Related museums & archives

• Other postal archives
• Related archive websites
• Related UK museums
• Related worldwide museums
• Philately
• Specialist societies and groups

The BPMA is an independent charity funded by Royal Mail Group Limited.

Other postal archives

The best place to start researching British postal history is, of course, The Royal Mail Archive. Use our online catalogue to search for material in our collection. However, these other organisations hold records useful for postal research in the British Isles.

• The National Archives (TNA)
  The National Archives of England and Wales. The Catalogue carries references to Royal Mail Archive material because it is Public Record, as the postal service was formerly a government department.

• Access to Archives (A2A)
  Nationwide project to put catalogues of archives online, which includes Post Office records held at the Alliance and Leicester archive.

• National Archives of Scotland
  Holds records relating to Royal Mail in Scotland.

• Public Record Office Northern Ireland
  Holds records relating to Royal Mail in Northern Ireland.

• The National Archives of Ireland
  Information on the postal service in The Republic of Ireland.

• BT Group Archives
  BT Group Archives preserves the historical information of British Telecommunications plc and its predecessors – which includes the Post Office - from the early part of the 19th century up to the present day.

• National Sound Archive at the British Library
  Holds oral history recordings of postal workers from the 'Post Office Lives' project.

• British Film Institute
  Holds the original films from the GPO Film Unit.

back to top

Other related archive websites

• British Pathé
  The world's first digital news archive. You can preview items from the entire 3500 hour British Pathé Film Archive from 1896 to 1970, including many things related to the Post Office.

• Family Records website
  Helps you find the government records and other sources you need for your family history research.

• Genuki
  Information about UK and Ireland genealogy with links to sources all over the country.

back to top

Related UK museums

• 24 Hour Museum
  Gateway to over 2,500 UK museums, galleries and heritage attractions.

• Bath Postal Museum, UK
  Set up as an independent museum in 1979, now located at 27 Northgate Street in Bath since late 2006.

• Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Cornwall
  Set up in 1997 by Cable & Wireless to preserve the important historical buildings and collections at Porthcurno.
  
  
• BT Connected Earth
  Connected Earth is the online home of the BT telecommunications museum collection, now physically located at several partner museums.
  
  
• Imperial War Museum
  Holds oral history recordings relating to Post Office Rifles.

back to top

Related worldwide museums

• Canadian Postal Museum

• Swiss Communication Museum

• Danish Post & Tele Museum

• German Postal Museum

• Swedish Postal Museum

• The Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History, USA

• The Finland Postal Museum

back to top

Philately

• The British Library Philatelic Collection

• The Royal Philatelic Collection

• British Aerophilatelic Federation

• The Great Britain Philatelic Society

• The Royal Philatelic Society London

• Association of British Philatelic Societies

• Forces Postal History Society

• STAMPEX
  The Philatelic Traders Society bi-annual stamp show.

back to top

Specialist postal societies and groups

• The Post Office Vehicle Club
  The POVC was formed in 1962, and aims to build up a complete historical record of all vehicles operated from 1906 to the present day.

• Postal Mechanisation Study Circle
  The PMSC studies all aspects of the automation and mechanisation of the posts around the world.

• Letter Box Study Group
  The LBSG study the history and development of the British letter box, in all its forms.

• The TPO and Seapost Society
  For enthusiasts of the Travelling Post Office mail trains and transport of mail by sea.

• The British Forces Post Office
  This website provides background to the origins and continuing work of the BFPO.

back to top