 Co-operative
societies have often celebrated events such as the opening of new
premises and anniversaries by publishing histories. These vary from
brief pamphlets to detailed histories that include photographs of
the society's premises, staff and committees.
Some of the histories give lists of the society's chief officers,
presidents and directors that can be useful for family historians.
Details of the commissioning of branch stores, libraries, dairies,
halls and even Turkish baths can help those studying local history
and particular subjects. National and local events are often discussed
in society histories, for example, in mining areas societies were
involved in support for families affected by pit disasters and many
societies held celebrations for royal jubilees.
The Archive has a broad definition of 'histories of societies'
the collection includes any material that provides information on
a co-operative society. There are, among other items, books, pamphlets,
periodicals, publicity leaflets, share books, newspaper reports
and the brief descriptions published in the Congress Handbooks of
societies in the area where Congress took place.
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