You can use the basic search box to type what you’re looking for, just like you would if you were using a search engine. You can use Advanced Search to search title and description fields for our chosen terms, narrow your search to specific dates or specific parts of the collection. The more fields you use, the more specific your search will be. See our film above for tips.

Searching will only find the exact words used in the catalogue, so try several related terms if you can’t find what you want. Alternatively, it might be that we haven’t catalogued the items that you are looking for yet, or that the M&S Archive doesn’t hold the material you’re looking for. There are some gaps within our archive collection (for example, many early records were pulped as part of the national response to paper shortages during the Second World War 1939 –1945) and the M&S Archive does not provide access to current business information about M&S. If you can’t find what you are looking for please contact the archive team.

We’re adding to and upgrading the images we’ve got, but it’s a massive task that will take time. Please contact us if you can’t find what you need.

You are welcome to use the Archive Catalogue images for personal study or research. Conditions apply and all images are subject to UK copyright law. You must contact the archive team before sharing, reproducing or publishing our images in any way.

No, but make a note of the unique archive reference number and switch to our separate Digital Archive to see if the archive item is available to access digitally.

This tells you whether the item you are interested in is accessible. Some records are restricted or closed access due to Data Protection legislation, because they are commercially sensitive or because they are very fragile.