British Pop Archive: one year on

16 Jun 2023

The first exhibition, Collection, which ran between May 2022 and February 2023, featured iconic items from the Manchester pop culture scene

One year on from the launch of the British Pop Archive (BPA), there have been several significant additions to the national collection which is dedicated to the preservation and research of popular culture. 

The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, where the BPA is housed, offers these collections as both an important academic resource for research and teaching and a public resource for exhibitions and public events. The first exhibition, Collection, which ran between May 2022 and February 2023, featured iconic items from the Manchester pop culture scene (many of which had never been seen by the public) attracted over 135,000 visitors. 

Curator of the British Pop Archive, Mat Bancroft, said: “We are proud to add these important archives to the British Pop Archive and continue the steady growth of the project and collections. The next 18 months will see us expand the collection both geographically and culturally outside of Manchester to begin to represent and reflect the wider impacts of UK popular culture. Many of these archives are already in the pipeline and we are looking forward to announcing these further additions very soon.” 

Professor Christopher Pressler, John Rylands University Librarian and Director of The University of Manchester Library, said:  "The British Pop Archive is establishing itself as an important part of The University of Manchester Library. The response from the public, researchers and from within the University has been incredibly positive and as we continue to grow the BPA we further enhance our world-renowned Special Collections.” 

• Read more about the notable additions to the BPA over the last 12 months