The Archives at Sir John Soane’s Museum fall into two sections: the Soane Archive and the Post-Soane Archive.

The Soane Archive consists of Soane’s business and personal papers. The main series are: Soane Notebooks – pocket memorandum books briefly outlining his day-to-day activities; Journals, Ledgers and Bill Books covering both his transactions with clients and his personal expenditure; correspondence with clients and friends; Office Day Books recording the work of his pupils and assistants on a daily basis; bundles of bills for architectural commissions and for household and personal expenditure, the latter including the bills relating to his purchase of many of the books, drawings and works of art which he collected; and the texts of his lectures given as Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy together with extensive notes and translations made in preparation for these.

The Post-Soane Archive consists of the records created in the administration of the Museum by successive Curators (later Directors) since 1837, including Minutes of the Trustees, Annual Reports and Accounts and Visitors Books.

Available resources have not yet permitted these archives to be catalogued in electronic format, but the Archivist welcomes enquiries via archives@soane.org.uk