Learn about the history of book arts and graphic design from papermaking and folding to typography, illustrations and bookbinding. The collections highlighted below are a small part of our book arts and graphic design collections.
Most of the materials in these collections and many others can be located through
Collection of bookplates as well as supporting periodicals and books about bookplates donated by Frank Allen, former librarian at 51福利社.
Children鈥檚 Education and Literature Collections
Children鈥檚 books for all ages and in several languages which showcase many artistic and graphic design styles and techniques and recall 51福利社's initial founding as a teacher's college. Pop-up books, mainly from the 1990s on, are prominent in one of the collections.
Correspondence, brochures, greeting cards, postcards, illustrated folios and more produced by or relating to Arion, Bergamot, Black Sparrow, Bloodroot, Janus, Kat Ran, Ninja, Sutton Hoo and many other American fine presses which were operating in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Sketches, artist's proofs, numbered prints, unique hand-bound volumes and correspondence by artist Ladislav R. Hanka, a graduate of Western Michigan University and resident of the city of Kalamazoo.
Correspondence, designs for broadsides and books, and business records of the Ives Street and Cellador presses from Barbara Cash, a printer and designer at Ives Street Press. Also included are materials for Cash鈥檚 MFA thesis on fine presses in New England.
Eunice LeFevre Miniature Book Collection
More than 500 volumes of miniature books including poetry, fairytales, education, biographies and books on the history of printing in English, French, German, Icelandic, Russian, Greek and Japanese. The core of this collection was donated by Eunice LeFevre, a librarian in Kalamazoo.
Books on printing management, graphic design, typography and more from Hugh Moser, a graphic designer at the Upjohn Company who served as the art director in the International Advertising Division.
Manuscript and rare book leaves compiled and sold by New York book dealer Alfred W. Stites from 1964-67. Donated by Mrs. Donald Gilmore of Kalamazoo.
—You can also view Pages from the Past online at bit.ly/4a0wZfd.
Samples of the work of designer Crimilda Pontes, who spent her career at Yale University Press and the Smithsonian Institute, as well as graphic arts books on book design, art and calligraphy from Pontes' personal library.
David Small and Sarah Stewart Archive
Journals, sketches, correspondence, drafts, unpublished works, poetry and original artwork that document the work and daily life of these internationally-recognized, Michigan-based authors.
Explore other parts of our Special Collections
We have more than 43,000 items available for your research, creative and academic projects.