Published 28/12/2017
Libraries offer a rich source of imagery and historical documents, and we are proud to represent a number of these great institutions around the world.
Here we hightlight only some of these amazing collections:
British Library, London, UK
Bridgeman Images now represent the British Library exclusively in the UK.
The British Library's collections are unrivalled, comprising of over 18 million items from all continents of the world. The collections are extremely diverse, including maps, photographs, bookbinding, newspapers, and many other treasures of historical importance. The archive holds a unique and constantly growing collection of superb images of international importance, including the Magna Carta and Lindisfarne Gospels, as well as religious art, social history and portraiture.
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The Newberry Library, Chicago
The Newberry Library was founded on July 1, 1887 and opened for business on September 6 of that year. It was intended to be a free public library for the city of Chicago. The collection consists of a wide range of material including American history, Native American history, maps and travel, history of the Chicago and the Midwest, amongst other things.
Lambeth Palace Library, London, UK
Lambeth Palace Library is the historic library and record office of the Archbishops of Canterbury and the principal repository of the documentary history of the Church of England. Its collections have been available for research since 1610.
The records held there date from the 9th century to the present day, and their broad scope reflects the office of Archbishop as head of the Province of Canterbury, as well as his national and international roles in leading the Church of England and the Anglican Communion worldwide, and the wealth and power of Archbishops in past centuries which enabled them to collect books and manuscripts of the highest quality and significance.
State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
The State Library of NSW is one of the great libraries of the world, with a history dating back to 1826. Its renowned historical and contemporary collections, comprising more than six million items, hold the growing history of Australia.
Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland
The Library’s history dates back to the establishment of the College in 1592 and it is the largest library in Ireland. Today it has over 6 million printed volumes with extensive collections of journals, manuscripts, maps and music reflecting over 400 years of academic development. The most famous of its manuscripts, the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow, were presented by Henry Jones, Bishop of Meath and former vice-chancellor of the University, in the 1660s.
Free Library of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Free Library of Philadelphia was chartered in 1891 as "a general library which shall be free to all", through efforts led by Dr. William Pepper.
Located at the Parkway Central Library, the Free Library’s Special Collections span genres and generations, from ancient cuneiform tablets to children's book illustrations and historic photographs of Philadelphia.
St Paul's Cathedral Library, London
The library's collection at St Paul's Cathedral was almost completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Wren's library chamber was restocked by the Commissioners for rebuilding St Paul's: they bought collections, including valuable Bibles and liturgical texts, and were fortunate to receive a generous bequest in 1712 of nearly two thousand volumes from the library of Henry Compton, late Bishop of London.
Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
Manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and decorative arts complete this amazing collection which are all the result of the collecting activities of one man - Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968). Egyptian papyrus texts, beautifully illuminated copies of the Qur'an, the Bible, medieval and renaissance manuscripts are among the highlights. In its diversity, the collection captures much of the richness of human creative expression from about 2700 BC to the present day.
The University of St Andrews has an outstanding collection of books, archives and photography, accumulated throughout the six hundred years since the University’s foundation. The collection is especially rich in the History of Science, Theology and Church History, Literary Studies and Photography. In addition to a substantial collection of incunabulum and early printed books, the library has a significant eighteenth-century collection dating from its period as a Copyright Library (1710-1836). The archives also include an exceptional collection of 15th -16th century materials relating to Fife and to the University and city of St Andrews.
Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris
The Bibliotheque Nationale de France’s collections are unique in the world: 15 million books and printed documents, manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps and plans, scores, coins, medals, sound documents, video and multimedia documents, and scenery elements. All disciplines, whether intellectual, artistic or scientific, are represented in a comprehensively.
Denver Public Library, Colorado
In June 1889, City Librarian John Cotton Dana established the Denver Public Library in a wing of Denver High School. He referred to it as a "center of public happiness." In 1910, the city opened a Central Library building of its own, an elegant Greek temple design funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and located in downtown's Civic Center Park.
The collection is steeped in American history, with wonderful images from the "wild west", native american culture and black american history.
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Need assistance?
If you are working on a project and need help sourcing a specific image, email us at uksales@bridgemanimages.com.