The Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SULAIR) has recently acquired four new digital collections that feature historical British newspapers and periodicals. Published by Gale, the four databases provide coverage of the British newspaper and periodical press from the 17th century to the present.
19th Century British Library Newspapers
A collection of 48 nationally, regionally, and locally important digitized British newspapers from 1800-1900, 19th Century British Library Newspapers provides excellent sources resources for the study of the nineteenth century and the Victorian period. London national newspapers, English regional newspapers, home country newspapers from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and titles in specialist areas such as Victorian radicalism and Chartism provide researchers with an insightful view into the 19th century British Empire. The collection is available through the Databases and Articles page of the SULAIR Web site under the title "19th century British Library newspapers."
The Economist Historical Archive, 1843-2003
The Economist Historical Archive 1843-2003 is the fully searchable complete facsimile edition of The Economist. In 8,000 issues and more than 600,0000 pages, the Economist Historical Archive offers full-color images, multiple search indexes, topic and area supplements and surveys, together with a gallery of front covers and a selection of exportable financial tables. It is available through the Databases and Articles page on the SULAIR Web site under the title "Economist Historical Archive."
19th Century UK Periodicals: New Readerships-Women's, Children's, Humor and Leisure/Sport
Based on the collections of the British Library and the National Library of Scotland, 19th Century UK Periodicals: New Readerships documents the changes and influences in political and rural life, children's literature and leisure that occurred throughout 19th century Britain, and includes such varied journals as The Northern Star, The Satirist, British Women's Temperance Journal, The Boy's Own Paper, Country Gentlemen, Pick-Me-Up, Little Wide Awake, Fun, Ladies Fashionable Repository, Bailey's Monthly Magazine of Sport, and Punch.
In addition to allowing full-text searching, 19th Century UK Periodicals includes an extensive library of newly captured images, including approximately 8,000 in color. It is available through the Databases and Articles page of the SULAIR Web site under the title "19th century UK periodicals."
Early English Newspapers: 17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers
Held at the British Library, the newspapers, pamphlets, and books gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney (1757-1817) represent the largest and most comprehensive collection of early English news media. This outstanding newspaper collection begins with what are actually Parliamentary papers from 1603: the earliest items that are recognizable as newspapers date from the early 1620s. The collection is particularly rich in 18th-century London newspapers: all the major titles are included, such as the Daily Courant from 1702 to 1735, the first daily newspaper published in London, and the London Gazette from 1665. Periodicals are also included, such as Addison and Steele's famous Tatler (1709-1711) and their Spectator (1711-1712). Also represented are English provincial titles from 1712 forward, such as the Stamford Mercury of 1728, Irish newspapers (the earliest being the Dublin Intelligence of 1691), and Scottish titles from 1708 forward.
The present digital collection totals almost 1 million pages, and contains approximately 1,270 titles, including newspapers, newsbooks, Acts of Parliament, addresses, broadsides, pamphlets, and proclamations from the 17th and 18th centuries. The database is full text searchable and available through the Databases and Articles page on the SULAIR Web site under the title "Early English Newspapers."
