Special Collections : Home

Housed on the first floor of Thomas Library are the Special Collections and Archives of Wittenberg University. Wittenberg's Special Collections holds a number of interesting, rare, and priceless pieces of history. There are over 3000 items in the rare book collection. Not only is Wittenberg's own history showcased, but also the history of Springfield, Lutheran history, and various famous persons. The Special Collections have received donations from alumni, community members, and even from their sister university in Wittenberg, Germany. These holdings can be explored through Wittenberg's search engine (Now OPAL) or specific research interests can be directed to Librarian Suzanne Smailes. The request form for holdings is below.

This guide serves to introduce a few of Thomas Library's key collections:

• The Tittle Collection is the home to documents, and images from the life and work of renown portrait artist Walter Tittle.
• The McGregor Collection is a number of letters, notes, and documents pertaining to, Springfield rose merchant, Frank McGregor and his relationship to Susan Brown during the American Civil War.
• The Renick Collection holds the entire published and unpublished works of Marion Renick, children's author and Wittenberg graduate. 
• The Fore-Edge Collection is 32 rare books with beautiful and historic fore edge paintings. 
• The East Asian Art Collection is the culmination of the Cooke, Baldenhofer, Chai, and Li collections of East Asian art, furniture, clothing, statues, and more.
• The Dos Passos Collection is home to the personal library of the great entomologist, Cyril dos Passos. He built up his unique collection of entomological and Lepidoptera books and generously donated them for public accessibility. 
• The Hymnal Collection has thousands of hymn books in languages from Cherokee to Japanese, dating from 1520s to 1970s. 
• The Kipniss Collection holds hundreds of lithographs and mezzotints by Robert Kipniss, an American artist and printmaker. 
• The Luther Reformation Collection is home to a number of rare books, pamphlets, letters, and more from as early as the 15th century, that relate to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
• The Bible Collection showcases a number of Bibles and Bible commentaries from all over the world and spanning multiple centuries. 

You can learn more about these showcased collections through the tabs on the side or by contacting Thomas Library.