Michael Goldberg Collection of Postcards

The collection spans the period 1872-1995 and highlights the scenes, social life and customs of Trinidad and Tobago. It contains mainly albums of postcards from Trinidad and Tobago along with some souvenir booklets, photographs and glass lantern slides. Many of these postcards contain messages and are postmarked. There are also a few postcards from Belize. Researchers browsing this collection would be able to see images of the early East Indian migrants to Trinidad; the architecture including government buildings, homes, schools, churches and temples.

Diaries of Sir William Young - Governor of Tobago, 1807-1815

Sir William Young was governor of Tobago in the early nineteenth century, 1807-1815. A collection of his memoranda, accounts, invoices, and other documents relating to his properties, and his historical, statistical, and descriptive account of the island of Tobago in his diaries provide valuable primary source material for research into the era. The works are well illustrated with watercolour sketches and maps done by Sir William Young himself.

The original three volumes have been in the Library's possession from the establishment of the University. A fourth volume of illustrations was purchased from a private individual in Australia in 1978. The Library also has microfilm copies of three other versions of the manuscripts. The originals to these are held at the British Library, the Public Record Office and the Royal Library at Windsor.

Colonial Bank Correspondence, 1837-1885

The Colonial Bank, the forerunner to Barclays Bank and Republic Bank Limited, was established in the West Indian colonies as an effort, on the part of a group of merchants and private bankers in London, to fill the need for a banking system. Business commenced in Trinidad and other colonies (Jamaica, Barbados, British Guiana, St. Thomas) on May 15 1837. By the end of 1837, thirteen branches and agencies had been established.

This collection of letters consists of the incoming correspondence to the Colonial Bank in Trinidad from its inception in 1837 to 1885. It comprises a total of 1848 items, the majority of which - about 57% - are letters from the Court of Directors in London to the Manager in Trinidad. The correspondence affords an insight into the economic and social history of Trinidad, the banking needs of the sugar planters and the precarious nature of sugar production in the nineteenth century.

Republic Bank Limited inherited the collection of documents from Barclays Bank. The collection was donated to The University of the West Indies as part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Bank's operations.