University of West London Archive
Established to catalogue & preserve the Heathrow Archive & maintain the historical records of UWL
The archive is supported by the National Lottery through the National Lottery Heritage Fund and through a generous donation from Heathrow Airport.
About the collection
There are more than 800 items within the Heathrow Archive including:
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Aviation reports, training manuals and air guides
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Building plans, area maps and land use details
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Promotional leaflets, posters, and photographs
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Brochures, journals, guidebooks, and histories
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Airline souvenirs including pin badges, pennants, and model aircraft
The Heathrow Archive is of particular interest to students studying the Airline and Airport management courses within the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism, as well as being useful across a range of other disciplines at the University, and beyond.
Our Ealing site currently hosts our Heathrow the Journey exhibition, featuring items from the archive, as well as audio-visual features. More information can be found via the Heathrow Exhibition page.
University Archives
As well as collecting material for the University, we also hold archives relating to some of its earlier institutions. These include the London College of Music, the Wolfson School of Nursing, and the Ealing Technical College and School of Art.
For more information on our holdings, please search the online catalogue, available via The University of West London Archive website.
These collections can be accessed at our Ealing site, though please note this is strictly on an appointments system. If you’re interested in accessing our archives, please email library@uwl.ac.uk and mark your email for the attention of the archivist.
The collections are expected to grow further through the deposit of additional material from internal departments and from external organisations whose operations link closely to our courses. If you have material that you think we may be interested in, we’d love to hear from you.
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Where can I find your archives policy?
Our archives policy can be found on the University policies page.
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Where can I search the collection online?
You can search the collection using the online catalogue.
Heathrow Community Engagement Board South Asian Heritage Project
UWL and the HCEB undertook an oral history project that brought to life stories of Heathrow Airport from local people who originate from South Asia. The Airport opened in 1946 and has seen 78 years of continued development into the significant West London landmark it is today. UWL holds the Heathrow Archive, a historical collection of documents and artefacts relating to the Airport. Some of the collection is displayed within a permanent exhibition, Heathrow: The Journey. The project is a complementary addition to the collection with interesting personal stories from people of South Asian origin who have lived near or worked at Heathrow Airport.
- The work was funded by the Heathrow Community Engagement Board.
- Visit the HCEB (Heathrow Community Engagement Board), and its successor body CISHA, for further information about the organisation.
- Listen to the HCEB interviews via the University of West London Archive UWLA/HCEB project page.
DIY TV Project
The London School of Film, Media and Design at the University of West London is delighted to announce a new project, ‘DIY TV: The History and Influence of the BBC’s Community Programmes Unit’, made possible with generous support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Latest news
If you are interested in the many fascinating items in the UWL archive, you may find the UWL Archive blog of interest.
It contains short articles on interesting items within our collections.
Plan your visit
The archive is based on the third floor of the Paul Hamlyn library in room PE.03.007.
- Access is by appointment only.
- Appointments are available Monday to Friday, 10.00 am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4.00pm.
If you would like to find out more information or book a place to see the archive collections, please contact us by emailing library@uwl.ac.uk.
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How do I get to the Heathrow Archive
The Heathrow Exhibition is located at:
The University of West London
St Mary’s Road
Ealing
London
W5 5RF
Notice
The archive is supported by the National Lottery through the National Lottery Heritage Fund and through a generous donation from Heathrow Airport.
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About the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, the National Lottery Heritage Fund invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.
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About Heathrow
Heathrow is the UK’s hub airport, home to more than 80 airlines connecting to more than 180 destinations. Every year Heathrow welcomes over 70 million passengers with a commitment to ‘making every journey better.’ Following an investment of more than £11 billion over the past 10 years, passengers have voted Heathrow the ‘Best Airport in Western Europe,’ ‘Best Airport Terminal’ for Terminal 5 and ‘Best Airport for Shopping’ 7 years in a row.
Follow Heathrow at @HeathrowAirport
Get in touch
In-person: Visit the Help Zone, ground floor at our Ealing & Reading sites. Find out the library opening hours.
Email us: library@uwl.ac.uk
Social media: Twitter
Telephone: Ealing: 020 8231 2405 / Reading: 020 8209 4434 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
Need help? Chat with us.