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The Archives serves as the institutional
memory of Georgetown University. As such, it acquires,
preserves, and makes
available records of enduring value which
document University activities, functions, decisions,
policies and programs.
Georgetown established its Archives as
early as 1816, one of the first American colleges
to do so. Because
of this longevity, the Archives has an
unusually rich collection, housing material from 1786
-- even before
the University’s founding in 1789 -- to the present.
More information on holdings can be found
in the guide to the University
Archives.
The Archives aims to support research, to aid teaching,
and to promote understanding of Georgetown’s rich
heritage. Use by all members of the University
community is encouraged. External researchers
are also welcome.
The University Archivist, Lynn Conway,
is available to advise and assist in
the use of this collection. She can
be contacted via
email or at 202-687-7631.
The University Art Collection, much of which
is displayed in various administrative offices
around campus, is comprised
mostly of gifts from alumni and friends.
Since it reflects manifold tastes and collecting
interests, the collection
is quite diverse and includes over 500 paintings,
as well as antique furnishings, sculpture,
and objets d’art.
The paintings collection is strong in Baroque,
nineteenth century American, portraiture,
and works of religious significance.
Highlights of the art collection, ranging
from a thirteenth century church carving
of The Education of the Virgin to
the monumental Calling of St. Matthew by
Luca Giordano, are on permanent display
in Carroll Parlor in historic
Healy Hall. (Click
here for current hours.)
Other works for which we lack adequate display
space, or those too fragile to display,
are in vault storage. To
view selections from the collection, please
browse the University
Art Collection's website.
In addition, the University has a substantial collection
of over 12,000 fine prints, housed in Lauinger Library,
which are displayed in its Charles Marvin
Fairchild Memorial Gallery in rotating exhibitions four times a year. This
collection emphasizes twentieth century American prints
as well as works produced in or
relating to Georgetown and the greater Washington area. The result of generous
gifts and some judicious acquisitions, the collection was assembled by Joseph
A. Haller, S.J., Emeritus Curator of Fine Prints, formerly the University Treasurer.
A searchable
list of the prints and printmakers is available online.
Visitors
are welcome to view prints or other objects from the art collection,
and are encouraged to
schedule an appointment ahead of time.
The Art Collection Coordinator, LuLen
Walker, is available to advise and assist in the
use of this collection. She can
be contacted via via
email or at 202-687-1469.
The Manuscripts Librarian, Nicholas Scheetz, is available
to advise and assist in the use of this
collection. He can be contacted via via
email or
at 202-687-7614.
The Rare Book Section comprises something over 100,000
printed volumes distributed in more than 20 separate
collections, including items on many different subjects
and items printed in many different languages. With an
ever-decreasing number notwithstanding, almost all those
cataloged are included in GEORGE. Like other Special
Collections material, books do not circulate.
The core of the Rare Book Section is the group of materials
collected at Georgetown before the end of the nineteenth
century. Among these by far the most important are the
surviving portion of the “original” library
(that as embodied in the last manuscript catalog, dating
from about 1836); the Americana-rich library of John
Gilmary Shea, acquired in 1892; and the classical and
scientific library of Rev. Thomas C. Levins, acquired
in 1844.
Noteworthy acquisitions since 1970, when the Special
Collections Division was formed, include the former rare
book collection of the University of Detroit, the Bowen
Collection (intelligence, spying, and covert activities,
in all more than 20,000 volumes), and a variety of literary
collections ranging from important holdings of authors
such as Charles Dickens, C. S. Forester, Graham Greene,
and Arthur Ransome to assemblages documenting the history
of such current topics as the Man Booker Prize and the
National Book Award.
The Manuscripts Librarian, Nicholas
Sheetz, is available to advise
and assist in the use of this collection.
E.B. Williams Law Library Special Collections
The Georgetown Law Center's E.B Williams
Law Library has a separate staff and collections. Click
on the above link for more information.
The
Woodstock Theological Center Library
Housed in the lower level of Lauinger Library,
the Woodstock Theological Center Library has
impressive special collections of 16th -19th
Century Roman Catholic, Jesuit, and American
theological resources.
Angelica Image Library
The Georgetown University's Department of
Art, Music, and Theater's image database.
Access is limited to Georgetown
faculty, staff, and students.
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