View digital version of Coeur d'Alene : towns, mines, mountains & lakes by T. N. Barnard 1891

Printed materials range from our collection of 52 incunabula--books printed before 1501--to modern first editions, small press books, Washington Territorial imprints, and rare titles concerning Pacific Northwest History.

The Walker Library (176 titles) is quite possibly the first private library in the Pacific Northwest, and certainly the only early private library that remains intact. Elkanah and Mary Richardson Walker were among the second group of nine missionaries forming the Old Oregon Mission of the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions (ABCFM), initiated in 1836 by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and Henry and Eliza Spalding.

In the Fall of 2000, we initiated a project to catalog thousands of titles that were missed in previous automation efforts. These books, mostly 17-19th century European imprints, may now be located via the WSU Libraries online catalog GRIFFIN. MASC has also made available an index to search rare books by genre, provenance (evidence of previous owners), or other physical attributes. Please contact Special Collections staff for assistance in using this index. Recently rediscovered treasures include, a first edition (1755) of Samuel Johnson's monumental A Dictionary of the English Language, the first subscribers edition (1715-1720) of Alexander Pope's translation of the Iliad, and a wealth of 18th century English drama including scores of tragedies.

The core of the Modern Literary Collections is the personal, working library of Leonard and Virginia Woolf. The Library of Leonard and Virginia Woolf is rich in volumes annotated by Leonard Woolf (including a few by Virginia Woolf, primarily her Greek texts), numerous review copies, and gifts from their friends. Leonard and Virginia Woolf's personal Library also contains books once owned by Virginia Woolf's father Sir Leslie Stephen, editor of the Dictionary of National Biography (MASC has Sir Leslie Stephen's annotated copy of the DNB), and other family members including books owned by Virginia's brother Thoby Stephen. Some 150 books in the collection were bound or rebound by Virginia Woolf herself. An online exhibit featuring selected bindings by Virginia Woolf is now available, as is small group of Virginia Woolf association copies and manuscripts.

To the collection of books once owned by Leonard and Virginia Woolf, MASC has added works written by the Woolfs, books they published at the Hogarth Press, founded in 1917, and books by their close friends in the Bloomsbury Group. The Hogarth Press Collection is among the most extensive in existence and is especially strong in the period from 1917 until 1946, when Leonard Woolf sold John Lehmann's share of the press to the directors of Chatto & Windus. Among the highlights of the Hogarth Press Collection are 3 copies -- including both binding variants -- of Two Stories: the very first volume published by the Hogarth Press limited to 150 copies, hand-set and hand-printed by Leonard and Virginia Woolf in their living room.

Markhams Maister:peece, 1656

The Veterinary History Collection, while historical in scope, also touches on contemporary issues such as animal welfare and the human-animal connection. Five Centuries of Veterinary Medicine: A Short-Title Catalog of the Washington State University Veterinary History Collection is also available online. You may browse the entire Veterinary History Collection via the WSU Libraries online catalog, Griffin.

An extensive collection of angling books forms the cornerstone of the Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Collection. This special collection rests securely on two fishing and angling collections. That of Roy Hansberry, a WSU graduate (Class of 1931), contains some of the significant editions in the history of angling, including fifteen editions of Isaac Walton's Compleat Angler, beginning with the 1772 edition; Frederic Halford's Dry Fly Entomology (1897), one of only 100 autographed copies; Alfred Ronalds' The Fly Fisher's Entomology (1913), which contains examples of forty-eight superb artificial flies tied to his exacting specifications; and, various didactic, vest-pocket angling manuals of the eighteenth century. Over half the volumes from Hansberry can be described as rare, finely bound, or painstakingly illustrated. The second, larger collection is that of James C. Quick. In assembling his collection of about 1,200 volumes, Quick concentrated on acquiring contemporary books that reflected his particular interest in fly fishing for trout and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest. Among the highlights are works by Roderick Haig-Brown, as well as fine Derrydale Press publications and works by Isaac Walton, "the father of angling."

Contemporary American literature is represented in the collection of books and broadsides from small, fine presses, including, Aquila, Black Sun, Cuala, Gemor, Gregynog, Hours, Janus, Laurel Hill, Nonesuch, Sea Pen & Paper Mill, Seizin, and UPstairs. Manuscripts Archives and Special Collections also collects from regional presses such as Breitenbush, Confluence, Copper Canyon, Graywolf, Dogwood Frank McCaffrey, Ye Galleon, Inland, and Owl Creek.

American popular culture is reflected in the massive collection of counter-culture Comix Collection and the Lynn R. Hansen Comix Collection. The Lynn R. Hansen Beatles Collection is a reflection of Lynn Hansen's passion for Beatles trivia, memorabilia, and music. Hansen was particularly concerned with the mystery behind the Paul McCartney "death hoax," a 1969 rumor which launched widespread hysteria among millions of Beatles fans. In his search to find clues concerning the hoax, Hansen amassed this extensive collection, some 32 linear feet of materials, including albums, 45 singles, 3CDs, along with a library of Beatles-related books, magazines, and ephemera. Hansen used these sources for his own work, including his posthumously published Number 9.

The Providence Gazette and Country Journal, February 16, 1788

Faced with the rural isolation of the town of Pullman, Washington State College librarians actively sought to build and maintain a newspaper collection that represented historical, national, and international scope. The Historical Newspaper Collection consists of approximately 440 newspapers and represents only a fraction of the University’s newspaper collection--in general, these items were singled out as a “special collection” because they were determined to have particular historical significance. These items were originally gathered from a wide variety of sources, and acquisition occurred over a period of ninety years. The majority of the collection was obtained though gifts, and through exchanges with other libraries.

Historical Maps

Map of the Upper Columbia, circa 1841

More than 450 maps with links to high-resolution MrSID files; built in collaboration with Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections and the University of Washington Libraries.

The Historical Map Collection, numbers some 1,000 items, documents graphically the exploration, settlement, and development of the Pacific Northwest and other regions of the western hemisphere from the 16th through the 20th centuries. Manuscript maps, as seen to the right, drawn by Pierre De Smet are among the earliest of the Pacific Northwest.