Rare Books

Barnard Rare Book Collection

The Barnard Rare Book Collection is a 477-volume collection of rare books and manuscripts that was placed on deposit at Columbia in the summer of 2010 and is presently housed in the Columbia Rare Book & Manuscript Library.  Used in the past by faculty to support research and inform curricula, the collection spans centuries and continents, and hosts the works of early-modern philosophers like Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon together with the works of contemporary poets such as Charles Bukowski and Serge Gavronsky.  Taken as a whole, these volumes showcase the breadth and richness of Barnard's rare book collection, which ranges widely from classical texts printed during the Renaissance to 21st-century artists' books.  Seven bibles form a centerpiece of the holdings; of particular note is the two-volume 1866 Sainte Bible, with illustrations by well-known French artist, Gustave Doré. Featuring several folio editions (including a 1755 edition of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language) and a number of miniatures (complete with a 2-volume 1823 edition of the Divina Commedia of Dante Alighieri), the collection additionally has a strong showing of works in 18th century British drama, including some scarce compilations by female dramatists, among them Hannah More and Susanna Centlivre.

Some Barnard Archives rare books are viewable online at the Digital Scriptorium, Columbia University.