I’ve just come across an online archive that I thought might be of interest to AHP readers: Hidden Lives Revealed. The site provides a range of archival material relevant to the history of the 22,500 children who were in the care of The Waifs and Strays’ Society throughout England and Wales between 1881 and 1918.
The site includes:
- 200 photographs detailing various aspects in the life of the children
- 150 case files
- a collection of publications put out by the Society including magazines and thAdvances in the History of Psychology › Create New Post — WordPresse Society’s annual reports
- a virtual tour of a “typical” children’s home based off the architectural plans
- games
- learning materials
- a contemporary bibliography
The case files provide a particularly interesting resource. They are searchable by keyword (ex. alcohol abuse, mental health, school, suicide) and include a variety of materials including descriptions of the individual children’s histories, their applications for admission to the Waifs and Strays’ Society, letters from family and community members, reports, discharge letters, etc. The text of the documents is available on the site as well as an image of the original. All files have been edited to protect the identity of the children.