The poverty maps, papers and notebooks of Charles Booth’s inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People in London (1886 – 1903), an investigation into the distribution of wealth and poverty in late-Victorian London. The most famous items in this collection are the maps, known for their street-by-street colour-coded display of wealth distribution throughout the city at the time. This collection includes both the printed and hand-coloured maps produced by the inquiry. Further topics addressed in Booth's papers and notebooks include industry and religion.

The diaries of Beatrice Webb (1858 – 1943), including the original manuscript volumes and typescript copies with associated ephemera. Webb kept a diary from 1873 until her death in 1943, providing a detailed account of her life and work. Topics covered include the Fabian Society, the Labour Party, trade unionism, the suffrage movement, LSE, local government and communism, as well as details of Webb’s personal life, her marriage to Sidney Webb and descriptions of friends and acquaintances.