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The King's archive contains almost 200 years of history. It charts the story of King's - its buildings, pupils and staff - from its foundation in 1829 to the present day. The archive is an invaluable record of the King's community. By taking care of this precious collection, the school is preserving the collective memory of all who have a connection to King's, both past and present.
The archive is a fantastic resource. The items in the collection range from 19th-century admissions registers to current school magazines, from pupil-made films to blazers and caps. Almost every aspect of life at the school is captured. In 2019, it was renamed the Bryan Stokes Archive, in recognition of the ex-teacher and long-serving School Archivist who was a member of the King's community for over 60 years.
With the help of a wonderful team of volunteers, the archive collection is currently being sorted, catalogued and digitised. We also undertake research, mount small exhibitions, record oral history interviews and run projects with pupils.
The archive continues to grow and I am always keen to hear your stories and discuss donations of material to add to the collection.
Dr Lucy Inglis
School Archivist
Archive@kcs.org.uk
Blasts from the past
These stories offer a glimpse into what we do in the archive, and highlight some of the documents and objects we look after.
We might think it is cold at the moment but who remembers the winter of 1963? More...
On the joy to be found leafing through past copies of the school magazine. More...
Major Noel Pepperall (OK 1946) recently shared his recollections of life at King's during the Second World War with the school archivist. More...
From the Archive...
Delve deeper into our shared school history in this series of digital exhibitions and themed stories curated by the school archivist.
King's was possibly the first school to introduce organised trips abroad. Between 1911 and 1914, annual visits were made to Germany which the school h… More...
King's began life in the basement of King's College, London. At times dark and smelly, the school was often referred to as the ‘Cellars in The Strand’… More...
Brothers Derek and Bob Wadsworth were both pupils at Kings. The letters written by the two brothers and their parents provide a fascinating, and touch… More...
Past issues of the school magazine are being digitised in batches (more content will be added over time). The text is fully searchable or you can browse individual numbers.
Please note that you need to be logged into the King's Community Website to access the digital archive.
Photos from the King's Archive
Browse a selection of photographs from the King's archive (more content will be added over time). Do you have photos or stories to share from your time at King's? If so, please do get in touch.
Please note that you need to be logged into the King's Association Website to access historic photographs.
Visits, enquiries and donations
We welcome all queries, visits and donations to the archive.
Visits and enquiries
The archive is open to visitors. If you would like to consult material, please contact the school archivist to make an appointment.
Alternatively, enquiries can be dealt with remotely; please contact the School Archivist providing as much background information as possible. Depending on their age, some records may be closed or have access restrictions if they contain personal or other confidential information.
Donations
The school archive continues to grow thanks to generous donations of relevant material. We always welcome items connected to the history of the school, and are particularly interested in documents from the 1960s to the present day. Should you wish to make a donation, please email the School Archivist.
Contact details
School Archivist: Dr Lucy Inglis | Email: archive@kcs.org.uk | Tel: 020 8255 5300
development@kcs.org.uk
+44 (0) 208 255 5408
King’s College School Southside, Wimbledon Common, London, SW19 4TT