Bryn Mawr College

Special Collections

Bryn Mawr College Special Collections manages extensive collections of art, artifacts, rare books, manuscripts, and photographs, as well as the historical records of the College.  Please consult the individual pages for the Art and Artifact Collections and Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives to learn more about the collections.

Special Collections is also the home of many digital collections including the Castle Collection of Natural History Illustrations, the Catt Collection Suffrage Photographs, and the Early Advertising Collection. We have also digitized many items from the College Archives, including selections from the Bryn Mawr College Photo Archives, the Scrapbook and Photo Album collection, early editions of the College News, and a number of other College Publications. Learn more about our digital collections in the Digital Collections at Bryn Mawr College research guide.

The collections mentioned above are part of Triptych | The Tri-College Digital Library, a digital initiative of the Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore College Libraries. Browse or search these collections at triptych.brynmawr.edu.

Our Art and Artifact Collections Database is now live. View over 30,000 objects from the Art & Artifact Collections, plus objects from Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges, at triarte.brynmawr.edu.

Finding aids for many of our archival and manuscript collections can be searched along with those of other Philadelphia-area collections using the PACSCL Finding Aids website.

Special Collections is also home to The Albert M. Greenfield Digital Center for the History of Women's Education, which aims to foster scholarship and dialogue on the history of women's education by providing a digital space that will act as a locus for inquiry and research into these diverse histories. Learn more at greenfield.brynmawr.edu.

Special Collections News . . .

Theory and Practice: Students in Spring course produce exhibition and education program Part 4

The Spring 2013 course “The Curator in the Museum” at Bryn Mawr College mixes theory into practice in the new exhibition “Making our World” located on the second floor of Canaday Library. Through readings and guest lectures related to the … Continue reading →