Collections of Digitised Archive Items

Ian Breakwell
‘Dancing Strangers’, a booklet of photographs and captions put together by Ian Breakwell for his work, ‘Ghost Dance (aka Dancing Strangers)’
Tate Archive
© The estate of Ian Breakwell

Tate Archive contains more than one million items on artists, art world figures and art organisations in Britain documenting the history of fine art practice in the UK. This includes letters, writings, sketchbooks, audio-visual material, photographs, ephemera, press cuttings and objects.

More than 75,000 of these, including material by artists such as Francis Bacon, Felicia Browne, Aubrey Williams, Ithell Colquhoun, and Paul Nash, can now be viewed online.

You can browse the collections below, or search for specific artists, themes, or subjects in the search bar. To narrow down your results, use quotation marks around a particular search interest (e.g. "Manchester", or '"Barbara Ker-Seymer" theatre')

As well as browsing the collections online, you can:

Learn about the stories behind Tate’s archives with this video series
Consult material in person by visiting the Reading Rooms at Tate Britain

You can find out more about our approach to archive digitisation by referring to our online toolkit produced as part of the HLF funded Archives & Access project (2012–2017).

Archive collections

Showing 1–100 of 102 digitised collections

Collection owner: Robert Adams Personal papers and artworks of Robert Adams

1925–87

View by appointment

Collection owner: Jankel Adler Sketchbooks of Jankel Adler

[c.1927–49]

Collection owner: Eileen Agar Correspondence and small art works from Paul Nash and general correspondence to Eileen Agar

1935–87

View by appointment

Collection owner: Eileen Agar Photograph collection belonging to Eileen Agar

[1930s–1960s]

Collection owner: Eileen Agar Personal papers of and artworks by Eileen Agar

1917–92

Collection owner: Kenneth Armitage The personal papers of Kenneth Armitage

[1933]–1999

Collection owner: Kenneth Armitage Personal papers of Kenneth Armitage

1855–2002

View by appointment

Collection owner: Art News and Review Self-portraits Commissioned by Art News and Review

1949–68

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Collection owner: Conrad Atkinson Material relating to works by Conrad Atkinson

[c.1955–84]

Collection owner: Audio Arts Material relating to William Furlong’s Audio Arts Magazine

1968–2004

Collection owner: Michael Ayrton Papers of Michael Ayrton

1920s–1986

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Collection owner: Francis Bacon Drawings and notes about paintings by Francis Bacon

1950–7

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Collection owner: John Banting Papers, photographs and correspondence of John Banting

1906–72

Collection owner: Anita Bartle The papers of Anita Bartle

1876–1958

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Collection owner: James Boswell Seventy five drawings and sketchbooks by James Boswell, the graphic artist, illustrator and painter

1938–59

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Collection owner: Ian Breakwell Personal Papers of Ian Breakwell

1960s–2005

Collection owner: The Hon. Dorothy Brett Forty one sketches, prints and one unfinished oil painting by Dorothy Brett

[c.1910s–1920s]

Collection owner: Stuart Brisley Personal papers of Stuart Brisley

[c.1953–2007]

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Collection owner: Felicia Browne Drawings and papers of Felicia Browne

1920s–1930s

Collection owner: Edward Burra Papers of Edward Burra

1901–70s

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Collection owner: Charleston Trust (Lewes, UK) Correspondence and other papers relating to Roger Fry, Vanessa Bell, Clive Bell, Duncan Grant and others

1896–1960

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Collection owner: Kenneth Clark Papers of Kenneth Clark

[c.1876–1984]

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Collection owner: Prunella Clough The archives of Prunella Clough

1880–1990s

Collection owner: Prunella Clough Diary and photographs belonging to Prunella Clough

1920s–1947

Collection owner: Cecil Collins Cecil Collins papers

[c.1930]–1989

View by appointment

Collection owner: Cecil Collins Papers of Cecil and Elisabeth Collins

c.1930s–2001

View by appointment

Collection owner: Ithell Colquhoun Papers of Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988)

[c.1700–1987]

View by appointment

Collection owner: Alan L. Durst Personal papers and artwork of Alan Durst

1908–70

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Collection owners: Hartley Ramsden, Margot Eates Papers of Margot Eates and E.H. Ramsden

1890s–1990s

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Collection owner: Sir Jacob Epstein Letters from Jacob Epstein to Peggy Jean and Norman Hornstein

