newspaper."
On 8 January 2006 The Observer relaunched in a Berliner format becoming the UK's only full colour Sunday newspaper, and in 2007 The Observer was named national newspaper of the year at the British Press Awards.
In January 2008 John Mulholland was appointed editor of the Observer, replacing Roger Alton who had edited the paper since 1998. At the end of 2008 The Observer moved from its home in Herbal Hill, Farringdon, to new offices shared with the Guardian in King's Cross.
Creator: Publishers of The Observer Limited, fl.1907-1910
Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993
Creator: Guardian News & Media Limited, 1967-
2 sets of negatives and contact prints
1 set of 120 negatives and vintage contact prints
Documents relating to cartoonist Osbert Lancaster. Includes original and copies of correspondence to Lancaster from various individuals including Max Beerbohm, Lord Beaverbrook, Harold Macmillan, Kim Philby, Evelyn Waugh, Anthony Powell, John Betjeman, Anne Scott-James, David Cecil, Steven Runciman.
Also includes newspaper cuttings; cards depicting images by Lancaster; notes from various resources; photographs of Lancaster; transcript of an interview with Lady Violet and Anthony Powell; and correspondence to Richard Boston regarding his biography on Lancaster. Correspondents include Anne Scott-James, Posy Simmonds, John Mortimer, Richard Boston, Hugo Dickens, Penelope Betjeman, and Clive James.
Creator: Boston, Richard (1938-2006), journalist
9 x 11" (vintage)
8 x 10" (vintage)
12 x 16" (vintage) (oversize)