We’re always striving to improve our innovative digital platform, especially in terms of accessibility and usability.
One of the ways in which we’re achieving this goal is by working to ensure that all of our 125 primary source collections can be explored via the Universal Viewer (UV), a rich, embeddable interface that supports IIIF images, audio, and video, as well as non-IIIF 3D and PDF viewing experiences.
Significantly, the UV offers the “deep zoom” feature, allowing users to examine key details in a document without lowering the quality of the image. Any handwritten script likewise benefits from Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), delivering a significant increase in terms of usability and search term accuracy. Our website also allows you to perform a bulk download of the HTR files for the collection that you are exploring.
We are happy to say that, currently, a large proportion of our collections are UV-enabled. We are equally delighted to report that over recent weeks the following collections have been migrated to the UV!
- America in Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1635–1928
- Antigua, Slavery and Emancipation in the Records of a Sugar Plantation, 1689-1907
- British Diplomacy with America and Ireland: an Ambassador's Letters, 1909–1962
- Caribbean Colonial Statistics from the British Empire, 1824–1950
- Colonial Law in Africa, 1808–1919
- Gambia Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1881–1966
- Ghana and Togo Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1843–1957
- Ghana in Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1886–1951
- Indian and Sri Lankan Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1770–1931
- Kenya Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1907–1964
- Nigeria and Cameroon Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1887–1962
- Prison Ship Records from the War of 1812
- Scottish Women's Suffrage Movement, 1902–1933
- Slave Trade Records from Liverpool, 1754–1792
- Slavery, Exploitation, and Trade in the West Indies, 1759–1832
- Slavery Through Time: from Enslavers to Abolitionists, 1675–1865
- The British Raj: Resistance and Reform in India, 1879–1920
- The East India Company: Corrupt Governance and Cruelty in India, 1806–1814
- Uganda Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1903–1961
- Zimbabwe Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1897–1980
Did you know that we offer free 30-day institutional trials of our primary source collections? If you would like to request a trial, please contact us at info@britishonlinearchives.com. Alternatively, you can request trials by visiting collection landing pages on our website.