The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, inaugurated initially as the Liverpool School of Tropical Diseases by Lord Lister in 1898, was the first establishment of its kind. Ever since we have collected material about our research activities.

The archives of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine are central to the history of modern medical research and the study of the history of medicine in the Liverpool area. The significance of the archives lie in materials that document in the interaction between the disciplines of tropical medicine, paediatric medicine and nutrition studies as they converged in the work of LSTM. 

From the perspective of a particular institution, the archives have the potential to inform a wider understanding of the development of the discipline of tropical medicine against the background of the sweeping medical and social changes of the twentieth century.

The LSTM archives are currently held on two sites:  

The first and larger portion of the records is held within the University of Liverpool Library Special Collections. This portion contains administrative records; records of individual departments; records of expeditions and research outposts; along with related news cuttings, biographical material and portraits of staff members and photographs. An online catalogue of this collection is available. Enquiries about these records should be made to the University of Liverpool Library, contact scastaff@liv.ac.uk.

A further portion of records are held by us at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. These records contain further information about the developing work of LSTM and also a photographic collection that documents many aspects of the LSTM and its work.

Additionally, we hold the archives of the late Professor Brian Gilmore Maegraith, a pioneering figure in the field of tropical medicine and a major influence on the development of LSTM of which he was Dean for 29 years. This archive offers valuable insights into his life and work.

An online catalogue of records held at LSTM is not at present available. The holdings were surveyed in 2007 thanks to a grant from the Wellcome Trust. This indicated material which required further cataloguing and gave a brief listing of the holdings. Some further detail is available in the following links: