Humanist Heritage: vibrant new digital collection spans over 130 years of humanist history

Humanist Heritage is excited to announce the launch of a new digital collection, offering everyone the chance to browse archival materials showcasing the vibrant history of humanism, activism, and the evolution of Humanists UK. From the 19th century minute books of one of Humanists UK’s founding groups, to pamphlets promoting the work of humanist social care, this growing collection is a rich source of education and inspiration.

This year, Humanists UK’s Humanist Heritage project concluded the National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Humanist Heritage: Doers, Dreamers, Place Makers, which included the digitisation of thousands of pages from the physical archives. Now, via the Internet Archive, these materials allow everyone – from casual browser to academic researcher – to trace the throughlines of humanist thought and action that have shaped Humanists UK, and continue to inform vital human rights work today.

Humanist Heritage Manager, Madeleine Goodall, said:

‘This digital collection goes beyond the intellectual heritage of humanism to chart the journey of Humanists UK in advocating for reason, compassion, and human rights for all – including through active social initiatives, and the efforts of a range of truly remarkable individuals (many of whom you can discover more about on the Humanist Heritage website). We are delighted to make these inspiring materials accessible to everyone, everywhere, and to keep adding to them!’

Why explore the archive?

This newly accessible collection offers a unique window into:

• The humanist worldview: From the words of key figures like Bertrand Russell to drafts of pamphlets explaining what it means to be humanist, discover debates, printed materials, and personal reflections that illuminate the core principles and diverse expressions of humanism across more than 120 years.
  
• The development of humanists UK: Trace the origins and evolution of Humanists UK, beginning with the minute books and membership lists of the West London Ethical Society: one of the four founding groups of the Union of Ethical Societies – now Humanists UK – in 1896. See how ideas and ideals were discussed and shaped, and discover some of the hot button issues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
  
• Connections to current campaign work: Uncover the historical roots of, and evolving policies around, issues championed by Humanists UK today. See how past efforts in areas including education, assisted dying, and LGBT rights have evolved, and how the arguments and strategies of the past can inspire and inform our contemporary efforts.

Humanist Heritage warmly invites everyone to immerse themselves in this fascinating collection. Whether an active humanist, a student of social history, or simply curious about the journey of ideas and activism, this archive offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.

• Interested but not sure where to start? Why not check out Bertrand Russell’s wonderful 1947 lecture ‘The Faith of a Rationalist’, first given as a radio talk and published in pamphlet form many times over.
  
• Want to see some evidence of Humanists UK’s long history of campaigning? You could look at items from the 1960s on religion in schools, a 1970s publication on the right to die, or a 1980s leaflet introducing the Gay Humanist Group (now LGBT Humanists).
  
• If you’re an academic or researcher interested in how the history of Humanists UK might intersect with your research subjects, the minute books and membership lists of the West London Ethical Society may be of interest. Among these pages can be found figures like Leslie Stephen, first editor of the Dictionary of National Biography and father of Virginia Woolf; politicians including James Ramsay MacDonald, Corrie Grant, and William Sanders; and campaigning suffragists like Zona Vallance, Lillie Boileau, and Dora Montefiore. 

This Humanist Heritage collection is the newest in an incredible array of humanist history materials already available to explore online. These include over 130 years of New Humanist magazine on Exact Editions, and historic freethought journals, pamphlets, blasphemy trials, and more, linked from our online sources page on the Humanist Heritage website.