Gender History Collections

Find out more using the collections in the IHR Wohl Library to research gender history. This page brings together examples of works on gender history from across the primary source collections, including personal narratives and parliamentary records.

Introduction

We're sometimes asked 'where is the gender history section?' As the IHR's collections are arranged geographically, by period and type of material, items on gender history are scattered across the library according to their subject. This guide brings a few examples together. The material falls within the collection areas of primary sources, historiography and guides to sources. Our collections cover western Europe and its colonial history, from the C5th onwards. The items listed below are just a selection of the range of material we hold, you can browse our full holdings on the catalogue. Some of our material is in closed-access - see further details.

Much of the material listed here is specifically on the subject of gender or women's history. We hold a much wider range of source material which will contain relevant material for research in this area. The large collection of personal narratives and parliamentary records are just a couple of examples.

Highlights from the Collections

Bibliographies and Guides to Archives

Useful as a starting point into sources on the subject, these range from broad to very specific subjects. These are usually at the start of the relevant classmark sequence, e.g. B.0 for British history, EF.0 for French history etc., although not for all collections.

Reference Works and Biographical Dictionaries

Historiography and Historical Methods

Published Sources

We hold a range of editions of sources which give insight into the ways gender was perceived and experienced in different periods and places of history, including many editions of letters and diaries of individuals. A few examples specifically on the subject of gender are listed below, but source material will be found across the collection.

Periodicals

The subject is also covered in a variety of other journals such as Journal of Social History, Oral History and Family and Community History. Current copies of our journals are on open access in the library, and back issues can be ordered from the stack. Many are also available online within the building via the links on the catalogue. BBIH and JSTOR are examples of the online databases that can be used to locate journal articles.

Online Resources

See full list of online resources. Below are a few examples of resources that could be useful for this subject (most are available onsite in the IHR or via subscription only):

Further Help

Contact us if you would like help on finding or using our collections, or if you have any comments or suggestions about the content of this guide. We are happy to help.

You can also book a tour or training session.