Leading research & education centre on Marxism & socialist history in London’s Clerkenwell: library, archive, tours, lectures, courses, school & student visits
The Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School is saddened to hear of
the passing of Sitaram Yechury. A great Marxist theoretician and friend
of the MML, Sitaram gave the plenary lecture at MML’s 2018 international
conference marking 200 years since the birth of Karl Marx.
Today we welcomed a student group from the Philosopher College, Shaanxi Normal University in China undertaking a radical tour of London as part of their visit to the UK
Celebrating
#RedBooksDay2023
and the 175th anniversary of The Communist Manifesto!
Here are just some of the many editions from around the world we hold in our collections
#RedBooksDay
Today on
#HolocaustMemorialDay
the Marx Memorial Library laid flowers at the Soviet War Memorial to remember 77 years since the Red Army liberated Auschwitz concentration camp
Remembering the 2500 British and Irish volunteers who were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice fighting for democracy against fascism in the Spanish Civil War
@IBMT_SCW
annual commemoration
Celebrating 170 years since the earth-shattering publication of Marx & Engels' The Communist Manifesto.
This English edition dates from 1888, edited by Engels himself.
Just one of many treasures
@MarxLibrary
Today marks 99 years since Lenin's death - here he is depicted on the Clerkenwell Green mural commemorating his time in exile in London, during which time he edited 'Iskra' from his office in our building!
Happy birthday Walter Crane! As well as working with William Morris, Crane drew for 20th Century Press. His Cartoons for the Cause was printed by them in the building we occupy today
Marx Memorial Library was founded 50 years after the death of Karl Marx - born OTD 5 May - in 1933
Our Grade II listed building is crammed full of Marx's works, texts from a Marxist perspective & archives documenting struggles inspired by his thinking
Show your solidarity and support in the face of the recent act of vandalism against the grave of Karl Marx by joining us for our annual oration at the grave site on 17 March
What a day
#Lenin100
at the Marx Memorial Library with reflections on Lenin’s work on imperialism & state & revolution with a special exhibition on Lenin in London in our reading room
In 1937
@CPBritain
produced a series of pamphlets ‘the plain man’s guide to the coronation’, all held in our archives.
They deal with the royals, war, empire & the huge cost of the coronation itself.
#Coronation
Our volunteers are hard at work preparing for this Saturday's book sale!
We have loads of books on offer, with Marxist classics, labour movement histories and much more. Make sure you're here for a bargain!
This Saturday, 13th April, 11-3
Happy Birthday Paul Robeson! Born
#otd
1898
We are proud to hold archives on Robeson including the papers of his biographer Marie Seton & gems like this signed programme.
Plans are underway for a school workshop programme & exhibition autumn 2023 -
@Weylandmck
@baruch
The wonderful Maxine Peake will join us next Thursday 13 June at
@StJohnsGate
for a special event on the anniversary of the 1381 Peasants Revolt!
It’s a feee drop in event at 630pm - just turn up! All welcome!
Getting some treasures out for filming for Engels 200th documentary...
‘This cigar case belonged to Karl Marx and was a present from Marx to Engels. Engels gave it to John Burns in the early 90s on one of his visits to Regent’s Park’
📢NEW SPEAKER announcement!
We are delighted that Vijay Prashad
@vijayprashad
Indian author & journalist, author of 40 books will speak at our Lenin 100 online & on-site symposium
20 Jan 11am - 430pm
Tickets here
..
Happy birthday William Morris! Morris is a big figure in the history of our building, vouching for 20th century press which printed some of his writing. Today a banner by the Morris family is still on display in the library
Happy Birthday Antonio Gramsci! Here's just some of the books from our amazing Quintin Hoare Collection covering Gramsci in Italian, French, English and German, now catalogued and available in the library
A BONFIRE OF WORKERS RIGHTS
Join
@MrBenSellers
&
@LauraPidcock
for an urgent discussion next Thursday 27 October
We are on the cusp of a severe attack on trade union freedoms this country has seen - how do we respond?
ONSITE & ONLINE
International Brigader Charlie Hutchison was the only black British veteran of the Spanish Civil War.
Today, joint with students from Newham Sixth Form College and members of the Hutchison family,
@MarxLibrary
commemorates Charlie's extraordinary life.
#BlackHistoryMonth
Wonderful to welcome the ambassador of Cuba, her Excellency Bábara Montalvo Álvarez, to the Marx Memorial Library this afternoon to discuss our education work and the importance of preserving socialist history in our archives
@alexgordon4me
@EmbaCuba_UK
Paul Robeson 'my father was a slave, and my people died to build this country, and I am going to stay here, and have a part in it just like you. And no Fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear?'
@MarxLibrary
you'll find archives of Robeson's biographer M Seaton
There’s still time to join the hundred or so who have already registered for tomorrow evening’s online book launch and panel discussion with Prof Mary Davis,
@selina_todd
& Sonya Andermahr
Battle of Cable Street 87 years ago
#OnThisDay
Many organisers feature in our Spanish Civil War Collection as volunteers fighting Fascism, including the only Black-British volunteer, Charlie Hutchison.
#OTD
#BlackHistoryMonth
#CableStreet
An amazing new item we've just received - scrapbook from Whitechapel resident, Annie Mills, of her involvement in the National Unemployed Workers Movement in the 30s, including sit down protests on Oxford Street and the Ritz. Fascinating to see such a personal take on history!
