Rare Book Collections
The Rare Book Room opened in 1962 with funding and rare books from the estate of George Meissner. Before Meissner’s gift, WashU Libraries owned a small rare book collection, many of which had been donated by William K. Bixby. The Rare Book Collections now include over 70,000 printed pieces.
The Rare Book Collections cover a wide range of subjects that complement books held in other collecting areas. The Collections’ primary strengths are in literature, the material culture of the book and printing, and aspects of American and world history. This includes graphic design, book arts, children’s literature, movable books, miniature books, printed works of art, and manuscript collections related to subjects in the Rare Book Collections.
These collections span seven centuries of written and visual communication. They support teaching and discovery across WashU and are freely accessible to students, scholars, and visiting researchers.
The website features named Collections, but Rare Books also includes individual items that are not part of a named collection and can be browsed through the online catalog.
The Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library, East Asian Library, Bernard Becker Medical Library, and WashU Law Library all house and administer additional collections of rare materials, separately from the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections.
-
Collection Thomas Jefferson Collection
Thomas Jefferson was a dedicated book collector. In 1815, after the 1814 British burning of the U.S. Capitol destroyed the...View Collection about Thomas Jefferson Collection -
Collection Little Black Sambo Collection
The Little Black Sambo Collection holds 200 books and related ephemera in various illustration styles and languages.View Collection about Little Black Sambo Collection -
Collection Philip Mills Arnold Comet Collection
The Arnold Comet Collection highlights the collector’s interests in early cometary science and its development over the past several hundred...View Collection about Philip Mills Arnold Comet Collection -
Collection Gert von Gontard Collection
Hildegard von Gontard gave the WashU Libraries a significant collection of books and manuscripts from her late husband, Gert von...View Collection about Gert von Gontard Collection -
Collection Pascal Pia Collection
Pascal Pia was the pen name of Pierre Durand (1903-1979), a French writer, journalist, and critic. Pia moved to Paris...View Collection about Pascal Pia Collection -
Collection William K. Bixby Collection
William K. Bixby made significant donations of manuscripts, letters, and printed books to the WashU Libraries. The Bixby Collection is...View Collection about William K. Bixby Collection -
Collection Triple Crown Collection
This Collection includes the published output of the Kelmscott, Doves, and Ashendene presses, which together represent the pinnacle of English...View Collection about Triple Crown Collection -
Collection Holly Hall Book Arts Collection
Responsible for guiding the Department's collection of the book arts, Holly Hall was particularly interested in materials discussing the nature...View Collection about Holly Hall Book Arts Collection -
Collection Movable Book Collection
Books with moving parts have been around for centuries and encompass all genres. The Movable Book Collection holds books and...View Collection about Movable Book Collection -
Collection Eric Gill Collection
Documents Eric Gill’s interests and activities over the course of his lifetime.View Collection about Eric Gill Collection -
Collection Henrietta Hochschild Collection of Children’s Books
The Henrietta Hochschild Collection studies the influence of fairy tales, and fantasy on the development of writers and artists.View Collection about Henrietta Hochschild Collection of Children’s Books -
Collection James E. and Joan Singer Schiele Print Collection
This Collection contains Civil War prints and other historical images with a special highlight on thirty-six Kurz & Allison prints.View Collection about James E. and Joan Singer Schiele Print Collection
Collecting Areas
Digital Collections
Digital Collections highlight those portions of the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections that have been made or born-digital.
Dowd Illustration Research Archive
The Dowd Illustration Research Archive (DIRA) at WashU includes original art and printed material from many popular American pictorial graphic culture fields.
East Asian Library Special Collections
The East Asian Library's special collection includes about 900 volumes of rare and special books, manuscripts, and other materials.
Film & Media Archive
The Archive is committed to the preservation of documentary film and other media which chronicles America's great political and social movements with a particular emphasis on the African-American experience.
Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library Special Collections
The Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library Special Collections is a 2,300-volume collection of rare and unique art and design printed materials located at the Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library. The main focus is illustrated books, prints, and photographs from the 18th and 19th centuries, 20th century artists’ periodicals and modern and contemporary graphic and book design.
Local History Collections
The local history collecting area focuses on the history of St. Louis and the surrounding region.
Manuscript Collections
WashU Libraries' Julian Edison Department of Special Collections Manuscript collections contain a broad range of materials dating from the 2nd century BCE through the present.
Modern Literature Collection
The Modern Literature Collection includes more than 175 authors, presses, and journals, more than 125 of which are represented by manuscript materials.
Music Special Collections
Music Special Collections include sheet music, manuscripts, rare books, and digital materials.
Rare Book Collections
The Rare Book Collections cover a wide range of subjects that complement books held in other collecting areas. The Collections’ primary strengths are in literature, the material culture of the book and printing, and aspects of American and world history. This includes graphic design, book arts, children’s literature, movable books, miniature books, printed works of art, and manuscript collections related to subjects in the Rare Books Collections.
Sports & Culture Collections
The Sports and Culture Collections highlight the historical and cultural impact of sports and fandom throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on the St. Louis region.
Washington University Archives
The University Archives chronicles the history of WashU from 1853 to today with over 300 unique collections, including campus publications, reports, photographic prints and negatives, books, film, sound recordings, oral histories, architectural plans, and artifacts.