Earlier this year, award-winning children’s author Judith Eagle published her sixth book, The Blitz Sisters. It is about three young girls living through the Blitz and its aftermath.
The Blitz was an intense bombing campaign during the Second World War, by Nazi Germany, on the United Kingdom. It targeted densely populated urban areas like London, resulting in a huge loss of civilian lives. This May 2026, marks 85 years since the end of the Blitz.
Judith consulted Camberwell College of Arts archive as part of her research to tell her story of this period.
Judith writes historical novels for ages 8 to 12, published by Faber. She is an alumna of Central Saint Martins. Until recently she also worked as a school librarian.
Judith contacted us in early 2024. She was investigating Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts’ Junior Art School, in the years around the Second World War. She asked to confirm the age range of the Junior School. She wanted to know what the fees there were during the period 1943–1947, and if there were any scholarships. She was also curious in any other details the archive held about it.
The archive holds prospectuses from the early years of the college opening in 1898, to the 2010s. We found prospectuses from 1947-1948 and 1945-1946. These confirmed that the classes were free. They also included a short write-up on the courses plus details of term dates. An early example of inclusion and outreach work at Camberwell!
At the time of research, the prospectuses were the most accessible part of the archive. Happily, they held enough information to help Judith’s query. We were also thrilled to have an acknowledgement in the published book.
It is a fantastic example of how the archive might contribute to storytelling. We are highlighting it at sessions with local secondary schools. We hope it also inspires our future students. It shows how library and archive research supports all forms of creativity.
The archive now
We were lucky to have Camberwell College archive catalogued in 2024, just after Judith’s enquiry. The online catalogue has made the archive much more discoverable. This helps both researchers, and the Camberwell library team.
The team now have more detailed information to help remote enquiries. We are also working on digitisation projects. Both these help to provide access and engagement beyond traditional archive research visits.
We serve a wide range of researchers. This includes academics, but we also receive enquiries about family history, personal interest and connection to the college. It is great when the enquirers follow up with their own recollections of the college, and feedback.
How to access the archive
You can access to the Camberwell collections and archive by appointment.
You can book by completing a submit a question form on ASK a minimum of two weeks before your intended visit. Please add the line 'Camberwell archive appointment request' in the question field on the form.
We can also respond to archive queries via this form. For example, confirming what items the archive holds about persons, courses, events, or time periods.
Please note: We do not hold any student or alumna records in the Camberwell College of Arts Archive.