Story
The Geographer’s Art | Support our archive
To those of you who might not have heard, Professor Peter Haggett (1933-2025) died earlier this year (see obituary). He was an eminent scholar who reshaped modern geography and an inspirational colleague, mentor and teacher since his arrival in Bristol during the mid-1960s. In January 2025, Special Collections at the University of Bristol received Peter's substantial archive of papers – a rich resource for geographers of today and future.
Below: Peter's papers arrive at the University Library in January 2025
His archive presents a unique opportunity to kick-start a campaign to invest in the history of Geography at the University of Bristol. With your financial support, we intend to employ a dedicated archivist to document thoroughly this extensive material, some of which includes Peter’s continued reflections across the breadth of our subject. This would be the first of many projects that will engage students in a shared history of geography at Bristol – your history.
How to engage and contribute:
Donate here to a fund that will be used to employ a project archivist in Special Collections at the University of Bristol to work specifically on the Haggett archive. In time, we hope to see this fund grow to support allied projects focussing on the history of student experiences in Geography at Bristol (field trips, GeogSoc and much more).
Below: Draft figure on epidemic diffusion and world cities.
The project team
Dr. Tony Hoare and Ed Thomas collectively devoted more than 70 years of teaching service to the School of Geographical Sciences between them from the 1970s until ‘retirement’ (now Research Fellows).
Prof. Rich Harris and Prof. David Richards were formerly students in the School of Geographical Sciences in the 1980s and 1990s and have been teaching in the same setting for the past 20 years or so.
Rachael Gardner (Senior Archivist, Special Collections, University of Bristol)
For you
We hope you will want to use this opportunity to engage with us on this exciting project. Beyond the benefits outlined above, we offer further incentives:
• In parallel with the archive work, we plan to update a history of the School, last published in 2009 by Haggett, Hoare and Jones. We will send a new version of the School’s history to all those who contribute £50 or more (and provide contact details). We plan to do this in the second half of 2026.
• For all those who attend "A Geographer's Art" or donate here, we will keep you informed of developments, with your consent, and provide further opportunities to visit us.
• Financial contributions will be recognised by adding your name to a list to be displayed in the Haggett Laboratory (formerly Cartographic Laboratory).
A big thank you, in advance, for your support, be it attendance at our event in February 2026, donations to the fund, or sharing the campaign with others.
In Peter’s words: "The study of geography at university will give scientific insight, provide skills [and] a philosophical framework for environmental and global problems. But I think its most precious gift is none of these. Geographical skills can enrich all the remaining years of one's life so that what is seen is understood and appreciated"
He has certainly enriched ours.
Tony Hoare, Ed Thomas, Rich Harris and David Richards
Please share with those you are still in contact with. We will be reaching out via other platforms such as LinkedIn and established contact lists – our apologies in advance for the inevitable cross-posting.
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