Special Collections Research Center

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Past Exhibits

Past Exhibits

  • Living the Legacy

    Oral Histories Commemorating 50 years of African Americans in Residence at William & Mary

    On Display: August 31, 2017 - May 10, 2018

    Location: Swem Entrance Gallery

    As a part of the commemorative efforts, William & Mary’s oral historian, alongside Special Collections and the 50th Anniversary Committee, is recording the stories of alumni, faculty and staff in an…

  • Mystical, Magical, Mysterious

    The Mademoiselle Zare Papers

    On Display: March 22 - April 18, 2018

    Location: Swem Lobby Exhibit Case

    The Mademoiselle Zare Papers give us a peek into the life of a woman who not only worked for herself, but made a living telling customers the secrets that could be uncovered in the palm of their hand.

  • Founders

    The People Behind W&M

    On Display: February 12 - March 11, 2018

    Location: Swem Lobby Exhibit Case

    This year’s Charter Day marked the 325th anniversary of the founding of William & Mary by William III and Mary II, the first and (to date) only joint-monarchs in British history. An exhibition in the…

  • The World in a Book

    Travel for Curiosity, Adventure, and Profit in Early Modern Europe

    On Display: June 21, 2017 - February 25, 2018

    Location: Special Collections Lobby

    This exhibition shows only a sampling of the travel books in Swem Library’s Special Collections at William & Mary. The works on display describe the world in words but also with maps and…

  • Twas the Night Before Christmas

    The Nancy H. Marshall "A Visit from St. Nicholas" Collection of Clement Clark Moore's Immortal Poem

    On Display: December 1, 2017 - January 2, 2018

    Location: Read & Relax

    Drawing inspiration from Moore’s words, “The children were nestled all snug in their beds, / While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads,” the focus of this year’s exhibit is the food culture…

  • 情趣与精神 / Sentiment and Spirit

    Expressions through Ink and Brush

    On Display: October 17 - December 22, 2017

    Location: Read & Relax

    This exhibit features student artwork from Chinese calligraphy courses taught at William & Mary in MLL's Chinese Studies Program.

  • Between the Pages

    Found at Swem

    On Display: November 3 - 30, 2017

    Location: Swem Lobby Exhibit Case

    This collection features objects that our patrons left behind in library books or around the building. Many were not exactly lost but rather forgotten; others may have been more purposely left behind.

  • Magical Creatures & the Staff Who Keep Them

    On Display: June 16 - September 17, 2017

    Location: Botetourt Gallery

    The verdict is in: We love our pets! Staff at Swem Library and affiliated organizations have submitted images and videos of their beloved pets. We hope you enjoy our companions as much as we do.

  • Pugs, People, and the Peter Chapin Collection

    On Display: December 22, 2016 - September 10, 2017

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    Special Collections highlights the contributions of pug-enthusiast donors to our collection of dog-related materials, which range from books and representations in popular culture to ephemera and…

  • Fact & Fantasy

    Selected Costume History Books, 1804-1936

    On Display: June 20, 2016 - July 11, 2017

    Location: 3rd Floor Rotunda Gallery

    The costume history books represented in this exhibit were intended to give mostly French and English audiences a view—through the lens of costume—into the lives of peoples and places near and far,…

  • Hidden Virginia History

    The Connection Between the Buffalo Soldiers and the Philippines

    On Display: February 13 - May 15, 2017

    Location: Botetourt Gallery

    Between 1899 and 1902 the United States engaged in a war of imperialism in the Philippines. African-American soldiers were expected to "take up the white man's burden" during this war for a country…

  • Written in Confidence

    The Unpublished Letters of James Monroe

    On Display: February 11 - May 14, 2017

    Location: Muscarelle Museum of Art

    William & Mary Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center recently acquired 30 unpublished letters related to James Monroe, one of the university's most famous alumni. Revealing new pieces of…

  • Scholarship on Display: Kinesiology and Health Sciences

    On Display: November 4, 2016 - May 14, 2017

    Location: Swem Entrance Gallery

    Scholarship On Display, located in Swem Library’s lobby, features publications and research from current faculty members in the Kinesiology & Health Sciences Department. 

  • Map of Good Vibes

    Student Portraiture by Aaron Bayles '17

    On Display: April 5 - May 7, 2017

    Location: Botetourt Gallery

    Aaron Bayles '17 explores the connections that people create with locations around them and how we project positive emotions ("good vibes") onto these physical places through portraits of students in…

  • This Just In

    New Acquisitions at Special Collections

    On Display: August 31, 2016 - February 28, 2017

    Location: Special Collections Lobby

    The Special Collections Research Center regularly acquires new materials for our University Archives, Manuscript, and Rare Book collections to provide valuable learning and research opportunities to…

  • Queer Comics

    On Display: January 27 - February 28, 2017

    Location: Read & Relax

    Wonderfully smart and insightful, and at times sad and painful, the queer comics on display in this exhibit were completed as part of a class assignment for Queer Comics (GSWS 290) in Fall 2016.

  • UnMade in Cuba

    Carteles de Cine

    On Display: February 5, 2016 - January 31, 2017

    UnMade in Cuba is brought to you by W&M Libraries in partnership with the New Media Workshop, co-taught by Professor Ann Marie Stock (Hispanic Studies, Film and Media Studies) and Troy Davis …

  • ‘Twas the Night before Christmas

    The Nancy H. Marshall “A Visit from St. Nicholas” Collection

    On Display: December 6, 2016 - January 15, 2017

    Location: Read & Relax

    Continuing our annual tradition of showcasing the books, this year’s exhibit reflects on the enduring popularity of Moore’s poem through its visual and narrative structure.

  • Exceptional in Any Age

    On Display: April 26 - December 11, 2016

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    By considering Lady Skipwith’s ownership of books, how her library differed from those of men, and what it allowed her to do, we gain some insight into the intellectual life of elite women during an…

  • 情趣与精神 / Sentiment and Spirit

    On Display: August 4 - November 30, 2016

    Location: Read & Relax

    This exhibit features student artwork from Chinese calligraphy courses taught at William & Mary in MLL's Chinese Studies Program.