LJMU hosts iconic April Ashley collection

The private papers and correspondence of the late April Ashley have been secured in the university's Special Collections and Archives.

April Ashley was a pioneering transgender activist, model and socialite.

Born in Liverpool in 1935 and following a stint in the merchant navy as a teenager, she eventually had her gender reassignment procedure in 1960 and became a successful model and actress.

She was made an MBE in 2012 for her campaigning work for the transgender community and remained an active trailblazer and icon until her death in 2021. A documentary released this year, Enigma, detailed the stories of April Ashley and Amanda Lear, described as two legends who contested their identities as women in the court of public opinion.

Now her personal papers, photographs and letters have been donated to the university. Louise Muddle and Bev Ayre are April's literary executors and represent her estate.

We wanted the collection to stay in Liverpool and I know April would feel like she is in safe hands at LJMU. She would feel like she's come home.

Bev Ayre, April Ashley's literary executor

University Librarian, Susannah Waters, says: "It is a privilege to be able to preserve the April Ashley collection long term not just for research and scholarly interest, but also for community access and wider engagement with the public.

"It is an important documentary on the recent cultural history of transgender studies as well as her personal legacy."