Special Collections Research Center

Dark wood card catalog with one drawer opened
Past Exhibits

Past Exhibits

  • Four framed pictures with descriptive texts hanging on a brick wall.

    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…

  • A man and a woman in sports attire using a piece of gym equipment.

    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. 

  • Partial sketch of a person with a colored geometric overlay on a textured background.

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    The Unpublished Letters of James Monroe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    William & Mary Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center recently acquired 30 unpublished letters related to James Monroe, one of the university's most famous alumni.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

  • Portrait of student featured on the map

    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…

  • A cartoon drawing of two donut characters with stick-figure legs. The left donut has pink frosting and a swirl design, while the right donut has brown frosting.

    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.

  • Open book with three square sections cut out. Strings from the cut-outs spell the words Print is Dead

    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…

  • Abstract yellow and orange silhouette of a person with overlayed cursive text and skull and gun icons on an olive background.

    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 …

  • An artistic depiction of a bearded man in a festive hat smoking a pipe, with abstract patterns.

    ‘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.

  • Vintage botanical illustration of a flowering plant with green leaves on a beige background.

    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…

  • Black Chinese character on a dark red background

    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.

  • Family crest in a stained glass window

    The Cabell Papers

    The Measure of a Family

    On Display: October 21 - November 30, 2016

    Location: Read & Relax

    The Cabell Family Papers in Swem’s Special Collections Research Center include correspondence, publications, genealogical records, literary manuscripts, accounts and land transactions, dating from…

  • Vintage illustration of a modernist building.

    Swem Library Celebrates 50 Years

    On Display: August 29 - November 2, 2016

    Location: Swem Entrance Gallery

    This year, William & Mary’s Earl Gregg Swem Library marks its 50th birthday. Taken from the University Archives Photograph Collection, the images in this exhibit show the planning, construction, and…

  • Stylized illustration of a black quill pen over an abstract background.

    Scholarship on Display: English Department

    On Display: November 3, 2015 - October 31, 2016

    Location: Bright Gallery, 2nd Floor Rotunda

    This exhibit features publications and research from current faculty members in the English Department.

  • Two people working in a field, one digging and the other standing with a shovel.

    Can You Dig It?

    On Display: October 3 - 31, 2016

    Location: Read & Relax

    This exhibit is a photographic glimpse into the archaeology of William & Mary over the last 70 years.

  • Line drawing of the Wren building

    The First Library of the College

    Up in Flames

    On Display: December 17, 2015 - June 30, 2016

    Location: Special Collections Lobby

    In the late seventeenth century, colleges usually built their library collections from donations, not college funds. The main donor for William & Mary’s first library was Francis Nicholson, the royal…

  • Teapot

    Joseph Palin Thorley

    Artisan, Scholar, Soldier, Historian

    On Display: June 10, 2015 - June 12, 2016

    Location: 3rd Floor Rotunda Gallery

    Featuring documents, photographs, and selected ceramic works from the Joseph Palin Thorley Papers in Swem Library’s Special Collections Research Center, this exhibit provides unique insights into the…

  • Three soccer players in action, one with the ball, in a black-and-white photo.

    Tribe Pride

    William & Mary Athletics Display

    On Display: June 15, 2015 - June 12, 2016

    Location: Kaplan Arena

    Tribe Pride: William & Mary Athletics Display uses photographs, artifacts, and publications housed in the University Archives to showcase history of intercollegiate sports at William & Mary.

  • People marching with LGBTQIA pride flags on a sunny day.

    William & Mary Mattachine LGBTIQ Research Project

    Documenting the LGBTIQ Past in Virginia

    On Display: April 1 - 28, 2016

    Location: Swem Entrance Gallery

    The William & Mary Mattachine LGBTIQ Research Project: Documenting the LGBTIQ Past in Virginia aims to better understand, chronicle, and preserve the history of LGBTIQ people in Virginia.

  • Headshot of Rev. Curtis Harris

    Honoring Local Leaders: Rev. Curtis Harris

    On Display: July 22, 2015 - March 31, 2016

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    Over the course of a fifty-year career, Rev. Harris has served his community of Hopewell, Virginia, not only as a civil rights activist, but also as political official and religious leader.

  • Graphic with stylized letters "A to Z" on a dark patterned background.

    In Alphabetical Order

    A Selection of Materials from Special Collections

    On Display: October 22, 2015 - March 31, 2016

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    This exhibit features a selection of the varied materials found in Swem Library's Special Collections, arranged from A to Z.