Records of The Horticultural Advertiser, 1930-1960

Scope and Content

The collection comprises:

  • Draft memoranda and articles of association, 21 May 1930 (BHA 1).
  • Certificate of incorporation, 21 May 1930 (BHA 2).
  • Agreements and deeds, 1930-1954 (BHA 3).
  • Signed directors meeting minute books, 1930-1960 (BHA 4).
  • Printed final accounts, 1931-1960 (BHA 5).
  • Copies of 1948 Companies Act returns, 1950-1959 (BHA 6).
  • Issues of The Horticultural Advertiser for 5 October 1927, 16 September 1931, 14 April 1943 and 6 January 1960 (BHA 7).
  • Extensive series of financial, shareholding, personnel and sales records, correspondence, case files, advertisement day books, and registers of subscribers, advertisers and editorial contributors, 1920-1960.

The archiveincludes records relating to the share ownership, constitution and management of the company as wellas records relating specifically to the production of a newspaper such as lists of subscribers,advertisers and contributors. While the running of The Horticultural Advertiser is welldocumented, survivals of creative contributions to the newspaper such as photographs, drawings andwritten articles are limited. Only four issues of the newspaper are present in the collection.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Horticultural Advertiser was an advertising newspaper for the horticultural trade,first published on 26 April 1883 by nurserymen, Charles (1857-1930) and Alfred Pearson. It offerednurserymen, seedsmen and horticultural equipment manufacturers and service providers a place toadvertise to a specialist market and editorial features tailored to their business. Although it hadbeen a mouthpiece for the Horticultural Trade Association for years, the paper was only appointed asan official organ of the society in 1920. It had its first office at Chilwell House, Nottinghamshirebut it moved to Lowdham, Nottinghamshire in 1900.

In 1926, the Pearson Brothers converted their joint ownership of The HorticulturalAdvertiser into a limited company with shares being taken up by some 45 nurserymen. Followingthe death of Charles Pearson in 1930, a new company was formed taking the name The HorticulturalAdvertiser (1930) Ltd. Mr Du Cann, the General Secretary of the Horticultural Trade Association tookover the editorial role of the paper and it moved to Sentinel House, London. The advertisingfunction was taken over by Thomas Forman and Son Ltd, a firm of Nottingham printers who had printedevery copy of The Horticultural Advertiser since 1883.

During the second world war the nursery business was restricted, foreign advertisers were cut offand, for economy, the editorial and advertising functions were reunited in Nottingham under a MrBenson.

The Horticultural Advertiser went into voluntary liquidation in 1960 when the paper'sprinters, who had been providing subsidised printing for some preceding years, gave notice ofbringing their costs up to market level from 1 January 1960. The last issue of The HorticulturalAdvertiser was published on 9 January 1960.

Arrangement

Items in series BHA 1-BHA 7 have been sorted chronologically. Sorting and listing of the rest of the collection has yet to be undertaken.

Access Information

ACCESS: Listed series in the collection are accessibleto all registered readers but readers wishing to use the collection are advised to contact theKeeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in writing in advance. Some seriesare restricted pending full listing.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposesonly, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

Conditions Governing Use

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be soughtin advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections(email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). TheDepartment will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this is often difficult and theresponsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishingto publish.

LANGUAGE: English

Custodial History

The collection was given to The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts in April1961.