26 June [1953]–20 January [1959]

Collection owner: Sir Jacob Epstein Correspondence between Jacob Epstein and his family with photographs of the artist, his family, his studio and his works

1948–70

Collection owner: Sir Jacob Epstein Letters from Jacob Epstein, Benno Elkan, Margaret Epstein and Kathleen Garman to Mr and Mrs Samuels

1940–8

Collection owner: Richard Eurich Papers of Richard Eurich

1923–61

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Collection owner: Ian Hamilton Finlay Printed cards from the Wild Hawthorn Press

1969–75

Collection owner: Stanhope Alexander Forbes Papers of Stanhope Alexander Forbes (1857-1947)

1876–1951

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Collection owner: Fougasse Twenty-six drawings, designs for posters, book illustrations, covers and cartoons by the cartoonist Fougasse

[c.1923–54]

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Collection owner: Dame Barbara Hepworth, recipient: Margaret Gardiner Letters from Barbara Hepworth to Margaret Gardiner

1942–75

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Collection owner: Henri Gaudier-Brzeska Sketchbooks of Henri Gaudier-Brzeska

1910–14

Collection owner: Stephen Gilbert Papers relating to the work of Stephen Gilbert

1954–82

Collection owner: Stephen Gilbert Twelve signed and dated drawings by Stephen Gilbert

1945

Collection owner: Duncan Grant Personal papers of Duncan Grant

1853–1978

View by appointment

Collection owner: Hanover Gallery (London, UK) Records of the Hanover Gallery

1948–73

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Collection owner: Nigel Henderson The personal papers of Nigel Graeme Henderson (1917-1985)

1913–84

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Collection owner: Nigel Henderson Further papers of Nigel Graeme Henderson (1917-1985)

1940–2006

View by appointment

Collection owner: Dame Barbara Hepworth Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture records comprising photographs and notes compiled under the sculptor’s supervision

1925–75

View by appointment

Collection owner: Dame Barbara Hepworth The remaining personal papers of Barbara Hepworth

1920s–1990

View by appointment

Collection owner: Dame Barbara Hepworth Twenty-three designs, notes and swatches for Sir Michael Tippett’s opera, ‘The Midsummer Marriage’, and two drawings for Sophocles’ ‘Electra’ at the Old Vic, 1950, by the artist Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975)

[c.1950–77]

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Collection owner: Dame Barbara Hepworth Sketchbooks, notebooks and working papers of the artist Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975)

1930s–1975

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Maker Dame Barbara Hepworth Plaster maquette, ‘Model for Monumental Stela’

[c.1936]

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Collection owner: Josef Herman One hundred and fifty nine drawings and watercolours by Josef Herman

1944–55

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Collection owner: Klaus Hinrichsen Small collection of letters, documents and photographs relating to Kurt Schwitters, Edith Thomas, Sylvia Bartholomew and Klaus Hinrichsen

1941–89

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Collection owner: Klaus Hinrichsen Folders of writings and talks by Klaus Hinrichsen as well as research material collected by Hinrichsen and correspondence relating to Kurt Schwitters and other émigré and interned artists.

1920s–2004

Collection owner: Ivon Hitchens Preparatory sketches, drawings and photographs relating to the mural painted by Ivon Hitchens in Cecil Sharp House

[c.1951–4]

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Collection owner: Ivon Hitchens A small collection of six items relating to Ivon Hitchens’s art, including two documents and letters to Alan Bowness and two undated photocopied statements prepared for someone else

1964–71

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Collection owner: Frances Hodgkins Drawings, gouaches and watercolours by Frances Hodgkins

1933–46

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Collection owner: Dr J. P. Hodin Papers of Josef Paul Hodin

1885–2000s

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Collection owner: David Jones Drawings and watercolours by David Jones, photographs of his work and source material

1901–61

Collection owner: Gustav Kahnweiler Correspondence from Henry Moore to Gustav and Elisabeth Kahnweiler, works of art, photographs and presscuttings

[c.1900–91]

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Collection owner: Charles Samuel Keene Wood engravings and drawings by Charles Keene

1846–90

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Collection owner: Charles Samuel Keene Additional wood engravings and drawings by Charles Keene

1861–81

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Collection owner: Barbara Ker-Seymer The papers of Barbara Ker-Seymer

1905–93

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Collection owner: Jacques Lipchitz Personal and professional papers of Jacques Lipchitz

1910–73

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Collection owner: L.S. Lowry Drawings by L.S. Lowry

