The Bertrand Russell Archives

	Anniversaries
	BRACERS search BRACERS off campus

Collecting the Letters

Digital Russell's Library | Digital Exhibits

Honours: Credits to BR | Dedications | Named Lectures | Scholarly Introductions

New Books & Serials

Purchase of Archives | "How the Russell Papers Came to McMaster"

Research Collections

Russell Journal (now digitized—see story)

Russell Peace Lectures

Russell Research Centre

Russell Society

Russell's Writings

Visitors' Book

Welcome to the Bertrand Russell Archives

McMaster University is home to the scholarly study of Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), British philosopher, logician, essayist, and renowned peace advocate. The Bertrand Russell Archives came to McMaster Library in 1968, where they are in the Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections. Russell's library is part of the Russell Archives, along with his correspondence, manuscripts, tapes, films, photographs, medals and permanently displayed writing desk. Send us any queries you may have about the Russell Archives. The Russell Research Centre is editing Russell's Collected Papers and Collected Letters.

For synopses of Russell's life and philosophy, see the entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and (for those signed on to campus access or with hard copy) the entry in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

For dozens of scanned images of documents and other artifacts relating to Russell's life, and for accompanying text that introduces readers newly interested in Russell studies to the Bertrand Russell Archives, visit the Bertrand Russell Gallery. A collection of cartoons featuring Russell is at the University of Kent. The commemorative blue plaque for Russell below is from a photo by Toniann Pitassi.

For book catalogues of the original holdings, see B. Feinberg, ed., A Detailed Catalogue of the Archives of Bertrand Russell (London: Continuum, 1967). In 1973 another large purchase arrived from Lord Russell's estate. See K. Blackwell and C. Spadoni, A Detailed Catalogue of the Second Archives of Bertrand Russell (Bristol: Thoemmes, 1992). Acquisitions have been made from many other sources.

The Bertrand Russell Archives Catalogue Entry and Retrieval System, BRACERS, is an online database of over 123,000 correspondence records. Advanced inquiries have been written, including date searches. The full text of some letters is available online. Apply to the Ready Division staff for assistance. BRACERS Correspondents is an index of over 44,000 persons and groups who corresponded with Russell, with the total number of letters to and from each one.

Forthcoming & Recent Books & Serials in Russell Studies
The aim is to stay current for new works in all languages. To qualify as forthcoming, a book should be with the publisher or at least contracted for. Email us with additions to the list.

NEWS & QUOTES

SCIENCE VS. ARTS?
“I think it’s very desirable that the general educated public should have more understanding of science than it has at present. But I don’t want to see the arts squeezed out. Not at all. What I do want to see is methods of making what is valuable in an arts education more easily accessible.”
(BR interviewed by Unesco radio, 24.1.58; tape from BRS Library)

A new speech from 1948 has turned up. Russell warns the Congress of Europe against promoting "a new Western European nationalism" rather than Europe's strength, the pursuit of scientific knowledge. [25.4.04]

A new bust from life, by sculptor Jonah Jones in 1959. Jones admitted he did not capture Russell's impishness, but neither, he claimed, did Epstein. [3.2.04]

Russell writes on philosophy and "The Free Man's Worship" to Prof. Smith, 3 March 1941. [2.2.04]

Russell welcomes The Letters of Sacco and Vanzetti, 1928. [2.2.04]