The Harrow Local History Collection

The Harrow Local History Collection & Archive has existed in some form since 1948 when Wealdstone Library opened. This important collection was then given a more permanent home in the reference section of Gayton Library in 1968 after the first Local History Librarian was appointed, and was later moved to the Civic Centre Library when it opened in 1972. It moved to its current home at Headstone Manor & Museum after the Civic Centre Library closed in October 2013.

The Collection contains documents, books, ephemera, maps, and visual material relating to the current and past geographical area of the borough of Harrow and its residents.

Collection enquires 

In order for us to answer your enquiry, we kindly request that you complete a short enquiry form here. We then aim to respond to your enquiry via email within 14 days. There may be some disruption to your enquiry response due to our partial closure period. For more information, see here.

Online resources

A list of online resources available for local history enquiries can be found here: Recommended Resources

Other archives which have material related to Harrow include:

Borough Photos. Harrow Local History Collection and Archives are delighted to bring you this collection of historic images from the London Borough of Harrow, ranging from the late 1800s to the early 2000s which you can purchase today. They were digitised as part of an ongoing effort to increase access to the heritage collections of Harrow online and allow people with an interest in the region to enjoy and engage with its past. All purchases support the Museum,

The London Metropolitan Archive’s London Picture Archive. This collection contains hundreds of photographs and images of areas in Harrow, including many taken by the Greater London Council (GLC) which are catalogued in the Local History Collection.

The London Screen Archives. Over 60 films and film clips of civic events, celebrations, and events as well as films made by local cine club Harrow Film Makers are available to watch for free! You can contact the LSA directly to license the films for commercial use, distribution, or to play for events.

The Nostalgic Picture Library. This private collection features images of Harrow digitised from glass plate negatives taken by photographer Alfred Cooke.

The Francis Frith Collection. Francis Frith, well known maker of vintage postcards, has dozens of images of the borough available to view for free on their website.