About our Archive

The Victoria Baths Archive represents the rich history of Victoria Baths, the Baths and Wash-houses of Manchester, and the history of swimming and Turkish Baths in general. It contains pictures, documents, objects and memories.

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Where does our Archive come from?

Our Archive is home to a collection of items, some of which were left in the Baths upon its closure in 1993. A larger proportion is made up of donations from the public. We have also acquired some material.

Donor sharing memories and memorabilia
Access our Archive

We make our Archive available for private research, by groups or individuals. Simply contact us by phone or email to arrange your visit.

Visitors to our Archive
How can I donate?

Open Days offer a great opportunity for our history volunteers to collect memories and many visitors bring memorabilia to gift or loan. Visitors have arranged to come in to the office so that we can photograph or scan their items. We also receive items by post or email.
How do we use our Archive?

Items from our Archive have been used to create displays and interpretation boards, both for Victoria Baths and for other sites or events, such as the Manchester Histories Festival, 2009. Leaflets, books and guided tours have all benefited from the historical content and imagery.

Open Day display, 2011
How do we care for our collections?

Our collections are housed in a temperature and humidity controlled environment with items stored in acid free boxes, inserts, tissue paper or fabric. Professional handling is given to all items that are donated or loaned. Some have been repaired using a conservation approach.

Archive storage of pictures