Brown University Library Collections
Art and Architecture Collections
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Ames (Robert S. and Margaret A.)
The Robert S. and Margaret A. Ames Collection was assembled over a thirty year period and built around three distinct but related ideas; the history of illustration, particularly nineteenth century books illustrated with woodcuts, wood or steel engravings or by lithography; the literature of travel and exploration, with a preference given to the North American continent; and pictorial representations of areas in which the Ames family lived before their arrival in Providence in 1970. The Ames Collection is notable for the degree to which it adds new titles to the Brown Library, the extent to which it complements other Brown holdings both in the John Hay Library and in Government Documents, and for its superb physical condition.
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Annmary Brown Memorial
In 1948, Brown University assumed ownership of the Annmary Brown Memorial. The Memorial, built by Civil War General Rush C. Hawkins and named in honor of his wife, contained an internationally known incunabula collection as well as old master paintings and drawings, Revolutionary and Civil War manuscripts and documents, plus the personal correspondence of its founder. These incunabula along with others in Special Collections make up one of the largest collections of 15th-century printed books owned by an American university. In addition to incunables, the collection contains sizeable manuscript holdings relating to the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and to the 17th-century New England witchcraft phenomenon. There are also some medieval manuscript books and documents, including papal letters. The books and manuscripts are now kept in the John Hay Library.
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Annmary Brown Memorial Library
The Annmary Brown Memorial, at 21 Brown Street in Providence, RI, was built in 1907 by Rush C. Hawkins (1831-1920) as a memorial to his deceased wife Annmary Brown Hawkins (1837-1903). The Memorial was designed as a tomb for the couple (both are interred there), and as a private library to house the Hawkins' collection of incunabula, paintings, manuscripts, books authored by or written about individuals with the surname of Hawkins, travel books, bibliographies, biographies, standard histories, books on printing wood engravings, and volumes on the early history of printing. This collection contains the records about the construction and maintenance of the building, documentation about the books and paintings collected by Hawkins, and records about the operation of the Memorial. It also includes a volume of minutes for the New York Dispensary for the Diseases of the Throat and Chest for which Rush Hawkins was a Trustee. Researchers can also find documentation about the Civil War swords presented to Rush Hawkins which were stolen from the Memorial and later recovered
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Audubon's Birds of America
The double elephant folio edition of Audubon's The Birds of America was published between 1827 and 1838. Subscribers received 87 parts of 5 prints each (one large, one medium and three small prints). The series contains 435 hand colored plates of 1065 birds. "Double elephant" refers to the size of the sheet of paper, which is the largest size that can be made by hand. Each sheet measures more than two by three feet.
There were 308 original subscribers, who paid approximately 00 for a complete set. While there were 308 original subscribers, only 161 subscribers purchased all parts. It is not possible to locate all of the complete sets. Some have been broken up and sold as individual images.
Albert E. Lownes, Class of 1920, presented his copy (bound in six volumes) to the University on the occasion of his 50th Class Reunion in 1970. Mr. Lownes received his copy as a wedding gift.
In addition, to the Double Elephant Folio edition, the library owns several uncolored proofs and an original printing plate, as well as other published editions of Audubon's work.
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Bal (Mieke)
Papers of the cultural theorist, critic, and video artist, Mieke Bal. Items include correspondence, conference material, teaching material, artworks and related material, published writings, research, and electronic records
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Brown (J. Carter)
The J. Carter Brown papers primarily contain correspondence, administrative materials, lecture notes, photographs, and other materials spanning his life. The bulk of the material is related to Brown's consulting business and his involvement as a board member with many organizations, dating between 1990 and 2002.
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Brown (John Nicholas), (1900-1979)
Personal and professional papers of John Nicholas Brown, son of John Nicholas Brown (1867-1900) and Natalie Bayard Brown, Nephew of Harold Brown (1869-1900) and husband of Anne Seddon Kinsolving Brown. The papers comprise a wealth of material on the visual arts, art collections and collecting activities, and public service at the state, national and international levels, as well as the history of Brown University and the State of Rhode Island during the twentieth century.
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Brown University Archives - Prints
This collection contains prints and etchings, mainly of Brown University buildings, but also includes portraits of faculty members and alumni, broadsides, athletic cartoons and postcards of Brown University buildings and events.
This collections includes the Helen Grose drawings and Tilden Thurber prints of the Brown University campus.
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Clements (Dawn)
This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Dawn Clements (1958-2018), a 1986 graduate of Brown University and a contemporary artist who was known for her work with Sumi ink and ballpoint pen on small to large-scale paper panels. The collection includes personal correspondence, diaries, photos, research notes, paintings and sketches with the bulk dating from 1970-2018.
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Cramer Silver
The Cramer Collection, consisting of approximately 900 volumes, was compiled over several decades by Diana Cramer, Editor of Silver Magazine until her death in 1993, and author of a number of important articles on silver design and decorative arts. The principle strengths of the collection are in the history of silver design and silversmithing, worldwide, from early modern times to the present; however, also included are a range of materials on American decorative arts -- jewelry, glass, furniture, architecture -- from the colonial period through the early 20th century. The collection documents the craft process, as well as the end product, and includes trade catalogs, exhibition brochures, collectors guides, and miscellaneous research publications.
