From an edition of Tomahawk. © British Library

A new resource of digitised publications from the 19th century will be made available on May 13 2008, thanks to the British Library, Birkbeck College, King's College London and Olive Software.

The Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (ncse) includes six free, fully searchable digital editions of titles ranging from an early feminist paper to a publishing trade magazine.

Full pages have been turned into electronic form, complete with adverts, illustrations, supplements and multiple editions. Content giving an insight into the times includes details of Victorian-era free give-aways such as engravings, Royal Family satire and etiquette advice from 150 years ago.

In addition, the collection of material demonstrates the phenomenal growth and transformation of the press in the 19th century.

The titles included in the ncse are:

Tomahawk (1867-1870) – a satirical illustrated contemporary of Punch, with full-page cartoons

English Woman's Journal (1858-1864) – an early women's magazine published and set by women

Northern Star (1837-1852) – a social reformist newspaper, which gave away portraits of notable Chartists and at its height had nine editions in a single day

Publishers' Circular (1880-1890) – a trade magazine from the publishing industry with lavish illustrations

Leader (1850-1859) – a mid-century political weekly, which began by printing Town and Country editions

Monthly Repository (1806-1837) – a long-lived theological and philosophical monthly

© British Library

"This will be a fantastic resource for social science, history, arts and humanities Higher Education students and researchers, but also family historians and the general public," said Patrick Fleming, head of the British Library Reader and Reference Services.

"Newspapers are the first draft of history and much of this material isn't only invaluable in research terms but provides also unique means of getting as close to contemporary life and culture as you possibly can."

The ncse closely reflects the print culture of the 1800s, which was characterised by serials and interconnected publications. Individual issues and editions as a whole are searchable on the site, both of which can be browsed by digitally turning the pages of the periodicals.

The website will be online at www.ncse.ac.uk from May 13.

The ncse has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.