The Rothermere American Institute and Bodleian Libraries are pleased to announce that Oxford researchers now have access to the Daily Mail Historical Archive 1896-2004, a resource which for many years now has topped the electronic desiderata for the university. This permanent acquisition was made possible thanks to a generous donation by the Daily Mail and General Trust.

The resource is now accessible via SOLO or Databases A-Z.

The Daily Mail is a well-known British daily tabloid newspaper which was first published on 4 May 1896 by Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, later Lord Northcliffe, and his brother Harold, later Lord Rothermere. This resource provides access to more than 100 years of this publication, whose circulation figures have consistently been one of among the highest in Britain since its publication. The archive is an invaluable source for all manner of projects on British and world history, politics, society, culture, publishing, and much more. In its aim to represent the working middle-class and actively campaign for particular causes, it provides an important vocal alternative perspective to other newspapers.

This resource also includes fully scanned and digitised copies of the Daily Mail Atlantic Edition, which were edited and produced on the White Star and Cunard liners between Southampton and New York between 1923 and 1931. Because there were no legal deposit requirements for these unique off-shore editions of the newspaper, which differ in many ways from that day’s printed Daily Mail, they are not held in any Legal Deposit library.

The resource can be viewed in full digital facsimile form, with copious advertisements, news stories and images that capture 20th century culture and society.

The Rothermere American Institute and the Bodleian Libraries are very grateful to the Daily Mail and General Trust for their its generous donation.

Suggested reading:

• Clarke, Tom, My Northcliffe diary (1931)
• Addison, Adrian, Mail men : the unauthorized story of the Daily Mail : the paper that divided and conquered Britain (2017)
• Northcliffe, Alfred Harmsworth, The rise of the Daily Mail (1916)
• Taylor, S. J., The reluctant press lord : Esmond Rothermere and the Daily Mail (1999)
• Taylor, S. J., An unlikely hero : Vere Rothermere and how the Daily mail was saved (2002)
• Taylor, S. J., The great outsiders : Northcliffe, Rothermere and the Daily Mail (1996)
• ‘Scare-mongerings’ from the Daily mail 1896-1914, Compiled by T. Brex. [1914] & The ‘Daily mail’ and the liberal press, a reply to ‘Scare-mongerings’ and an open letter to lord Northcliffe [signed A.G.G.]. [1914]

Also of interest:

• Newspapers and other online news sources from the 17th – 21st centuries > British & Irish newspapers (LibGuide)
• More HFL news on historic newspapers