A title list may be viewed by doing a "word" or "author" search for "Cramer Silver" in JOSIAH.
The Cramer Collection supplements, and provides reference material for, the Gorham Company Archive.
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Crawford (John Jr.)
The collection is comprised of manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, clippings relating to the history of writing, the art of calligraphy, Asian Art, and other lifelong interests of Mr. Crawford. Also included are ten calligraphy notebooks.
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Dirt Palace ephemera
This collection consists of the ephemera of Dirt Palace a feminist artist-run non-profit arts space and artist collective located in Providence, Rhode Island. The collection includes articles, zines, posters, pamphlets, and newsletters related to the activities of Dirt Palace’s space and affiliated artists. The collection spans from 2011 to 2018.
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Egyptology
Lysander Dickerman (Brown Class of 1851), a Congregationalist minister, was also an avid amateur archaeologist. At his death (circa 1910), he bequeathed 1,200 books on ancient Egypt, establishing the foundation for Brown's exceptional holdings in the field of Egyptology.
The collection includes some travel narratives by Egyptologists and accounts documenting archeological excavations that have taken place in Egypt since 1900, as well as works interpreting archeological findings.
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Eichenberg (Fritz)
Engravings (25 total) acquired from the estate of book illustrator and graphic artist Fritz Eichenberg, who is primarily known for his work in wood engraving.
The copyright and literary rights to the works of Fritz Eichenberg reside in the Fritz Eichenberg Trust. Permission to publish must be obtained from the trustees. Requests should be directed to the Trustees of the Fritz Eichenberg Trust, c/o VAGA, 111 Broadway, Suite 1006, New York, NY 10006, (212)736-6666 - info@vagarights.com. ...more information
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Gorham
Archival records (approximately 6,200 linear feet, dating from 1831 to 2005) of the company founded in 1831 by silversmith Jabez Gorham in Providence, Rhode Island, and expanded under the leadership of his son John in the 1840s. At various times the company was the largest manufacturer of silver products, producer and distributor of ecclesiastical wares, and art bronze foundry in the United States.
The collection features many thousands of drawings and photographs of Gorham products, reflecting American taste from Victorian times to the present. It also contains corporate, personnel, costing, sales, and advertising records, as well as blueprints, plaster casts, and copper printing plates. Incorporated into the collection are the records of fourteen companies acquired by Gorham prior to its acquisition by larger companies, first by Textron Inc., then by Dansk International, and finally by Brown-Forman Corporation in 1991.
The Gorham Manufacturing Company records are not processed. A small portion of the records is accessible. See the Research Guide and the Inventory of Accessible Records linked below for further information.
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Hamm Etchings
Eighty-one etchings, chiefly architectural, presented to the Library by Walter Charles Hamm, Class of 1870. ...more information
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Hawkins (Rush)
The Rush Hawkins collection (1750-1951(bulk 1830-1917)) contains personal, family, financial, and military correspondence and documents; photographs; and a variety of museum objects ranging from dinnerware and household items to clothing and personal accessories belonging to the Hawkins and Brown families. Most of the collection reflects the life and interests of Hawkins himself, with some items related to his wife Annmary Brown Hawkins and her family. Included in the papers are two significant sub-collections of correspondence: a collection of antebellum historical letters and documents from earlier generations of the Brown family, as well as individual letters from Thomas Jefferson, Nathaniel Greene, Edgar Allan Poe, and Napoleon I; and a collection of Civil War-related correspondence and documents that contains records of Hawkins' Zouaves and much Confederate material, including a subseries of Jefferson Davis's communications to the Senate of the Confederate States.
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Holden (Wheaton)
Architectural historian and documentary filmmaker, Wheaton Holden was a specialist on the life and work of Robert Swain Peabody and Julius Adolph Schweinfurth. This collection contains mostly materials relating to Holden's research on architect Robert Swain Peabody and his Boston-based firm Peabody and Stearns. Included are Peabody's diaries, reminiscences, writings, and processed copies of his correspondence. Also included are files on Peabody and Stearns building projects, with drawings, plans, photographs, and clippings. Finally the collection includes two videos created by Holden: The Peabody Touch and Providence Remembered.
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Mazansky Swords
The Cyril and Harriet Mazansky British Sword Collection was given to Brown University in 1999. The Collection consists of approximately 100 British swords as well as a sizeable group of miniature military figures, a collection of books on arms and armor, and a series of watercolors by the Scottish-South African artist Andy May.
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Napoleon
The William Henry Hoffman collection on Napoleon I, donated in 1924 by Hoffman's widow, contains over 100 manuscripts pertaining to the First French Republic and the Napoleonic era, many of which are signed by the Emperor, and 400 rare books, prints, art objects and examples of fine bindings. It still occupies its own room on the John Hay Library's top floor.
