Special Collections Research Center

View of bookshelves overlooking windows in the Education Library
Past Exhibits

Past Exhibits

  • Vintage photo of a crowd gathering in front of a man with a "NO Integration" sign.

    Job Half Done

    William & Mary (In)action During the Civil Rights Movement

    On Display: March 14 - September 14, 2014

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    Drawing from Special Collections’ University Archives holdings, this exhibit highlights selected articles, lectures and other events on William & Mary’s campus from the 1940s-1960s, that relate to…

  • Vintage illustration of a classical statue of a woman with architectural and ornamental details.

    Behind the Battle Lines

    Paperwork of the Civil War

    On Display: November 19, 2013 - July 11, 2014

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    While the maxim that an army marches on its stomach is true, it is equally true that an army marches on its paperwork.

  • A mosquito on a light background.

    Fitting Things Together

    Selections from the Vinyard Collection featuring the work of Gaylord Schanilec

    On Display: October 23, 2013 - June 19, 2014

    Location: Special Collections Lobby

    From the individually cast and hand-set letter types, the color wood engravings carved by Gaylord Schanilec himself, to the special paper and the hand-made bindings, each limited edition book is…

  • The William and Mary crest

    Scholarship on Display: Art and Art History

    On Display: August 15, 2013 - May 31, 2014

    Location: Bright Gallery, 2nd Floor Rotunda

    This exhibit features research and artwork from current and emeriti faculty members in the Art and Art History Department.

  • Painting of industrial smokestacks with dark smoke against a yellow-orange sky.

    Climate Change

    On Display: April 7 - May 18, 2014

    Location: Botetourt Gallery

    These environmentally inspired paintings, by Professor Emeritus Maynard Nichols, highlight the important issue of climate change, which increasingly occupies the attention of environmentalists,…

  • Silhouette of a woman in a dress with a lifted skirt, posing playfully against a pale background.

    Peninsular Women: Making a Difference

    Student Research from the Lemon Project course Out of the Shadows

    On Display: February 28 - May 17, 2014

    Location: Read & Relax

    Little known, as is the case for far too many of the women who worked in the trenches, these eight Peninsular women worked in their communities and brought about change from which we all still…

  • Map of the US with the midwest region highlighted

    Quebec Act of 1774

    Transnational Contexts, Meanings, and Legacies

    On Display: November 4, 2013 - May 4, 2014

    Location: Special Collections Lobby

    The Quebec Act was a response not to the misbehavior of unruly Bostonians, but rather to the challenges of governing the French, Catholic, and Amerindian inhabitants of the vast North American…

  • Plush teddy bear with Olympic rings on the abdomen, against a blue background.

    The Olympics

    International Competition and Community

    On Display: January 17 - March 31, 2014

    Location: Read & Relax

    In celebration of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, we invite you to explore the ways in which competition and community have shaped past Games.

  • Illustration of a profile view of a classical female figure with an ornate headband on a purple background.

    Muse

    Student Poetry Inspired By Special Collections Materials

    On Display: September 20, 2013 - March 23, 2014

    Location: Read & Relax

    This exhibit features student poetry inspired by items from the extensive holdings of Swem’s Special Collections.

  • An actress in white, captured mid-twirl under a spotlight.

    Close Connections

    Glenn Close’s lasting ties to the W&M community

    On Display: August 28, 2013 - March 2, 2014

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    This exhibit examines Glenn Close’s enduring connections as a member of the Tribe through primary source documents in Swem Library’s Special Collections.

  • Firefighters and a crane by a smoking building, with trees and a hazy sky in the background.

    Jefferson Hall Fire: 30th Anniversary

    On Display: February 27, 2013 - January 20, 2014

    Location: Near Writing Resources Center and Tribe Tutor Zone on 1st Floor

    On the morning of January 20, 1983 an alarm was pulled to signal a fire in the Jefferson Hall dormitory.

  • Painting of a man wearing a lei, necklace, leaf crown, and a wreath in the background.

    Santa Sightings

    featuring illustrations from the Nancy H. Marshall A Visit from St. Nicholas Collection

    On Display: December 6, 2013 - January 6, 2014

    Location: Swem Lobby

    Continuing our annual tradition, this year’s exhibit features lines from Moore’s poem describing St. Nicholas while showcasing the collection’s vibrant illustrations and diverse interpretations of…

  • Black Chinese character on a dark red background

    The Brush Dances and the Ink Sings

    On Display: August 24 - November 24, 2013

    Location: Read & Relax

    This exhibit features student calligraphy from a recent W&M course on Chinese calligraphy and painting.

  • Historical marker "W 10 - Second Day at Seven Pines" with a woman gesturing at it.

    States’ Rights v. Civil Rights

    On Display: May 10 - November 10, 2013

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    Conceived as a demonstration of American Cold War consensus, the Civil War centennial revealed how divided the country remained 100 years after Fort Sumter.

  • Football players celebrating during a game with others tackled on the field.

    Tribe Pride: William & Mary Sports Photography

    On Display: September 26, 2012 - October 31, 2013

    Location: Kaplan Arena

    Tribe Pride: William & Mary Sports Photography from Swem Library allows visitors to experience the history of intercollegiate sports at William & Mary through 20th century photographs. The exhibit…

  • Two individuals sit at a table engaged in conversation, one gesturing with hands, in a grayscale photo.

    "The Inevitable Present": Integration at William & Mary

    On Display: February 4 - October 31, 2013

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    Integration at William & Mary was not achieved simply with the acceptance of the first students of color; instead it has been a decades-long process.

  • Blue

    Presidents of William & Mary

    On Display: April 18 - October 17, 2013

    Location: Flat case near the Brown Board Room and Library Administration, 3rd Floor

    This exhibit provides a history of the College as seen through the eyes of its presidents.

  • Two children in vintage attire posing side by side.

    Blockades, Books, and Bassinets

    Children playing, learning, and surviving during the Civil War

    On Display: April 17 - October 16, 2013

    Location: Special Collections Lobby

    Playing, learning and surviving during the Civil War: These are the stories of Charley, Willie, Nell, Lizzie and many others.

  • Emblem with a yellow letter "W" overlapping a green "M" inside a shield, on a green background.

    Lost & Found

    On Display: February 19 - August 23, 2013

    Location: Read & Relax

    Whether things disappeared due to rivalry, thievery, or more mysterious reasons, someone cared enough to return them to the college, and many once lost treasures now make their home in Swem Library’s…

  • Shield-shaped logo with U.S. flag pattern over a map near Williamsburg.

    Under the Shield

    The Federal Occupation of the Historic Triangle

    On Display: February 7 - August 21, 2013

    Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

    Although there were isolated incidents of arrests and bad feelings, the occupation of the Historic Triangle was neither cruel nor oppressive.