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.

Special Oversize N7396.6 .N35 B7 1955 The White Lady of the Brandberg.

Special Oversize N5310.5 .S6 J63 1979  Major Rock Paintings of Southern Africa.

Flat Folio NK1087.6 .N5 B68 1973  Antiquities from the City of Benin: and from Other Parts of West Africa in the British Museum.

Special GT513 .R32 1876 v. 5 Le Costume Historique / Racinet.

Special Oversize T500 .C1 D7 1893 The Dream City: a portfolio of photographic views..

Flat Folio T500 .C1 O8 1894 Oriental and Occidental Northern and Southern Portrait Types of the Midway Plaisance.

Special GN418 .J692 v.2 Women of All Nations (shorter version of 1908-09 edition).

Special Oversize DT646 .M53 v.2 Le Miroir du Congo Belge (1929).

Special NB1099 .C6 L44 1989 v. 2  Art Bakongo: Les Centres de Style.

Special Oversize N7399 .C6 C613 1971  Art of Africa: Treasures from the Congo.

Special Oversize NK1177 .D4 v.1 La Décoration Primitive, vol. 1 Afrique (1920s).

Special Oversize NK1530 .B6 1924 Ornament in Applied Art.

Special N7380 .L3513 1968 African Art (copy also in Main Library).

Special NB 1080 .K5 v.1  Centres de Style de la Sculpture Nègre Africaine.

Special N7380 .A39 1935  African Negro Art.

Flat Folio TR654 .R57 1994 Africa / Herb Ritts.

Flat Folio NK4890 .E86 B8813 1994 Ethnic Jewelry: Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.

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