What is the Graphic Arts Collection?
The Graphic Arts Collection is a special collection within Princeton's library system that collects original art, bound in books or looseleaf. The goal of the collection is to document the history of printing without being confined to works of high art. Instead of just collecting fine art like a museum or just collecting books like a library, the collection contains all kinds of materials from labels to tobacco packaging to livres d'artistes to cartoons. This collection is a great way to see artwork and texts in person, either for research or for reference in your own works.
What kinds of materials does the collection have?
You can view some of the finding aids of the collection here, you can search the collection of fine press and illustrated books in the main catalog, and there is a separate catalog for prints, drawings, and other non-book materials. Here are a few highlights of the collection:
There are tons of other interesting works and objects in the collection, and it's well worth exploring!
Can I go there?
Yes. Come prepared with a work in mind that you want to view (depending on what it is, the librarians may have to get it out of storage). The Graphic Arts Collection is accessible via the library catalog. One portion of the collection concerns works on paper: see the "Visual Material" facet/limit under Format on the left-hand side of the catalog interface.
Molly Dotson