Items from the Special Collections

Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Illuminated manuscript by a Flemish scribe, 16th-century binding.

Rare Books

The Redwood is home to an outstanding collection of rare manuscripts and books. Of these, a Bible printed in Venice in 1488 by Giorgio Arrivabene is one of the earliest instances of an incunable owned by an American library and has the distinction of being the incunable held the longest by a library in this country. There are exquisite illuminated books, including a French book of hours from 1517 and a 16th-century "Hours of the Virgin" on vellum.

Among the first editions and other precious literary artifacts secured in the vault include the 1791 unexpurgated first edition of James Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson", an early manuscript in Italian of the travels of Christoph Simon de Haijdorf, a splendid edition of Livy's "Historia Romanae Decades" printed in 1482, Matthias Lock's books of engravings from the Cary Collection, and a large collection of works related to Newport.

Furniture

Most of the furniture displayed throughout the Library reflects the 18th-century era of its founding. From the first purchase of a distinctive set of Windsor chairs to the Louis XVI French fauteuils, the Decorative Arts Collection of Redwood has grown through generous donations. Among these are a fine pair of celestial and terrestrial globes given by George Tiffany, the Oriental vases donated by Mrs. Hamilton Fish Webster and a chandelier brought from England by Mrs. Guy F. Cary.

Of major significance is an exquisite card table (c. 1760) attributed to legendary Newport furniture craftsman John Townsend. Two Townsend-made mahogany trays were also part of this donation, as was a collection of Townsend-Easton family china and silver by Samuel Vernon and Samuel Casey.

Chippandale mahogany console,
attributed to John Goddard

Sculpture

A wide collection of 18th- to 19th-century sculptures can also be found throughout the rooms of Redwood. The subjects range from classical personages to figures in American history and art. At present, some of the larger pieces remain in storage until future expansion plans can create the proper display area. Among these are included a copy of a Roman piece, "The Dying Gaul," currently on loan to Chateau-sur-Mer, the treasured "American School Boy" by Joseph Mozier, and "Transition" by William Greene Turner.

Sculptures currently on display include a marble bust of Paris by Canova, a William Wetmore Story statuette of William Shakespeare, "Pheidippides, Soldier of Marathon," by Jean-Pierre Cortot and a copy of Jean-Antoine Houdon's "George Washington," which is displayed outside the Library's front entrance.

Paris, marble bust;
by Antonio Canova,
early 19th century

For further information, please contact Special Collections Librarian, Lisa Long.