This collection comprises copied, and some original, photographs, papers and documents relating to the architect Robert Burns Dick (1868-1954) who had substantial influence in the north-east of England, particularly in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.

The collection includes photographs of personal documents relating to land conveyance and partnerships with Cackett and Mackellar; architectural drawings and photographs of 'Millmount' and 'the Wedge', both designed by Burns Dick; and newspaper articles and other cuttings relating to him and his work. There is also material relating to an exhibition on Burns Dick held by the northern region of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1984.

Leonard Charles Evetts (1909-1997) was a designer and artist, and the Head of Design at Kings College Newcastle between 1963-1974 (now Newcastle University). Evetts is known primarily for working in stained glass, calligraphy and watercolour, although the full range of his design work was extensive, and included various more unusal commissions from milk cartons to ceremonial ornaments. His contribution to building and artefact conservation was also significant and within this remit he was Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Care of Churches, between 1972-81, and a member of Newcastle Diocesan Advisory Committee (on new installations and additions) for over fifty years. Over four hundred examples of his stained glass work exist in Britain, including his most ambitious work at St Nicholas, Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland comprising of forty-six individual windows.

This archive of Leonard Evetts' work, kindly transferred to Newcastle University Library by his widow in 2016, comprises largely of his commission project files. These files are of great research value, containing large scale colour designs as well as sketches and commission correspondence. They span hundreds of commissions which include paintings, the design and restoration of armorials, the design of ceremonial and religious objects, and the design and execution of over 300 stained glass windows in both religious and secular settings.

In addition, the collection also includes a smaller representation of other aspects of Leonard Evetts' work including some watercolours, lettering studies and some personal family items.

The Local Illustrations date from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries and depict a variety of local scenes and structures, such as schools, hospitals, residences, castles and churches. There are views of Newcastle, Durham, Northumberland, Sunderland; portraits; depictions of local life (keelmen playing cards) and a plan of the Grainger Market, Newcastle.

The collection consists of Herbert Loebl's business and personal records.

The business records contain group papers, sales and marketing files, finance files and general correspondence files for the following engineering and knowledge transfer enterprises with which Herbert Loebl was involved in his lifetime:

The collection also contains a number of annotated scrapbooks which trace the history of Loebl's engineering enterprises through photographs, newspaper cuttings and other ephemera.

Herbert Loebl's academic collection contains his early student notebooks from his degree studies in Electrical Engineering, and notes and source material for his subsequent doctoral thesis and Jewish history research. The collection also includes his certificates and various degree ceremony photographs.

Herbert Loebl received various awards during his lifetime and his personal collection includes photographs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and letters of congratulations regarding his many honours.

This is a small collection of material relating to the James Joicey (d. 1863) mining company, and its successor bodies, which operated several collieries in the West Durham coalfield including pits at Beamish and Tanfield. The material covers the period 1843-1929 and includes an invoice book, letter book, memoranda and copies of leases and plans, including a volume of copies of leases and plans of coal mines and cottages near or at Beamish.

The Bell-White Collection comprises printed and manuscript items which had been assembled by keen collectors John (1783-1864) and Thomas (1785-1860) Bell in the Nineteenth Century, some of which material had subsequently been purchased by fellow collector, Robert White (1802-1874). The collection focuses on local history and is a particularly good resource for local political history as it includes election addresses, squibs, broadsides and bills. Local poetry and songs are also represented.There is also a large collection of genealogical material relating to local families which contain documents relating to business concerns, deaths, events, honours, household matters, legal affairs, property, sales, social lives and occupations, as well as containing family pedigrees, illustrations and correspondence.

The Northumberland Handicrafts Guild was formed at a meeting held on 9th June 1900 and its aim was to promote the study of handicrafts in the County of Northumberland. There was a particular emphasis on embroidery, woodwork, basket work, leather work and weaving. Prominent members of the committee include Thomas Edward Hodgkin, Richard George Hatton, Ella Pease and Miss Noble.

This archive comprises of the annual reports of the organisation 1900 - 1936, together with a small collection of other constitutional and committee records. The collection includes also accounting material for the period 1930 - 1947 and press cuttings related to the activities of the Guild. Part of the archive is dedicated to mementos and the embroidery work of Margaret Scott, a member of the Guild in the early 1900s.

The personal archive of Thomas Hodgkin (b.1831 - d.1913), barrister and later a partner in the banking house 'Hodgkin, Barnett, Pease and Spence', Newcastle upon Tyne. Hodgkin also devoted much time to historical studies, specialising particularly in the history of the early middle ages, and published a number of historical texts during his lifetime. Much of the Hodgkin family papers are held in the Welcome Library in London. The archive held within Newcastle University Special Collections is the personal archive of Thomas Hodgkin and comprises of notes and draft editions relating to his historical research; travel journals, photographs and slides; diaries; a small number of letters; and other published and unpublished material relating to his historical research.

Part of a bequest from Edwin Clarke (1919-1996), the Clarke Local Collection is more than a local history collection as it is quite strong in the literature of the region too: T. Wilson's The pitman's pay: and other poems (1843), Robert White's The Tynemouth nun: a poem (1829), Rhymes of Northern bards (1812) and more, as well as memoirs, sermons, topographical descriptions, guides and histories.

Although it comprises books published in the mid- to late-Twentieth Century, for the most part, it does contain a significant amount of more historic material, such as The papers which passed at New-castle betwixt his sacred Majestie and Mr Al. Henderson … (1649), R. Gardiner's Englands grievance discovered … (1655), A sentimental tour through Newcastle (1794), History of the water supply of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1851) and several nineteenth-century directories and poll books.

The Burman-Alnwick Collection was brought together by Dr. C.C. Burman and presented to Alnwick U.D.C. by his son, Joseph Burman, to later be deposited in the Library on long-term loan.It consists of books, pamphlets, broadsides and other material printed in Alnwick 1700-1917 and is chiefly a local history collection, containing such items as An address to 'the four and twenty' of the borough of Alnwick: on certain improvements in the plan of education, pursued in the borough school [1839], The Alnwick Mercury, Northumberland Advertiser, and entertaining miscellany (1854-1859), The Journal of the Northumberland Agricultural Society (1850) and the Alnwick Mechanics' Institute's Annual Report [18--]. It is also something of a literary collection, containing Alnwick printings of well-known tales such as The babes in the wood [18--] and The ballad of Chevy Chase (1800) as well as children's literature and educational tools like The child's battledore [c.1830], works by James Beattie and Thomas Percy and various chapbooks and ballads. Published sermons and letters also appear.