Both donations comprise a variety of records from the OB’s times at the College as pupils, as well as some records from their time as members of the Association of Old Brightonians and provide valuable insight into life as a Brighton College pupil.
The first donation included exam papers, expense sheets, and termly reports, which we have precious few of in our existing collections. This donation is particularly valuable as it fills a substantial gap in our collection. Few documents, such as termly reports, that were sent out by the College to pupils and parents have found their way back to our archive. Examination papers are also a rare find in our archive, but now we have a collection of them from the 1940s, which give us a fascinating glimpse into what Brighton College pupils from that period studied.
It will be records like these donations that will provide future generations with a vivid vision of what it was like to be a Brighton College pupil in the 1940s, 60s and 70s. While the ‘official' records we hold in the archive provide a wealth of information on the history of the College, they often fail to truly bring the school’s history to life. These donations will do a great deal to amend this.
The second donation comprises of a number of records from both the Senior and Junior schools, including Brightonian magazines, calendars, fixture lists, and College Rolls. Also in the donation are a number of photographs, some of which the archive had no surviving copies of, until now. This includes Leconfield House photographs from 1970, 1971, and 1972, Junior School cricket and rugby photographs from the 1960s, and Senior School sailing team photographs from the 1970s. Filling these gaps in the House and sports photograph collections is an amazing moment for the archive.
Perhaps you have some records from your time at Brighton College that you no longer need, and would like to find a home for. The College archive always appreciates being able to add extra details to our School’s story. If you are interested in making a donation to the archive, you can contact our archivist using the email archives@brightoncollege.net.