Papers of Sidney Sugarman

Collection

Holding institution (official language):: University of Southampton Special Collections

Postal address:: Hartley Library, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ

Scope and content:: Sugarman's papers include correspondence with the Council of Christians and Jews, Jon Kimche (The New Middle East); Terence Pritte (Britain and Israel); Maurice Samuelson (Jewish Observer, Middle East Review, Financial Times); with Revd Dr James and Dorothy Parkes; with Diana Bailey; and with several television and radio companies. His correspondence with the latter is mostly regarding attempts to get his research published and in protest against what he saw as the biased reporting of the Middle East situation in the media. The collection also includes many typescripts of his works as well as newspaper cuttings and other printed material relating to his research. His interest in and concern regarding Middle East affairs is paramount throughout his research. He also focused particularly on the life of T E Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia').

Administrative/biographical history:: Sidney Sugarman was born in London in 1908 to Polish and Lithuanian immigrant parents. He attended London's Regent Street Polytechnic. During the Second World War he wrote and published technical handbooks for Standard Telephones and Cables, which were engaged in the manufacture of military equipment. From 1948 to 1968, he was the proprietor of the firm Edgar Backus, booksellers. Sugarman's profession enabled him to build a substantial reference library. Sugarman's specialism was Middle East history during the first half of the twentieth century, especially 1914-22, and he produced a number of publications on this subject. Sugarman represented the Speakers' Panel on the Board of Deputies of British Jews; was a founder member of Leicester B'nai Brith and its cultural organiser; secretary of the Bournemouth Council of Christians and Jews and vice-Chairman and information officer for the Bournemouth Jewish Representative Council. From 1975 to 1981, he broadcast 'Morning Thoughts' for Jewish Holy Week on South of England BBC Radio. He worked with Revd James Parkes and with Diana Bailey compiled A bibliography of the printed works of James Parkes (Southampton University Press). From July 1966 to February 1982, he was a regular contributor to the Jewish Observer and Middle East Review.

Access points: persons/families:: Bailey, Diana; Parkes, James; Sugarman, Sidney

Subject terms:: Jewish press; Jewish-Christian relations; Professions; Professions--Journalists; Radio and television

Access, restrictions:: Access to the archive requires a prior written appointment. https://www.southampton.ac.uk/archives/about/access.page

Links to finding aids:: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/archives/cataloguedatabases/webguide1.page