The Spinning the Web on-line archive has been made possible through the co-operation of a group of local partners who have contributed original materials and / or subject expertise to the project.

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Bolton Archive and Local Studies

Central Library Le MansCrescent Civic Centre BOLTON BS1 1SE Tel: 01204 332185 Fax: 01204 332225

Based at Bolton Central Library, archives and local studies material may be consulted by members of the public in the Archive and Local Studies search room on the ground floor of the Central Library. Bolton Archives and Local Studies holds a wide range of archives, local studies materials, maps and plans, microfilms, oral history material and photographs. Special collections include the Naughton Archive and Walt Whitman Collection. There are comprehensive archives on the textile industry, including the records of local cotton manufacturers, bleachers, trades unions and engineering companies. The archives also include a comprehensive collection on the Crompton family, principally on Samuel Crompton and his son, George: these include personal and business accounts, family and business letters, and Crompton's important Survey of spinning mules in England, Scotland and Ireland of 1811.

Archives and Local Studies are closed on Sundays and Mondays but are open during normal library hours for the rest of the week: Tuesday and Thursday 9.30-1930, Wednesday and Friday 9.30-1730 and Saturday 9.30-1700. Information leaflets about the service are available and it is advisable to contact Bolton Archives and Local Studies in advance of any visit.