Research question

[untonuggan]

So tonight I was watching Downton Abbey with my grandmother and there is a part where there is a fair and someone wins a prize. She started chuckling, and afterwards she told me a story about when she was 10 or 11 (so 1929 or 1930 - this is important later).

Basically, she went to a fair and it had one of those "throw a thing at this thing to win a prize" gimmicks and she lost all her spending money (6 pence, old school money). Then at school she wrote an essay about it and submitted it to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus and it won a prize of half a crown (or 2 shillings 6 pence, old school money). Not bad, eh?

I really, really, really, really want to find a copy of that essay. It would just be really cool. Unfortunately, archives in the US do not seem to *have* copies of the Bradford Telegraph and Argus. (Funny, that ;) ).The British Library has originals, which I'm sure require delicate gloves and a lot of reading (which could be amusing, but I don't have a ticket to London to burn sadly.) Oxford has an electronic resource (*slavers*) but it is only for Oxford-affiliated people (boo). I could write to an archivist at the British Museum and ask them for a copy, but I don't know the exact date - only that it was probably sometime after summer vacation in either 1929 or 1930, and of course who wrote it, and the general topic. But if they haven't digitized things going that far back, it's quite a bit of digging.

So here's my question: does anyone know of any archives in the greater Yorkshire area that are likely to have copies of the Bradford Telegraph and Argus (where I could easily direct a relative of mine who's interested in genealogy but can't travel to London easily)? I've tried looking on the University of Huddersfield's website and didn't see anything there, but I feel like there must be other archives that I just don't know about because I've never had the privilege of doing research in Britain.

ETA: Lots of good suggestions in comments, thanks so much! If I'm slow responding to any new ones, it may be because I've lost power due to a snowstorm. Don't be alarmed - we have all the necessities covered. ^___^

Comments

[dorothean]

I hope you don't mind a drive-by comment -- I saw this on my network page and thought I'd have a go, since I've been doing a lot of online historical research lately.

I'd hoped I could find an online archive for you, but I couldn't. However, I did find the website for the West Yorkshire Archive Service, which has a very helpful page about resources people think it has, but it doesn't, and where to try to find them. It doesn't have any newspaper collections (only clippings), but says "Most Local Studies Libraries hold local newspaper archives" -- and gives a link to a list of local libraries (with further links to the libraries' individual websites). Looks like the one in Bradford itself is closed at the moment, but perhaps there's one that your relative could get to that has the Bradford Telegraph and Argus.

I hope that helps!

[untonuggan]

Thank you, I don't mind the drive-by-posting at all. This is immensely helpful if resources below don't pan out! \o/

[kaberett]

If you give me a link to the Oxford resource I can probably get an Oxford-affiliated friend to have a rummage. Otherwise this is a placeholder comment to let you know I'll have a go at it this evening.

[untonuggan]

Thank you! Private Message sent as well, but here's the link: http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=OXVU1&docId=oxfaleph017032493

[oursin]

If Oxford has access to an electronic version of this newspaper, that resource is almost certainly one that will be available elsewhere via other libraries with licenses. There was a rather good source for UK national (and I think some local) papers I found last year, but according to reports on one of my listservs, may have been having problems/changing its terms/interface/something. But, anyway, besides institutional subscriptions, the ordinary punter could buy periods of access. I will see if I can ferret around some time when I'm not about to go to work and dig up more useful info.

[untonuggan]

I looked more closely on the Oxford page when I wasn't half asleep and thinking about Thundersnow, and the full text is available on Nexis UK. So theoretically anyone with access to NexisUK could look it up. (Known as NexisLexis in the US, and I'm guessing potentially locked to the UK/US depending on your ISP?) kaberett is going to check out Oxford, but thanks for the tip! I will check with my relative and see if any of his local libraries have access to NexisUK database if the above doesn't pan out.

[spiralsheep]

The T&A, as it's known locally, still exists. They probably have their own archive. If your grandmother wouldn't mind a little press attention (i.e. a photograph in the paper with a brief retelling of her story) then you might want to contact the T&A to ask if they have or know of an indexed archive where the relevant original article might be found. Local newspapers love nothing better than human interest stories about their own history. Cuddly grannies are good community PR.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_%26_Argus

Apart from that, I second the suggestion of phoning the local studies section of a local library.

[untonuggan]

Thanks for the idea! I am guessing she wouldn't go for it, but it's also worth a shot if nothing else pans out. She is kind of a shy one. :)

Phoning a local library is definitely on my list. ^___^

[green_knight]

If you give me the exact details, I can find it for you next time I'm in Oxford. (I have access to the Bodleian - yes, my precioussss - but I need to be in the building to access electronic resources.) It'll probably be a month before I next go.

[untonuggan]

I have access to the Bodleian - yes, my precioussss - but I need to be in the building to access electronic resources.

*jealous*

Someone above is going to have a poke about for me, but thanks _so much_ for the offer. This is why I love dreamwidth. Folks here are really and truly so lovely. <3

[green_knight]

I lived two years in Oxford before I managed to get access, and I dissolved in a puddle of jealousy on a regular basis. I loved working in the Bod - and have briefly looked at the British Library, but getting access there is even harder :-(((