Country Life Archive Now Available as an Independent Database

ANN ARBOR, MI, Decemeber 22, 2015 –More than 100 years of prestigious British lifestyle content is available in Country Life Archive, now  a standalone database, which enables researchers to access more primary sources of British culture from across the twentieth century.

This collection contains every page and issue of this historical weekly magazine from its first issue in 1896 through 2005. Country Life Archive chronicles the uniquely quintessential lifestyle of the privileged British upper-class and its many transformations as it acclimated and changed from one century to another, including how it evolved during the height of the British Empire and through two major world wars, and then to a current-day environment.

This seminal publication is as respected for its architectural and art criticism as for its unique depiction of and insight into Royals, debutantes and rural lifestyles of the British elite. It also has a focus on fine art, great country houses and rural living; this collection will help researchers across a range of disciplines, including art history, social history, British studies and social class systems, amongst others.

Jean Christie, Publishing Director for Country Life (Time Inc. UK) said, “We are delighted to partner with ProQuest to bring the archives of Britain’s most iconic magazine to life. From historic houses and gardens to modern day luxury, the Country Life archive is a fascinating delve into everything British.”

Key features of Country Life Archive include:

• Focus on stunning historic British houses – preserves a highly illustrated record of properties and their changing ownership over time. These records often serve as the only source for authentic restoration work.
• Complete facsimile reproduction - Every page had been captured as a high-quality digital image, allowing researchers to view contents in context and to benefit from Country Life’s legendary photography.
• Combines with and supports other digitized sources – its availability on ProQuest enables users to cross-search Country Life Archive with complementary databases focussing on 20th-century British history and society, such as British Periodicals III-IV. Researchers can find additional evidence and explore complementary or contrasting views in periodicals, such as The Field, The Tatler, The Spectator and Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, amongst many others.

Susan Bokern, Vice President of Product Management, ProQuest Information Solutions, said “Access to this archive enriches the research experience, giving users a better understanding of this aspect of British heritage. Content can be searched along with other ProQuest historical resources that includes many other iconic magazines and newspapers.”

Extensive runs of print copies of publications from this period are often rare, widely scattered, often in very poor condition, and difficult to acquire.  Through digitizing Country Life magazine in this way, ProQuest is able to solve this problem and to deliver a substantial body of significant material that is designed to be vital to many research endeavors. Projects such as the online archiving of historical materials such as Country Life continue to be a key focus for ProQuest.

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