Annotated guide to collection in RS filing cabinet.
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Persian Miniature Paintings
Miniature paintings from the estate of Mrs. Adrienne Minassian. The paintings often include text from Persian and Indian tales.
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Posters
The Poster Collection, a part of the Broadsides Collection, contains over 800 items, focusing mainly on American war posters from World War I and II. Other collections include some labor posters, book-related items, and posters designed to be displayed on buses.
Other named collections within special collections also contain posters, including the Sidney Albert-George Bernard Shaw Collection, the Robert J. Tierney Jr. Entertainment Memorabilia Collection, the Chester H. Kirk Collection on Alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous, the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, the William Chauncey Langdon Collection of Pageants, the H. Adrian Smith Collection of Conjuring and Magicana, the Paul R. Dupee Jr. '65 Collection on Fireworks, the Sidney S. Rider Collection, among others. ...more information
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Pottery and Porcelain Club (Providence, RI)
The group, established in 1947, is dedicated to the study of fine porcelain and pottery. Study groups and exhibitions are its main activities. The collection contains administrative materials, membership lists, newsletters, and slides documenting exhibitions.
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Prints
Prints in special collections include those that are part of the Broadsides Collection and the general rare book collections. There are a wide variety of subject represented, including views, portraits, and historical subjects. Rhode Island views are a specialty. It is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 prints in the collections, exclusive of the large named collections noted below.
Other named collections include significant holdings of prints, notably including the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, the Bullard Napoleon Collection, the Hoffman Napoleon Collection, and the Harry L. Koopman Collection. The illustrated covers of many thousands of 19th century pieces of sheet music are also of interest for the print collection. ...more information
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Prophet (Nancy Elizabeth)
Nancy Elizabeth Prophet (1890-1960) was an American sculptress and, in 1918, the first woman of color to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Her work became well-known throughout Europe and the United States. Born in Warwick, Rhode Island to a Narragansett Indian father and an African American mother, she experienced and struggled against racial discrimination typical of the times in which she lived. She studied and worked in Paris from 1922-1934. She taught at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia from 1934-1944. This collection contains the diary she kept during her life in Paris. In it she describes the hardships of poverty, her eagerness to work on her sculptures, the generosity of those who assisted her, and the sculptures she created.
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Shapiro (Joe and Lil) Collection of Laundry Ephemera
The Joe and Lil Shapiro collection of laundry ephemera is a collection consisting largely of small format ephemera that depict the history, artifacts and materials used in doing laundry over several centuries. Most of the material was produced by companies involved in the manufacture of laundry products. The collection includes, but is not limited to, advertising premiums, billheads, broadsides, brochures, calendars, greeting cards, labels, matchbooks, pamphlets, photographs, postage stamps, poster stamps, promotional booklets, puzzles, scrapbooks, shirt boards and trade cards. Much of the material in the collection is undated. The dated material is from 1805 to 2010. Most was produced between 1880 and 1955.
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Sharpe (Mary Elizabeth)
Mary Elizabeth Sharpe (1884-1985) was a successful businesswoman (owner of a successful tea shop and candy room in New York City) when she married her husband Henry Sharpe in 1920. Mrs. Sharpe was a philanthropist with many interests but was best known for her efforts to beautify Brown University and the city of Providence, RI. A self-taught landscape architect, Sharpe established an annual tree fund and lead the fundraising efforts to create India Point Park, a Providence waterfront recreation area. This collection contains her personal files, blueprints, correspondence, day books, calendars, clippings, recipes, scrapbooks, records relating to landscaping and other community projects, gardening information, blueprints, and photographs.
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Tefft (Thomas Alexander) Architectural Drawings
Architectural drawings by Thomas Alexander Tefft, Brown University Class of 1851.
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Wengenroth
The American lithographer, Stow Wengenroth (1906-1978), perfected the art of transferring a
drawing to a smoothed limestone surface to convey both the texture of the natural world and
subtleties of atmosphere and mood. The settings for Wengenroth's lithographs are drawn from
natural and inhabited landscapes in Maine, Cape Ann, Massachusetts and other locations in the
northeast.
Of the 369 lithographs produced by Wengenroth during his lifetime, 367 were collected and
generously donated to the Brown University Library by Lyman G. Bloomingdale, Class of 1935,
along with over 40 of Wengenroth's original dry-brush drawings.
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Wilding (Faith)
This collection consists of the papers of Faith Wilding, feminist artist, scholar, and contributor to the 1972 landmark exhibition, Womanhouse. The collection documents Wilding's feminist theory scholarship, teaching, writing, and thoughts on feminism and art. Materials include notes, conference material, feminist print material, writings, and audiovisual material, dating form 1969-2019.
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Image Source: Angelica Kauffmann. "Zeuxis Selecting Models for his Picture of Helen of Troy". Annmary Brown Memorial Collection. Painting is hung in the John Hay Library.
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