Special collections

Published 3 November 2003

Prints, posters & photographs

This material comprises over 20,000 sheet illustrations from the book-historical collections, the Jewish collections, the topographical collections, the church history collections and other holdings of the Library of the University of Amsterdam, including many portraits and (Dutch) historical prints. Although there is a large number of early prints, the greater part of the material dates from the nineteenth century.

In addition the Special Collections Department preserves a collection of portraits (begun in 1743), posters, prints and photographs. In the Artis Library a collection in the field of zoology is housed.

Poster Jan Sluyters, 1915.

Main focus

  • The book-historical collections consist of e.g. portraits of booksellers and printers, illustrations of interiors of businesses and (often nineteenth-century) illustrations executed in special graphic techniques. There are also important collections of posters relating to the Dutch book trade (ca. 1840-1940) and Copper Monday prints. All this material originates for the greater part from the Collection of the Royal Society of the Dutch Book Trade and the Typographical Library.
  • The collection in the field of Hebraica and Judaica in the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana comprises (besides some drawings and paintings) approximately 2,000 photographs and engravings, including many portraits.
  • The Church History Collections provide for example many portraits of ministers and illustrations of church buildings. These collections comprise Dutch visual material in particular. The entire print collection of the Mennonite Library can be accessed online via its special image database.

Source: Redactie BC
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