Richardson Collection

A collection of c.2,000 books; c.3,000 pamphlets; periodicals; press cuttings and some manuscript material relating to socialism, Marxism and the activities and thought of Trotskyist groups principally in the United Kingdom but with a substantial international dimension ranging from Europe to Sri Lanka. The majority of the material was published in the 20th century. The collection was received into Senate House Library in 2004, having been donated by Socialist Platform.

The collection was created by Al Richardson (1941-2003), who was active on the socialist left and in Trotskyist groups, and latterly Socialist Platform. Al Richardson was also a classical scholar and Egyptologist (he translated Ramesside inscriptions). The collection was used for research purposes when in Al Richardson's possession, and provides raw material for the journal Revolutionary History, published by Socialist Platform. It is thought to be one of the best collections of its kind in the United Kingdom. The collection includes archives of Jim Higgins (1930-2002), who was also a prominent Trotskyist activist and writer.

Related collections include the Ron Heisler Collection and the Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature. The archives within this collection are described as part of the archives catalogue.

shl.specialcollections@london.ac.uk 020 7862 8470