1912–80

Collection owner: Dame Eileen Mayo Personal papers of Eileen Mayo

1908–61

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Collection owner: David Mayor Additional papers of David Mayor

1863–2011

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Collection owner: F.E. McWilliam Photocopies of a thesis by Louisa Buck, ‘F.E. McWilliam and British Surrealism’, and a transcript of an interview between Louisa Buck and F.E. McWilliam for the Irish Arts Series

1983

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Collection owner: F.E. McWilliam One exhibition catalogue, ten private view cards and sixty-six press cuttings relating to F.E. McWilliam

1931–88

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Collection owner: Robert Medley The papers of Robert Medley

1920–95

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Collection owner: Robert Medley Additional papers of Robert Medley

[c.1903]–1984

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Collection owner: Bernard Meninsky Personal and financial papers; artworks; writings; correspondence; photographs; publications; and press cuttings relating to Bernard Meninsky and his second wife, Nora (née Barczinsky)

1890–1989

Collection owner: Nora Meninsky Sketches and notes of Bernard Meninsky

[c.1926–51]

Collection owner: Ronald Moody Papers of Ronald Moody

1900–94

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Collection owner: Sir Cedric Morris, Bt Personal papers of Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines

1774–1981

View by appointment

Collection owner: John Nash Papers and correspondence of John Nash

1591–1980

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Collection owner: Paul Nash Negatives of 1267 photographs taken by Paul Nash

1930–46

Collection owner: Paul Nash Letters and papers of Paul Nash

[c.1894]–5 November 1951

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Collection owner: Paul Neagu Material relating to artworks by Paul Neagu

1958–2003

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Collection owner: Algernon Newton Personal papers and artwork of Algernon Newton

1925–67

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Collection owner: Ben Nicholson OM Ben Nicholson papers

1903–82

Collection owner: John Piper Photographs taken by John Piper

[c.1930s–1980s]

Collection owner: John Piper Papers of John and Myfanwy Piper

1882–1990s

View by appointment

Collection owner: Anne Estelle Rice Papers of and relating to Anne Estelle Rice

1884–1997

View by appointment

Collection owner: Donald Rodney Forty eight notebooks and sketchbooks written and created by Donald Rodney, and the personal archives of the artist

1982–98

View by appointment

Collection owner: Sir William Rothenstein Study collection of drawings and lithographs by Sir William Rothenstein and other artists

1896–1942

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Collection owner: Michael Ernest Sadler Papers regarding the acquisition, administration and dissolution of Sir Michael Ernest Sadler’s art collection

1909–51

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Collection owner: Ethel Sands Papers of Ethel Sands (1873-1962)

1720–1961

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Collection owner: Kurt Schwitters File of material relating to Kurt Schwitters

date not known

Collection owner: Kurt Schwitters Material relating to Kurt Schwitters compiled by his English companion, Mrs Edith ‘Wantee’ Thomas mostly after the artist’s death in 1948

1948–91

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Collection owner: Lady Cecilia Sempill Correspondence of Lady Cecilia Sempill

1926–79

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Collection owner: Walter Richard Sickert The papers of Walter Sickert

[1887–1945]

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Collection owner: Sir Stanley Spencer Sketchbook by Stanley Spencer

[c.1908–26]

Collection owner: John Humphrey Spender Letters, drawings and a sketchbook from John Banting to Humphrey Spender

[1930s–1960s]

View by appointment

Collection owner: Graham Sutherland OM Collection of forty sketchbooks and fragments of sketchbooks

1935–74

Collection owner: Henry Tate Thirty five small collections or ‘single items’ acquired by the Tate in 1983

1859–1983

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Collection owner: Julian Trevelyan The papers of Julian Trevelyan

1929–88

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Collection owners: Thomas Cooper Gotch, Henry Scott Tuke The personal papers of Thomas Cooper Gotch (1854-1931) and Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929)

[1848]–1998

Collection owner: Keith Vaughan Sketches & drawings, advertising work, sketchbook and one gouache by Keith Vaughan

1932–76

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Collection owner: Keith Vaughan Personal Papers of Keith Vaughan

1908–77

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Collection owner: Marie-Louise Von Motesiczky The personal papers of Marie-Louise von Motesiczky

April 1823–[2006]

View by appointment

Collection owner: Marie-Louise Von Motesiczky The remaining sketchbooks and sketches of Marie-Louise von Motesiczky

1920s–1990s