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Mass Observation - Recording everyday life in Britain

The Archive today

A group in the Archive reading room
The Archive store

Today, as part of Special Collections at the University of Sussex Library, the Archive preserves the papers of the original Mass Observation and makes them publicly available.

Funding and organisation

The Archive is a Charitable Trust (registered charity number: 270218) in the care of the University of Sussex. The Archive's patron is Lord Briggs who, as Vice-Chancellor of the University in 1970, was responsible for bringing the collection to Sussex and opening it up as a public resource for historical research.

The Archive depends on money from outside the University for many of its special activities. It gains income from royalties from publications, and since 1991 the Friends of the Archive scheme has provided essential financial support for the Archive's activities.

Research and teaching

The Archive is open to all bona fide researchers provided they agree to abide by the conditions protecting the collection.

At the University of Sussex, several courses are run in relation to the Mass Observation Archive and students are given the opportunity to use Mass Observation material.

Creating new collections

The Mass Observation idea of a national panel was revived by the Archive in 1981. This project continues under the direction of Professor Dorothy Sheridan. Click here for more information about our current activities.

The Mass Observation Archive welcomes donations of life story documents produced by people in accordance with the traditions of Mass Observation.

We welcome enquiries about joint bids for funding and potential partnership projects. Please contact moa@sussex.ac.uk

The Academic Advisory Group

In 2008, at the recommendation of the Archive's Trustees, a new advisory group was established which comprises of academics from relevant University of Sussex departments. The aim of the group is to support the Development Director in providing a sustainable academic role Mass Observation Studies. The curatorial needs of the Archive continue to be provided by the Library Special Collections teams.