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LevelFonds
Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure)ACLAdd
TitleLetters Additional of Austen Chamberlain
Extent252 items
Date1894-[1990s]
DescriptionArtificial collection of letters and other papers of and relating to Sir (Joseph) Austen Chamberlain, (1863-1937), statesman
ArrangementThis collection is catalogued at item or file level and the individual documents are numbered in a single numerical sequence which reflects the order in which they were acquired. The items in this collection are mounted in fascicules and stored in custom made boxes
Access ConditionsAccess to all registered researchers
CopyrightPermission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.
LanguageEnglish
Finding AidsA catalogue of this collection is available on the online archive catalogue. Click on the Finding Number to display the summary contents list of the catalogue and to view the full catalogue. A typescript handlist of ACLAdd/1-194 is available for consultation in the reading room, together with a paper copy of the electronic catalogue records. A personal names index to manuscript collections in the Special Collections Department contains entries for correspondents in this collection up to ACLAdd/194.
Access StatusOpen
Administrative History(Joseph) Austen Chamberlain (1863-1937) was born in Birmingham and was the eldest son of Joseph Chamberlain [1836-1914; industrialist, Mayor of Birmingham, Member of Parliament and several times Minister of the Crown]. He was also half-brother to Neville Chamberlain [1869-1940; industrialist, Alderman and Lord Mayor of Birmingham, and subsequently MP, Minister of Health, Chancellor of the Exchequer and, finally, Prime Minister]. Austen Chamberlain's Parliamentary career spanned 45 years in all, from 1892 to 1937, and he was deeply involved in party, national and international politics as the supporter of his father, as a leader in the Conservative/Unionist party and as elder statesman. The offices he held include: Junior Whip, 1893; Civil Lord of the Admiralty, 1895-1900; Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1900-1902; Postmaster General, 1902-1903; Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1903-1905 and 1919-1921; Secretary of State for India 1915-1917; Leader of the House and Lord Privy Seal, 1921-1922; Foreign Secretary, 1924-1929, and First Lord of the Admiralty, 1931. Chamberlain was awarded Knighthood of the Garter and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925.
AcquisitionMost items in this collection have been acquired by purchase as a means of complementing and supporting the large personal archive of Austen Chamberlain. The collection also includes a number of gifts and deposits and photocopies of originals held elsewhere. For information about the provenance of specific items, please contact the University Archivist for further details.
CopiesThe majority of this collection is available on microfilm (ACLAdd/1-228). The collection was micropublished by Primary Source Media as part of its micropublication of the Chamberlain Papers held by Cadbury Research Library. Facilities are available in the Library for researchers to make paper copies of individual items from the microfilms for their own private research purposes. Alternatively, digitized copies of the microfilms can be viewed online under 'Archives Unbound' at http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb. Members of the University of Birmingham may access the digital copies free of charge at http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/bham_uk?db=GDSC. When browsing the digitized copies by collection, please note that the Letters Additional of Austen Chamberlain are to be found under 'The Papers of Austen Chamberlain'.
Related MaterialThe Special Collections Department holds several related collections:

Austen Chamberlain Collection [AC];

Joseph Chamberlain Collection [JC];

Neville Chamberlain Collection [NC] (catalogue is not yet available on the Online Archive Catalogue);

Beatrice, Ida and Hilda Chamberlain Collection [BC] (catalogue is not yet available on the Online Archive Catalogue);

Chamberlain Miscellanea [C] (catalogue is not yet available on the Online Archive Catalogue);

Artificial collections of letters and other documents of Joseph and Neville Chamberlain [JCLAdd, NCLAdd] (some catalogue records are available on the Online Archive Catalogue)
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