Axon Ballad Collection
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These pages present images of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society's Axon Ballad collection, named after their collector, G.R. Axon. The Society has placed the collection on loan at Chetham's Library, where it can be consulted by prior arrangement.
The late Dr Eddie Cass has written an introduction to the collection, published as 'The G.R. Axon collection of broadsides', Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society 97 (2001) and made available here in pdf format, and here in html format for you to view in your browser. Steve Roud has kindly provided references to his index of ballads available in pdf format here. If you don't have a pdf reader you can download Adobe here.
The collection consists of 132 sheets containing 280 ballads. An index of first lines and an index of titles are provided, or you can browse thumbnails of the sheets.
Each sheet has its own page, but if you need to focus on detail there is a further very large image of each available by clicking through. Just use your browser back button to return. All sizes of image are in standard jpeg format and can be copied into other viewers or editors of your choice.
These pages and all their contents are in copyright. You may copy, download or print images or other content for personal use, but prior written permission is required in order to re-use the material in any other form of publishing or reproduction, including further reproduction on the web. Anyone wishing to reproduce this material in whole or in part should contact Michael Powell, Chetham's Librarian in advance.