Special Collections at Pitt

Special Collections at Pitt The Special Collections Department is the designation for rare books, general manuscripts, and speci

-UPDATE, 8/14/2017-
The ULS' two largest distinctive collections units have merged- we are now part of the new Archives & Special Collections! To follow us, keep in contact, or learn more, please see our new page at https://www.facebook.com/pittarchivesandspecialcollections/

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Established in 1966, the collections consists of over 52,000 physical volumes, 560 linear feet of manuscripts and archiv

es, 13,000 photographs, 500,000 theater programs, and various slides, microfilms, posters, recordings, ephemera, and memorabilia. Materials collected by the Special Collections Department are housed in both Hillman Library and the Library Collections Storage Unit (LCSU) in Point Breeze. Given the variety of collecting areas, the language is not limited to English and may include French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Latin. Geographically, the collection range varies within different subject areas and may include New York and western Pennsylvania with an emphasis on Pittsburgh for theatre material; Germany and the United States for the Philosophy works; and the rare book collection may contain material from East Asian, Latin American, Western and Eastern European, and British countries as well as the United States. The diversity in collecting regions reflects the Special Collections Department’s commitment to support the wide-ranging teaching strengths of the University. Chronologically, Special Collections seeks materials dating from the earliest written word to the present that reflect the collection strengths.

09/14/2017

Have you gotten a chance to follow our new page yet? If you haven't, make sure to check us out at Archives & Special Collections at Pitt!

Looking for information on Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and University of Pittsburgh history? Make sure to check out the ASC at Pitt!

In September of 1976 the Avengers announced a new line up. Today, we are ready to do the same. Special Collections is jo...
08/14/2017

In September of 1976 the Avengers announced a new line up. Today, we are ready to do the same. Special Collections is joining forces and merging with the Archives Service Center in order to become a stronger archives and rare books team, now known as Archives & Special Collections. Archives & Special Collections will still focus on acquiring, arranging, describing, preserving, and providing reference and outreach services for an even wider variety of archival and printed material and with greater expertise. Due to this exciting change, we will no longer be posting on this page. Instead, follow Archives & Special Collections at https://www.facebook.com/pittarchivesandspecialcollections/. See you there!

07/31/2017

This distinctive copy of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles was published in 1974 as a limited edition. Only 2000 copies were printed, and were signed by both Bradbury and the illustrator. Bradbury...

Did you know that this week is the first annual International Women in Baseball Week? Women and girls have been playing ...
07/24/2017

Did you know that this week is the first annual International Women in Baseball Week? Women and girls have been playing baseball since the game was invented and this week was created in order to help raise awareness of the importance of women and girl’s inclusion in the sport. In recognition, Special Collections will be highlighting materials throughout the week with a focus on women in baseball. Be sure to check out the International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC) for more information.

07/20/2017

Geoffrey Chaucer, the renowned English author, wrote much more than just The Canterbury Tales, though that is what he is most famous for. In fact, at Special Collections you can find a beautiful copy...

07/18/2017

This anthology, collected and published by James Boswell in London in 1769, contains essays in support of the independence of the Corsican Republic. You might know James Boswell as one of the most...

Escape the summer heat and stop by Special Collections to view our new exhibit. The exhibit features editions of The Com...
07/12/2017

Escape the summer heat and stop by Special Collections to view our new exhibit. The exhibit features editions of The Compleat Angler published from the 17th century through the 20th century. We have woven quotations from the 1676 edition throughout the exhibit, along with digitized images of engravings from the 1822 and the 1836 editions. Also included are 15th century to present-day works of art and angling-related literature with highlighted excerpts by writers that influenced, or were inspired or challenged by The Compleat Angler.

This exhibit, free to the public, is located on the 3rd floor of Hillman Library, at 3960 Forbes Avenue, and can be viewed M-F, 9-445. We look forward to seeing you!

The Special Collections Department is featuring articles written by our student staff in conjunction with our current ex...
06/30/2017

The Special Collections Department is featuring articles written by our student staff in conjunction with our current exhibit, The Compleat Angler: And Other Meditations on the Art and Philosophy of Fishing, 15th Century to the Present, which is currently located in Hillman Library, Third Floor, Room 363, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh. Take a look:

In 1969, The Radical Therapist began in the unlikeliest of places: Minot, North Dakota. It was the brainchild of three o...
06/29/2017

In 1969, The Radical Therapist began in the unlikeliest of places: Minot, North Dakota. It was the brainchild of three officers in the U.S. Air Force Regional Hospital. Together with several other friends and staff members, they formed a collective that solicited articles, editors and subscriptions, and worked to produce and distribute the journal. Emerging in the context of the radical counterculture, The Radical Therapist was an “alternate journal” in the mental health field and criticized mainstream psychiatric treatment and philosophy of the time. Its motto was “Therapy means social, political and personal change, not adjustment”.

The School for Scandal is a famous comedic play written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London i...
06/27/2017

The School for Scandal is a famous comedic play written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London in 1777, but Special Collections has an 1892 copy of the script. To learn more:

06/26/2017

Recently, we received a donation of manuscripts and ephemera from the family of the famous writer Hervey Allen. Over the past year the collection, which mostly contains the papers of Hervey’s...

Address

Pittsburgh, PA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:45pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:45pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:45pm
Thursday 9am - 4:45pm
Friday 9am - 4:45pm

Telephone

+14126488190

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