MML Vice President
@johnmcdonnellMP
explains why the Library & Workers' School plays such a vital part in our movement
& why you should BECOME A MEMBER to support our ongoing work at this critical time for just £25 per year
‘I’m half black. I grew up in the National Children’s Home. Fascism meant hunger and war’ - Charlie Hutchison on his motivations for joining the international brigades
BOOK SALE 18 March 11-3
Our famous second hand sales are back - join us for 2023’s first instalment and get your hands on Marxist classics, Labour movement histories and rare pamphlets.
First come first served!
We are delighted to announce that actor, director and writer Maxine Peake was nominated as our new Vice-President at our AGM last month
@MPeakeOfficial
Celebrating the completion of building works at Marx House with Alf and Spencer our contractors plus Alex, our Chair, Melanie, our Administrator, and Meirian our Librarian
THANK YOU to everyone who helped with our flood fundraiser & made this all possible!
Did you know we offer guided tours of our historic building - jam-packed with displays & unique artefacts & the opportunity to visit Lenin’s office - every Monday at midday - book here
At 7pm we'll be LIVE ON FACEBOOK with John McDonnell MP discussing the potential for a more egalitarian post-virus economy. Don't miss our keynote lecture!
Launch of archive catalogue of largest International Brigade collection in UK
@MarxLibrary
funded by
@UkNatArchives
cataloguing grants scheme joint with
@IBMT_SCW
24 July 7pm
Additions to our
@M_Star_Online
press photo library arrived yesterday. We hold thousands of photographs and are digitising them for exhibition online here
Great to welcome
@sarahwoolley01
to the Library to discuss our education work & look at some treasures from our historic collections including our
@M_Star_Online
photo archive file on the food industry!
Setting up for undergraduate workshop on Britain and the Spanish Civil War showcasing archives of volunteers in our
#spanishcollection
incl Mary Slater, one of the nurses who went to Spain
This banner - listing the volunteers from Hammersmith who joined the international brigades to fight fascism in Spain during the Civil War 1936-9 - was created by artist Laurence Bradshaw
Find out more on our new exhibition page
#MuseumsFromHome
Dear friends, we are thrilled to be reopening our doors this week to welcome back readers and researchers!
Contact us at info
@marx
-memorial-library.gov.uk to make an appointment to book your spot!
Plan your visit by exploring our superb collections here:
An engaging discussion tonight thanks to our speakers
@LauraPidcock
&
@MrBenSellers
on draconian attacks on trade union freedoms spanning decades, a growing ‘palpable sense of class consciousness’ today & the importance of coordinated organisation & action across our movement
We're really excited to commemorate the Miner's Strike next month with these 2 events on the legacy of the strike!
With speakers from Women Against Pit Closures, NUM archives and MML
#minersstrike
#exploreyourarchives
Just to note that today we passed a milestone of 9000 followers! Thanks to all our Twitter followers for their engagement. We are here for you
#solidarity
#socialism
#archives
It was a privilege to show Eric Campos the General Secretary of
@Cutchile
the Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School - incl Lenin’s office & some of our archives on Chile & solidarity campaigns in this country - with Chair
@alexgordon4me
Happy 203rd birthday to Karl Marx, from the Marx Memorial Library and Worker's School!
If you want to know why Marx's writings have been continually revisited for 200 years, visit our website for details of our courses, collections and memberships!
What a fantastic storytelling session this morning - we learnt all about the basque children refugees from the Spanish Civil War! Thanks
@IslingtonMuseum
@IBMT_SCW
On our annual open day on 1 May - International Workers’ Day - we can’t wait to hear from guest speakers:
* Mick Lynch
@RMTunion
General Secretary
* Bernadette Keaveney from the National Assembly of Women
Join us 10:30am-2pm for feature tours, stalls & displays
Limited Edition 90th anniversary enamel badges from the Marx Memorial Library
Only 50 available in each design!
Just £6
The ideal picket line accessory ✊
Cataloguing papers of international brigader John Peet came across this gem - photograph of Food For Spain van in the Isle of Wight Feb 1939. Can you spot the furry helpers?
#VolunteersForLiberty
-
@IBMT_SCW
&
@UkNatArchives
project
Stamps from our Spanish Collection - raising funds for the 4000 Basque refugee children who fled fascist bombs and arrived on British shores May 1937
#VolunteersforLiberty
Refugee children from the Spanish Civil War staying at Penstone House, Lancing wish Happy Birthday to Mr Omegna who ran the ‘colony’ in Worthing
#librarytreasures
@IBMT_SCW
On Saturday 22 July we marked 85 years since the Spanish Civil War’s Battle of the Ebro with
@IBMT_SCW
An original plaque in our memorial garden lists the 90 British and Irish dead
We were joined by Dolores Long
@RichardBaxell
& Maxine Peake
¡No Pasarán!
This week we received a generous donation of 48 issues of this radical newspaper Pére Duchêne produced during the Paris Commune March - May 1871
What a fantastic addition to our collection and what a beautiful masthead!
Wishing all MML members, friends and supporters a very happy and healthy 2021...📕🌹
What better way to start the year than enrol on one of our two online courses starting next week
*CAPITALISM, CRISIS & IMPERIALISM
*MAKING OUR OWN HISTORY
Further info
Last night we launched our Spanish Collection archive catalogue with support from
@IBMT_SCW
and funding from
@UkNatArchives
. Our world class archives on the international brigades and aid spain movement are searchable here