The BPMA's collections are in two complementary parts – the Archive collection (The Royal Mail Archive), and the Museum collection.

All of our historic material is managed to accepted national and international standards. This is recognised by government and other independent bodies who have given Designated status to The Royal Mail Archive and Accreditation to the Museum through the BPMA's Museum of the Post Office in the Community.

Archive Collection

The historic records of Royal Mail Group Limited deal with essential aspects of everyday life beyond the delivery of mail. All aspects of this organisation's unique history, from employment records to stamp artwork, are held within The Royal Mail Archive, one of the oldest business archives in the world.

The Archive is free to visit and is used by anyone from family and social historians, to design students and media production companies.

The Archive is officially recognised as being of outstanding national and international importance (having been awarded Designated status by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in 2005). It fills over 2.5 miles of shelving.

As the Post Office was a government department for much of its history, the Archive is Public Record. The BPMA continues to collect and care for the records of Royal Mail Group today.

Museum Collection

The BPMA museum collection is of national and international importance. It is as rich and varied as the history of the postal service that it represents.

The collection includes objects of all sizes, from the small - handstamps, labels and telephone headsets - to the very large - our Mobile Post Office Vehicles and Travelling Post Office railway coach. It also includes non-Public Record paper material - related to the postal service but not created by Royal Mail Group - such as song sheets and postcards.