Today is the fourth day of Explore Your Archive, a of celebration of archives of all kinds across the nation, organised by the Archives & Records Association for UK & Ireland, and today’s theme is ‘Huge’.

The St John Archive has some huge boxes that contain records with huge research potential: newspaper cuttings. Dating from 1878-1920 and covering the St John Ambulance Association and the modern Order of St John, they cover a huge range of history beyond the official organisational record, found in collections such as minutes, annual reports, and correspondence. Their physical size is quite big. Measuring 46cm wide, 48cm high, and 23cm deep, these boxes are not for the faint-hearted, and I’d advise lifting some weights before lifting these bad boys.

The contents of the newspaper cuttings books relate to St John’s cottage hospitals, first aid intervention at accidents and disasters, the British Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem, first aid and ambulance classes, St John Ambulance Association Centres, the work of the St John Ambulance Brigade and British Red Cross, obituaries and biographies of key St John personnel, advertisements for ambulance and first aid equipment.

These newspaper cuttings books contain huge research potential, and they are ready to be explored. Here are some examples of their contents.