The Henry Salt Foundation is dedicated to preserving and promoting the life, work and ideas of Henry Stephens Salt (1851–1939), the author, humanitarian and social reformer whose pioneering advocacy of animal rights and commitment to social justice remain relevant today.
Our Purpose
The Foundation grew out of the Henry Salt Archive, established in 2000 through the work of numerous contributors. Our website brings together information about Salt’s life and writings, his campaigns and influences, his family and friends, and the people who shared his interests and ideals. We also explore the lives and work of close associates, including Ernest Bell and James Leigh Joynes.
Our aim is not simply to preserve historical material, but to keep building on it. We want to make Salt’s work more accessible, encourage further research and help new generations discover his contribution to humanitarian thought and social reform.
Research and the Archive
Through ongoing research and the examination of primary sources, we seek to correct errors, fill gaps in the historical record and improve the reliability of information about Salt and his contemporaries. We also welcome new material that can deepen our understanding of his life, ideas and influence, including his work with the Humanitarian League.
Our Henry Salt family history website documents Salt’s ancestry, relatives and wider family connections, providing a resource for genealogists and researchers investigating his personal life and background.
The Archive has a history of its own. You can read how it developed, and how the Foundation website grew out of it, in The History of the Henry Salt Archive, Society and Foundation Websites.
Contribute to the Project
The Foundation continues a tradition of collaborative research begun with the Henry Salt Archive in 2000. We welcome contributions from researchers, descendants, readers and anyone with relevant knowledge or material.
Whether you have historical documents, correspondence, photographs, family information, a correction or a new line of enquiry, your contribution could help deepen our understanding of Salt and his world. You don’t need to be a professional historian to make a valuable contribution. If you have something to share, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Where to Begin
If you’re new to Henry Salt, we recommend starting with George Hendrick’s Henry Salt: Humanitarian Reformer and Man of Letters, a biography of Salt’s life and work.
For an introduction to Salt’s own writing and ideas, we also recommend The Savour of Salt: A Henry Salt Anthology, edited by George and Willene Hendrick.
Together, these books provide an excellent starting point for exploring Salt’s life, beliefs and enduring significance.