Online Exhibitions

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Zoos- A Historical Perspective

Zoos: A Historical Perspective


A collection of pamphlets and guide books published by zoos over the past century has been collected by the National Zoological Park branch of the Smithsonian Libraries. This online sample of these items, which includes maps, drawings and photographs of zoos from over 30 states and 40 countries is intended to highlight the value of this resource for both zoo and cultural historians. Few libraries or archives today contain materials showing the evolution of zoos in the modern era to the extent that this collection does.

Cover of The Scientific Shop showing a microscope

Instruments for Science


Scientific trade literature is a unique and uniquely valuable category of historical evidence. But it has not always been so highly regarded. Being commercial documents, catalogs have traditionally had a hard time fitting into library or archive collections. Even the companies that printed these catalogs expected their usefulness to end as soon as the next edition was printed. That's why so many of them were printed on the cheapest paper available. In many ways it's not surprising that so few of them have survived - or that when they have survived, their existence has gone unnoticed.

Screen capture from the old website showing the title Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web

Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web


Explore the rich variety of topics, images, and materials featured in online exhibitions from libraries, archives, historical societies, and museums around the world.  Search for exhibitions by subject, institution, or exhibition name.

Music HerStory

Music HerStory

Pamphlets, a schedule, and flyer for the Woodstock Festival in 1963

Igniting Artistic Consciousness


The AA/PG Library received the donation of ephemera for more than 3,000 artists from the Art Students League of New York (ASL) in January 2017. The exhibition will be on view in the AA/PG Library Reading Room from August-December, 2017.

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