In the new Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library
Fall 2008

Treasures from the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library Special Collections

The special collections of the new Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library comprise materials from the former locations of the Art & Architecture Library, the Arts of the Book Collection, and the Drama Library. This exhibition includes materials from each of these collections, including rare and unique, published and archival materials. Highlights include Lodovico Dolce's Dialogo…nel quale si ragiona delle qualità, diversità, e proprietà de i colori, published in Venice in 1565, from the Faber Birren Collection of Books on Color; woodcuts and proofs for the illustrations of The Devil's Dictionary, published by the Limited Editions Club, from the personal and artistic archives of illustrator Fritz Kredel; an original wood engraving for the cover illustration of the 1943 Random House edition of Wuthering Heights drawn from the papers of artist and illustrator Fritz Eichenberg; set designs for a production of Salome from the archive of costume and set designer Rollo Peters; cabinet photographs from the Rockefeller Theatrical Prints Collection; and a miniature puppet theatre from the Arts Library collections of George Pierce Baker, the first head of the Yale University Department of Drama (1925-1933).

Collections
Descriptions of our most popular materials including search tips and information on materials requiring advance notice to view. The Special Collections Request Form is available online in PDF format to be given to staff in AOB or fill it out online.

Exhibitions
Summaries of our exhibitions from Fall 2000 to the present.

Book Arts Links
Selected links to web resources on the book arts.

Arts Library Special Collections is currently closed as we move to the new Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library. We will reopen in the fall.

Reading Room policies and procedures. Online requests for materials must use this form:
http://www.library.yale.edu/aob/speccollrequest.html

Special appointments are possible for scholars traveling from a distance and required for class meetings. Policy on hosting non-Yale classes. Call (203) 432-1712 or email the librarian, Jae Jennifer Rossman, at jae.rossman@yale.edu for more information.

Thesis Request Procedure
Graphic Design and Photography MFA theses must be requested at least 48 hours (2 business days) in advance of the desired viewing date. Policy details are available online. Requests can be made in person or with our online form. Maximum of 5 theses per request. Provide the student name and box number, which can be found in the finding aid for the collection.
PDF Finding Aids for MFA Theses:
Photography / Graphic Design

Faber Birren Collection of Books on Color
Image Database
To facilitate use of the collection, the Arts Library has created a stand-alone image database for the Birren Collection. The database contains records for all items in the collection, with categories assigned that allow researchers to easily see groups of related materials. Searching by individual details (author, title, etc) is also possible. Keyword searching should still be done in the library’s online catalog, Orbis. As the database is still in development, not all works have images. Nor will all works have images upon completion as some books are text only. Each book with significant visual material has from one to three images representing the content of the work.
http://images.library.yale.edu/birren/database.html

Finding Aids
Online versions of a selection of finding aids available for archival collections.

Book Arts Ephemera Database
Ephemera files provide important information on activities and people that are currently exhibiting but not yet in the limelight. These files also document lesser known artists and exhibition spaces. AOB holds 14 linear feet and growing of materials that have been collected since the early 1980's on various contemporary artists and presses. This database represents a small sample of our ephemeral holdings for which we have received permission to post on the Internet.