About: 

For a brief overview of  the materials found in Special Collections, see our page on the library website

Location:

Reading Room for Archives + Special Collections

Room 223, second floor

Hours:

Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

How to identify materials in Special Collections:

All materials are listed in the online catalog & are distinguished by RISD location prefixes "special", "special oversize", "flat folio", "large folio", "special periodical", and "artists' books"

Access:

If you have identified a specific book or periodical in Special Collections that you wish to see, you may drop in any time we are open.

If you are not sure what special materials might be of use from the collection, please contact the Special Collections Librarian, Laurie Whitehill Chong to schedule an appointment.  We can discuss your research needs and find materials suited to them.

Large Folio NA 280 .W62    Die Archaische Poros-Architektur der Akropolis zu Athen.

Flat Folio ND 623 .B9 M2713 1991    The Sistine Chapel.

Special Oversize Z 246 .C63 1981    The Avant-Garde in Print.  5 volumes

Flat Folio NC 1807 .S65 B3713 1992    Russian Constructivist Posters.

Special N 332 .G33 B43 1984    Bauhaus: Drucksachen, Typografie, Reklame.

Special N 332 .G33 W4 1923    Staatliches, Bauhaus, Weimar, 1919-1923.

Special Periodical    Bauhaus (1977 Kraus reprint of original 1926-1931)

Special Z 246 .D85 1928    Layout in Advertising. / W.A. Dwiggins

Special Z 246 .T65 1931    Mise en Page: the theory and practice of layout. / A. Tolmer

Special Oversize TR 653 .V36 2004    Paris. / Moï Ver

Special PN 1994 .C5     Le Cinéma: des origines à nos jours / Fescourt 

Special PN 1998 .A3 G72    D.W. Griffith: American Film Master. / Iris Barry

Flat Folio NC 1807 .S65 S65 1985    The Soviet Political Poster.

Flat Folio NC 1807 .S65 S6613     The Soviet Arts Poster : theatre, cinema, ballet, circus, 1917-1987 / Baburina (1990)

Flat Folio N 6853 .D8 S32 1969    Notes and Projects for the Large Glass. / Marcel Duchamp

Special Oversize N 6853 .D8 S3 1969    The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp. / Arturo Schwartz

Special Periodical    Radical Software Vol. 1 no. 6 (1971); Vol. 2 no. 1 (1972)

Artists' Books W234I    Andy Warhol's Index. / Andy Warhol

Special N 6537 .W28 A35 1968    a: a novel. / Andy Warhol

Flat Folio N 6537 .W28 A4 2006    Andy Warhol "Giant" Size. 

Special TR 647 .W365 2004    Andy Warhol: Red Books.

Flat Folio NC 1807 .C9 S7 1970    The Art of Revolution: Castro's Cuba: 1959-1970. / Dugald Stermer

Artists' Books EL34    Jim Elgin's PTV, Poetry Television. / Jim Elgin

Special Oversize TR 654 .S478 1990    Untitled Film Stills. / Cindy Sherman

Special N 6537 .B223 C5 1997    Cremaster 5. / Matthew Barney

Artists' Books Oversize Sa58Eu    EUR. / Mario Santoro-Woith

Flat Folio TT 490 .V57 no. 33    Visionaire: Touch.

Flat Folio TT 490 .V57 no. 50    Visionaire: Artist Toys.

Duplication Options:

All duplication requests are subject to copyright fair use restrictions.  Due to the often fragile condition of special materials, duplication requests are granted at the discretion of the librarian or staff member.  Scanning and photocopying requests are processed by library staff.  Readers may also take their own digital photographs, upon request.

Sketching and Note-taking:

Graphite and ordinary pencils are the only kind of writing implement allowed in Special Collections when using special materials.  Sketchbooks, notebooks or other paper are allowed as well as laptops.  

Other Special Resources:

Highlights of our collections, selected bookmarks for useful websites, and information about library exhibitions can also be found on our Special Collections Blog