Skip to content

Marxist History and Historians in the 20th Century

An image of the monument to Karl Marx in Moscow city centre.

The Dona Torr Papers, 1883–1957

The [CPGB] archives contain by far the most important collection of personal papers relating to British communism.
Professor Kevin Morgan, University of Manchester

Access the full collection

Get full access to Marxist History and Historians in the 20th Century.

Institutional Free Trial

Sign up for a FREE trial 

Already have a license? Sign in to view the collection

Learn about the woman who influenced a generation of Marxist historians

Dona Ruth Anne Torr (1883–1957) was a Marxist historian, translator, and activist. Despite being born into an aristocratic family, Torr became a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). She went on to build a reputation not only as an adept historian, but also as a passionate activist who gave her life to communism. She has been cited as a major influence by E. P. Thompson and Eric Hobsbawm

This collection contains Torr’s personal papers, including research notes and other materials relating to her biography of noted labour activist Thomas Mann. Together, these documents provide an invaluable insight into Marxist historiography and the social history of the British labour movement. In addition, they shed light on the life and times of one of British communism’s most important female figures

The collection is accompanied by a contextual essay written by Torr’s great nephew, Dr. David Renton. According to Dr. Renton “Torr was a loyal and active member of her party, who sustained her political duties even at a cost to her own writing."

Contents

Marxist History and Historians in the 20th Century...

The Dona Torr Papers, 1883–1957

Discover 
A black and white image of a library with women choosing books and sat at tables reading and writing.

Highlights

Licensed to access Dona Torr’s philosophical musings, n.d.

A collection of Torr's early notebooks that demonstrate her versatility as a writer and interest in a range of philosophical subjects, from love and hate to psychology and science.

Licensed to access Notes on Kropotkin’s anarchism and the state, 1886–1888

These items include original source material produced by influential Russian anarchist Pyotr Kropotkin, as well as Torr's draft notes on the relationship between anarchism and socialism.

Licensed to access Thomas Mann on the world stage, 1929–1938

This document contains Torr's files on Thomas Mann's influence in the global labour movement, covering his time in Australia, Scandinavia, and France.

Licensed to access Memories of Thomas Mann: Recollections by Harry Pollitt, 1930s

Letters from CPGB leader Harry Pollitt recalling his interactions with Thomas Mann.

Insights

  • This collection offers a range of historical writings viewed through the prism of one of the most influential female writers of the Communist Party of Great Britain, Dona Torr (1883–1957).

  • Torr's political journey to revolutionary socialism seemed unlikely given that her grandfather was a wealthy merchant and Conservative Party MP. Nevertheless, she was a founding member of the CPGB in 1920 and went on to carve out an important niche within the party.
  • Torr was best known for her English translations of Marx’s classic works, as well as her extensive and unfinished biography of labour figure Thomas Mann. The collection contains an abundance of notes and files relating to her work on Mann.
  • Torr's writings are largely focussed on the history of the labour movement.
  • Her growing stature in the party is reflected in the vast range of personal correspondence with important communists, including General Secretary Harry Pollitt.
  • In her later life, Torr was also a member of the influential Marxist Historians Group and has been cited as an influence by E. P. Thompson and Eric Hobsbawm. She died in 1957 before being able to finish and publish Thomas Mann and His Times.

Licensed to access Science and Marxism, 1956-1985

1956   1985

Licensed to access Communisms and the Cold War, 1944-1986

1944   1986

Licensed to access Gender, Feminism, and the British Left, 1944-1991

1944   1991

Licensed to access Debate and Division on the British Left, 1917-1964

1917   1964
Back to Top