• Photocopy of Sean Connery’s 1959 Hull library application discovered in archives.
  • Actor applied while performing in a touring play at Hull New Theatre.
  • Application shows a special £1 deposit and bears Connery’s signature.
  • Find links Connery’s early stage career to the city; he later became the first James Bond.

Archive find links Bond star to Hull

A photocopy of an application to join Hull Central Library filled out by Sean Connery has been uncovered by local librarians. The document, found in a pile of material left by the library service’s recently retired director, includes the actor’s signature and a note that he paid a special £1 deposit.

When and why Connery visited Hull

Librarian Matt Soare said he discovered the paper while cataloguing the donated archive. Checking theatre records at the Hull History Centre, Soare found a 1959 programme showing Connery in a touring production called The Seashell, alongside Dame Sybil Thorndike. The New Theatre was just a short walk from Hull Central Library.

“He was in town performing, so he might have popped in to borrow books to pass the time between shows,” Soare told reporters. He also compared the signature on the form with known examples and concluded it matched the actor’s handwriting.

From stage actor to international star

At the time of the library application, Sean Connery was building his stage career. He later rose to international fame as the first actor to portray James Bond on screen, appearing in seven Bond films including Goldfinger (1964). His acting career spanned seven decades and included roles in films such as Highlander, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Untouchables (for which he won an Oscar in 1988), and The Rock.

Connery died in 2020 at his home in the Bahamas, aged 90. The newly highlighted library link offers a small, human detail from his early life on the road.

Local interest and further coverage

The find adds to Hull’s cultural history and has drawn attention from local media. For more audio highlights from the region, BBC Sounds has a clip from Hull and East Yorkshire here: Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds. The discovery was also mentioned on the latest episode of Look North: Look North.

Hull Libraries have preserved the photocopy and noted it as a charming reminder of Connery’s early years as a touring actor. Archivists say small finds like this can reveal unexpected connections between global stars and local communities.

Why it matters

Personal documents such as this library application help paint a fuller picture of a public figure’s life before fame. They also highlight the value of local archives in preserving cultural memory—sometimes with surprising celebrity links.

Image Referance: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgj4xlknmgo