We have wide range of ephemera and historical documents that you may not be familiar with. This can be found in the local studies department at the Central Library (Halifax).
Handbills
These are defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as a:
"printed notice or advertisement on a single page, intended to be delivered or circulated by hand. Sometimes applied to a small bill to be posted on walls, etc."
They offer a fascinating insight into life in the past and feature:
- Highs (theatre performances).
- Lows (the last words of a condemned man).
We have over 250 items, with some dating back to the 18th Century.
Enter "Handbill" as a 'quick search' term in the library catalogue:
Almanacks
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Brighouse and Elland Echo | 1890 - 1914 |
| Dentons Year Book | 1870 |
| Halifax Historical Almanack | 1861 - 1867 |
| Halifax Illustrated Almanack | 1864 -1866, 1877 - 1879, 1881 - 1885 |
| Halifax Household Almanack | 1870 -1873, 1883 - 1886, 1890 - 1894, 1896 -1898, 1907 |
| Halifax Almanack | 1861 -1867 |
| Halifax Parish Almanack | 1865 - 1866, 1870 - 1876 |
| Halifax Guardian Almanack | 1892 - 1897, 1902 -1911, 1914 - 1923 |
| Halifax Courier and Guardian Almanack | 1922 - 1963 |
| Courier Year Book | 1964 - 1972 |
| Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Historical Almanack | 1878 - 1880, 1883 - 1893, 1895 - 1901 |
| John Hartley's Clock Almanack | 1872 - 1952 |
Subject based pamphlet boxes
We have a vast range of resources in over 350 boxes that are all listed on our catalogue. These include:
- Leaflets.
- Family trees.
- Historical dinner menus.
- Medical Officer of Health Reports.
- Old telephone directories.
This list is only a sample of the collection. If you do not see what you are looking for, please ask us.
| Subject | Classification number |
|---|---|
| Adult Education, college Syllabuses | 374.1 |
| Agriculture, Chrysanthemum Society | 630-635 |
| Almanacks | 905 |
| Art and Architecture: Societies; People's Park, Conservation, Town planning; Yorkshire Vernacular buildings study group; Shibden Hall |
700-728 |
| Biographies | - |
| Business: Chambers of Commerce; Shopping; Gledhill Cash Registers | 380 |
| Calder Valley Press and Hebden Bridge Community Press | 072 |
| Calder Voice | 072 |
| Calderdale Museums | 069 |
| Calderdale Trends | 330 |
| CALDIS (information service for Business and Industry) | 020 |
| Churches by denomination (substantial collection of over 30 boxes) | 282- 287 |
| Coal mining, Pollit and Wigzal, Brookes, Marshalls, Yorkshire Water, Sewerage | 621-628 |
| Customs, celebrations, Royal visits | 394 |
| Duke of Wellington Regiment | 355.31 |
| Education: history (From 1700) admissions and lists, action plans (1970 -1999), league tables | 370 |
| Election Literature | 324 |
| Engineering: William Asquith Work and Welfare magazines 1949 - 1964; John Stirk and Sons Ltd; Halifax electricity department | 621 |
| Fire Service | 352 |
| Gas | 665 |
| Genealogy, place names, family pedigrees | 929.2 |
| Halifax Building Society and other building societies | 334 |
| Halifax County Borough Estimates 1919 -1974 | 352 |
| Halifax County Borough School Medical officer reports | 370.7 |
| Halifax Literary and Philosophical Society | 020 |
| Halifax Meteorological charts | 551.5 |
| Halifax Newspapers | 072 |
| Halifax Reader | 010 |
| Halifax Scientific Society | 506 |
| Halifax Society for the Blind, Calderdale DART, Charities, Volunteers | 362 |
| Halifax Telephone Directories 1937 -1982 | 380 |
| Halifax Union/poor relief | 337-339 |
| Halifax Weights and Measures Department annual reports 1954 -1973 | 389 |
| Health; including annual health reports | 614 |
| Health and Welfare, Community Care, Social Welfare, social groups | 362-369 |
| Individual schools including Crossley and Porter and Heath Grammar school (including 'Heathen' Magazine | 379 |
| Literature: Ted Hughes; Pennine Platform 1966 - (incomplete collection); Poetry and literature | 821-824 |
| Local History (18 box collection) | 930-929 |
| Local Hospitals, Asylums | 362 |
| Local Police Reports 1943 -1965 and 1976 -1989 | 363.2 |
| Loyal Georgian Society | 334 |
| Mechanics Institute | 600-613 |
| NALGO | 331 |
| Poll Books | 324 |
| Public Houses and Breweries, John Mackintosh | 640-664 |
| Public Libraries (various boxes) | 020 |
| Rolls of Honour and War memorials | 355.31 |
| Sermons | 252 |
| Shelf parish papers | 283 |
| Socio-Economic Information, Community /race relations | 301-320 |
| Sports: cricket; Olympic games | 796 |
| Stainland and Holywell Green Flour Provision Society reports 1892 -1967 | 334 |
| Street plans and maps | 912 |
| Sunday Schools in Halifax and Calderdale | 268 |
| Textiles: Homfray; Crossley's Carpets; Textile Associations; Journal of Halifax Textile Society | 677 |
| Tourism | 914 |
| Transport: Railways and Canals Halifax bus timetables 1928-1968 (incomplete); Halifax Passenger Transport; WYPTA; Tramways | 388.322 |
| Turner JH -Yorkshire Bibliographies | 070 |
| Various literature about nature | 572-599 |
| Yorkshire Archaeological Society | 913 |
| Yorkshire Dialect Society | 400-499 |
| Yorkshire Naturalists Union | 506 |
| Yorkshire Philosophical Society | 106 |