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This week we are marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway, with the addition of three brand new railway titles to our holdings. That’s not all, we’ve added 362,596 brand new pages to our collection, with extensive updates to one of the south coast’s most famous titles, the Portsmouth Evening News.Through our new railway titles this week, we’ll take a look at another important moment in railway history, the opening of the North British Railway in June 1846, which…

This September we are marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway. On 27 September 1825 the first modern railway was opened, namely the Stockton and Darlington Railway, and what better way to celebrate this iconic transport first, than by uncovering 20 pioneering railway firsts from our Archive.Register now and explore The Archive1. The earliest mention of the word ‘railway’ in our Archive – March 1759Well before the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, railways, in the sense of tracks, were…

Here at The Archive, we love to learn of the discoveries you have made through our newspaper pages, and how you have used them, whether they have influenced novels, or provided information for dissertations. We were incredibly grateful, therefore, when crime writer and athletics historian Peter Lovesey contacted us with his account of sixty years of researching newspapers. From accessing historical newspapers in their original form, to scrolling through microfilm reels, and finally to searching newspapers digitally on the British…

This week at The Archive we have put in a sterling effort as we have now reached over 87 million pages, having added 299,609 brand new pages in all, alongside two brand new titles (the Rotherham Advertiser and the Stirling Journal and Advertiser), as we get into the festive spirit by exploring an Edwardian Christmas. That’s not all, as from Brechin to Bridgnorth, from Crawley to Cumbernauld, from Larne to Leamington Spa, we’ve updated 22 of our existing titles from across England, Scotland…

We’ve added 153,774 pages to 10 regional titles to The Archive this week. We have added seventy-five years worth of material from between 1911 and 2003. Our additions focus on augmenting existing titles including the West Lancashire Evening Gazette which we first added in September of this year, and the Sussex Express which we first added to in 2013.The Sussex Express which first joined The Archive in 2013 has undergone many title changes. In 1857 it was The Sussex Agricultural Express, but as it masthead showed…

This week at The Archive, we’ve added an impressive 222,484 brand new pages, updating 48 existing titles and introducing 2 brand new ones! Dive in to explore our latest additions and pick up more tips and tricks on how to make the most of your research with The Archive.Register now and explore the ArchiveThis week, we’re excited to introduce the Garstang Courier to our growing collection of digitised historic newspapers. Covering the rich heritage of Garstang, a historic market town in…

This week at The Archive we’re marking 108 years since daylight saving time was introduced in the United Kingdom, as we welcome 358,368 brand new pages to our collection. We’re delighted to introduce one brand new newspaper to our holdings too this week, which is the Newton and Earlestown Guardian, alongside updates to 30 of our existing titles.From Coleraine to Cumbernauld, from Fife to Fleetwood, from Leven to Louth, we’ve added new pages to titles from across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.…

This week we are visiting the seaside town of Morecambe with the addition of brand new title the Morecambe Visitor. Meanwhile, in all, we’ve added 102,467 brand new pages over the last seven days, with updates to 24 of our existing newspaper titles from Banbury to Batley, from Chorley to Crawley, from Market Harborough to Motherwell.So read on to discover more about this week’s new title the Morecambe Visitor, and also to learn more about one of the town of Morecambe’s…

In the late 1930s a newcomer made her way onto British cinema screens: Princess Kouka. From Sudan, Princess Kouka, born Tahia Ibrahim Belal, had been spotted by film producer Walter Futter, who was determined for her to appear in his next film.Using newspapers from the time, we uncover the legacy of this largely forgotten film star, who travelled to Britain and impressed audiences across the country.‘A Notable Newcomer’On 18 December 1936 London’s Daily News reported on the impending arrival…

American-born jazz age superstar Adelaide Hall (1901-1993) was a Black music legend, who from 1938 onwards made Britain her home. She went on to have a long and successful career in the UK.In this very special blog, as part of Black History Month on The Archive, we will celebrate this jazz age queen who came to Britain and entertained thousands of people via her stage and radio performances, using newspapers taken from our Archive.A Star Is BornTo go back…