In 1990 the British Library purchased the first big private archive which was joined to the Solidarity Collection. Before the transformation of 1989, the original materials from Poland were smuggled to England illegaly. The first bought collection belonged to Marek Szyszko, an illustrator and a cartoonist - supporter of the Polish democratic movement. His collection consisted of around 900 items, mainly samizdat books. This purchase started a series of acquisitions which enabled the British Library to significantly expend the Solidarity Collection.