Rare Books
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Rare Books are historically significant printed books in Western languages dating from the 16th century down through the present whose topics may fall outside Special Collections' other main areas of content development. These rare books represent American political history and popular literature, American literary pamphlets, German-language Bibles, western European history, British intellectual and cultural periodicals, and publications of American and European scientific societies.
Collection Strengths
- Gilded Age Literature
- The Warren Collection contains early serialized sets of Mark Twain's work.
- Also included in the Warren Collection is an early edition 3-volume set of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations from the Enlightenment period.
- Early editions of Horatio Alger's work are notable in this collection.
- The Warren Collection contains early serialized sets of Mark Twain's work.
- German-Language Bibles
- Lutherbibels in this collection include a 17th century Elector Bible printed in Nuremberg by Wolfgang Endter and early editions of the Saur Bibles which have the distinction of being among the first Bibles printed in Colonial America in a European language.
- American Literary Pamphlets
- Includes "fanzines" and periodicals devoted to specific genres of fiction. Highlights include first printings of The Lovecraft Collectors Library which contains five volumes of obscure stories, essays, and poems by "weird fiction" pioneer H.P. Lovecraft with additional commentaries from his peers.
Research Tips
- Search the Forsyth Library Catalog. Begin by searching keywords for your research topic. From the results list, use the right sidebar to filter results under the “Location” heading to show only the locations designated with the prefix “Special Collections - Rare Books” or one of several derivatives.
- Ask a Librarian for research help
- Make an appointment
Exhibitions and Featured Digital Content
Forsyth Library's exhibition program includes both site-based and online exhibitions that incorporate materials from Rare Books.
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Additional Information
Special Collections Digital Collections Exhibits
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