*The Library has now purchased access to this resource. See New to the Library: Illustrated London News Historical Archive*
Thanks to a request from a member of staff in HCA the Library currently has trial access to the Illustrated London News Historical Archive, 1842-2003. Illustrated London News was the world’s first pictorial weekly newspaper and this archive gives access to the full run of this iconic illustrated newspaper.
You can access this online archive via the E-resources trials page. Access is available both on and off-campus.
Trial access ends 31st October 2017.
The first issue of Illustrated London News was published on Saturday 14 May 1842 and as the world’s first fully illustrated weekly newspaper, it marked a revolution in journalism and news reporting.
Screenshot from Illustrated London News Archive showing front page of first issue. Illustrated London News, May 14, 1842; pg. [1]; Issue 1.
Screenshot from Illustrated London News Historical Archive showing first colour supplement. Illustrated London News, December 22, 1855; Issue 775 and 776 Christmas (Supplement).
The newspaper presented a vivid picture of British and world events and commissioned a large number of artists and draughtsmen to cover wars, royal events, scientific invention, and exploration.
Founded by Herbert Ingram it was a weekly publication up until the early 1970s after which publication became much more infrequent up until 2003 when it ceased publication.
The Illustrated London News gives you a different perspective on events happening during 1842-2003 and provides a valuable alternative voice to other newspaper archives the Library already has access to for that period e.g. The Times Digital Archive, The Guardian and The Observer historical archive, The Scotsman historical archive, The New York Times historical archive, etc. You can access these databases and the many more that are available via the Newspapers databases list.
Access the Illustrated London News Historical Archive via e-resources trials.
Access is available until 31st October 2017.
Feedback welcome.
Access is only available to current students and staff at University of Edinburgh.
Caroline Stirling – Academic Support Librarian for History, Classics and Archaeology