England's Dreaming: The Jon Savage archive

An eclectic collection documenting the Sex Pistols and punk era

England's Dreaming is an extensive collection that was purchased in 2002 from Jon Savage - the music journalist and cultural historian. The collection charts the history of the Sex Pistols and the whole of the punk era.

The collection mainly consists of the source materials for England's Dreaming: the Sex Pistols and Punk Rock - Jon Savage's definitive account of punk in British society in the 1970s.

Punk was not just about music or clothes. It reflected a core of dissatisfaction and resentment built up at the end of a decade that saw the introduction of the three-day week in Britain, strikes, increasing unemployment and collapsing public services.

The England's Dreaming collection provides an opportunity to examine more closely a period now recognised as a crucial point in British twentieth-century social history.

The collection is well-used by researchers, students, and members of the public. It is regularly featured in internal and external exhibitions, including the British Library's 'Punk 1976-78' exhibition in 2016.

The contents include: fanzines, posters, flyers, graphic designs, original letters and documents, photographs, notebooks and much more.

The collection catalogue is now searchable on our online archive catalogue. If you are interested in viewing any of the items from the England's Dreaming collection, please contact the LJMU Archivist to arrange an appointment.