The Newberry Library was founded in July of 1887 from the generosity of Walter L. Newberry, who left $2.2 million for the establishment of a free, public library on the north side of Chicago. After an 1896 agreement with the John Crerar Library(now operated by the University of Chicago) to avoid the duplication of academic resources, the Newberry came to focus mainly on providing books, maps, and manuscripts for students of the humanities. Led by their president, Daniel Greene, as well as a dedicated team of librarians, curators, and other specialists, the Newberry continues to provide an unparalleled collection of humanities content.
The Newberry runs a plethora of events aimed at students of the humanities, including exhibitions, classes, meet-the-author talks, concerts, and other such events open to the public (including a Studs Terkel 100th birthday party and a Moby Dick readathon).
In addition, the Newberry's collection of company and corporate records is second to none. Within them you can find the individual and intimate stories of figures involved in some of the most important events in Chicago history: Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (1877 Battle of the Halsted Viaduct), Western Electric (the Eastland Disaster), and the Pullman Palace Car Company (Great Migration) to name a few. These records include the names, ages, and addresses of the striking workers who lost either their jobs or their lives in late 19th century labor disputes. While secondary sources can provide the number of those involved in the Battle, here you'll find the details to make them human again.
Newberry Collection Strengths
Check out the Newberry's collection guide online for a more thorough investigation of their strengths!
With a specific focus on American Literature, African-American Studies, Colonial History, and more, check out the American History and Culturepage at the Newberry website.
The Indigenous Studies collection features a focus on indigenous archaeology, ethnology, art, and language, amongst other things. Find out more here.
The Chicago and the Midwest collection highlights Chicago and Midwestern writers, Chicago Church and Synagogue Records, the Chicago Labor Trail, and more. Find their webpage here.
The Maps, Travel, and Exploration collection focuses on Travel Narratives, Manuscipt accounts, Guidebooks, Travel Ephemera, and more. Check it out here.
The Newberry collection on religion highlights historical Sermons, Church history and canon law, Reform and Reformation. Learn more here.
The Newberry collections reflect both the commercial and creative histories of the city—the library is a place where you can not only learn more about the various industries that made the city grow but also the lives and work of the many journalists, authors, dancers, and musicians who thrived during this period of expansion when Chicago truly was the second city.
For an aspiring Chicago historian, there is no humanities collection of texts, manuscripts, and maps more unique and helpful than the collection at the Newberry. If you have an interest in any one of their multitude of specialties, check out their massive collection. Somewhere amongst the 1.6 million books, 600,000 maps, and 5 million manuscript pages, you will find the information you're looking for—and, more than likely, find something entirely new.
Check out some of the Newberry's Best
Curated by Paul Durica
The Dil Pickle Club
The Newberry Library houses the only known description of interior of the infamous Illinois bohemian nightspot, the Dil Pickle Club.This unpublished manuscript by journalist John Drury is the only peak into the innards of a monumentally important Chicago institution.
The Misadventures of William D. "Count" Yaselli
A lengthy series of debacles by corrupt prohibition agent, William D. "Count" Yaselli, who posed as an Eastern European aristocrat to entrap Chicago cabarets before being brought down by a "girl detective"—told through the otherwise mundane records of a real estate firm.
The Inception of The Little Review
Learn about the inception of The Little Review, the seminal literary magazine founded by Margaret Anderson, along with a lot of help from her friends. The Little Review featured a wide variety of transatlantic modernists and cultivated many early examples of experimental writing and art.
The Ruminations of Henry Blake Fuller
Peruse the late-in-life fascination that novelist Henry Blake Fuller (author of The Cliff Dwellers, the first significant novel set in Chicago) had in the life and work of University of Chicago president Robert M. Hutchins and aviator Charles A. Lindbergh as revealed by the contents of his desk drawers.
