During our restoration of the East Wing in 2016, old stationery cupboards were uncovered and inside we found thousands of documents, photographs and items telling the story of the Park and Palace, many of which were thought lost in the 1980 fire. We discovered architects drawings by John Johnson for the building in 1874, the original Alexandra Park seal, photographs from the First World War, annotated sketches for the first BBC television producer Cecil Madden, and over 5,000 photographic records documenting the history of the site and the community.
Since this amazing discovery, more records have been found and compiled, and generous donors have come forward with important materials returned to the Palace to build an authoritative resource.
As we build our archive, you can explore many of the items we are digitalising via our online exhibitions in partnership with Google Arts & Culture.
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ALEXANDRA PALACE ARCHIVE
The archive contains the records of the organisations responsible for the site, including the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, the Alexandra Palace Trading Company and the Alexandra Palace Development Team, who coordinated the 1980s restoration. Materials include original architectural plans, administrative documents, board minutes, photographs, and marketing materials.
ALEXANDRA PALACE HERITAGE COLLECTION
This collection comprises ephemera relating to Alexandra Palace: postcards, posters, prints, tickets and a small collection of objects. Highlights include tickets for the opening season in 1875 and early 3D stereoscope slides. Our poster collection includes a recently acquired psychedelic poster for the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream in 1967, and continues to grow as we collect modern gig posters.
ALEXANDRA PALACE TELEVISION SOCIETY
Lovingly curated by the society archivist Simon Vaughan, this collection has been created by former BBC television staff members who worked at the Alexandra Palace studios. Their compiled personal papers offer fascinating insights on an internationally significant subject. Unique annotated documents, distinct from archives held by the BBC and elsewhere, these papers include working notes, scrapbooks, memos and drawings by: the first television producer Cecil Madden; director D.H Munro; lighting designer D.R. Campbell; master carpenter Tom Edwards; and post-war designer Richard Greenough.
NANCY MCMILLAN COLLECTION
Nancy McMillan was star of the Alexandra Palace Operatic and Dramatic Society through the 1920s and early 1930s. Her family have kindly donated her papers, which include photographs, programmes, press cuttings, and even good luck notecards from flowers on opening night. With very little surviving material evidence relating to the Theatre in use, we are very fortunate to house this evocative collection.
CARL HOLZER COLLECTION
Carl Holzer was an Austrian citizen living in London who was interned at Alexandra Palace throughout the First World War. An accomplished artist, he drew and painted fellow internees and documented life in the camp. Many of his fifteen portraits in oil are painted on recycled materials. One of them records a food shopping list on the reverse. Holzer’s paintings and postcards were kindly donated to the AP Archive by his family.
OTHER COLLECTIONS
Alexandra Palace holds the largest collection of historic assets from the Park and Palace, and is the official repository for related materials. Other archival sources, including our historic & Victorian programme collection, can be accessed at: Bruce Castle Museum; also at Hornsey Historical Society; the National Archives; and V&A Department of Theatre and Performance.
