Exhibitions
A is for Abecedaria
Children often learn the alphabet through abecedaria, or alphabet/ABC books. This exhibition is an abecedarium of miniature books.
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Documenting for Democracy: 60 Years of Kartemquin Films
Documenting for Democracy reflects on Kartemquin Films' history, award-winning films, and achievements in independent documentary filmmaking.
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John Max Wulfing’s Passport to the Past
St. Louis businessman and philanthropist John Max Wulfing (1859-1929) donated ancient coins collected during his travels around the world.
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Look/Read: Illustration as Media History from 1850-1950
The Look/Read exhibition explores the evolution of illustration as the relationship between word and image spurred demand for popular print.
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May Swenson in the Modern Literature Collection
This exhibition highlights elements from the May Swenson Papers and shares scans from newly acquired diaries and digitized clips.
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Past Exhibitions
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Exhibition Intertwined Lives: Harriet Hosmer and Cornelia Crow Carr
In 1848, two young women met at school in Lenox, Massachusetts. Hattie Hosmer was from a high-society family in nearby...View Exhibition about Intertwined Lives: Harriet Hosmer and Cornelia Crow Carr -
Exhibition Nicky Zann: A Life in Art
Nicky Zann’s career started in 1957 and spanned over six decades. He is known as an innovative cartoonist, caricaturist, and...View Exhibition about Nicky Zann: A Life in Art -
Exhibition (Re)Collections: Drawn from the Vault
(Re)Collections: Drawn from the Vault presents new original artworks from first-year Master of Fine Arts in Illustration and Visual Culture...View Exhibition about (Re)Collections: Drawn from the Vault -
Exhibition 2025 Open Education Week: Sharing Memories of Your Favorite Children’s Book(s)
This interactive pop-up exhibition features about 50 award-winning titles recently added to the WashU Libraries’ Collection. It invites viewers to...View Exhibition about 2025 Open Education Week: Sharing Memories of Your Favorite Children’s Book(s) -
Exhibition Movement in Miniature
Though many think of pop-up books as mainly for children, books with moving parts have been around for centuries and...View Exhibition about Movement in Miniature -
Exhibition Live Music Memories
Andy Meyer, PhD ’97, has supported local live music and saved concert tickets since the 1980s. This two-part collection illustrates...View Exhibition about Live Music Memories -
Exhibition The Freedom Suits
The Freedom Suits exhibition tells the extraordinary history of people who sued for freedom from enslavement in the 19th century....View Exhibition about The Freedom Suits -
Exhibition Snakes on the Page
Snakes, serpents, vipers, or pythons… regardless of what you call them, it is undeniable that these legless reptiles have captivated...View Exhibition about Snakes on the Page -
Exhibition Forging a Nation: The Founding of the U.S. Mint, 1792
From ancient times, coinage production has acted as a mark of sovereignty. The circulating money of the colonies and the...View Exhibition about Forging a Nation: The Founding of the U.S. Mint, 1792 -
Exhibition Literary St. Louis
Home to literary giants Mark Twain, T.S. Eliot, Marianne Moore, Maya Angelou, and John Keene (to name a few!), St....View Exhibition about Literary St. Louis -
Exhibition Stanley and Joan Elkin’s Artistic Kingdom
May 31, 2025, will mark the 30th anniversary of Stanley Elkin’s death. Despite a long struggle with multiple sclerosis, Stanley...View Exhibition about Stanley and Joan Elkin’s Artistic Kingdom -
Exhibition The Legacy of Irv Docktor: From Canvas to Classroom
Irv Docktor was a prolific illustrator and lifelong teacher. The exhibition offers snapshots of artwork from different stages of his...View Exhibition about The Legacy of Irv Docktor: From Canvas to Classroom