REBECCA CHASE Herreshoff Institute LIBRARY
The Rebecca Chase Herreshoff Library is the primary research resource and repository of manuscripts of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company (1863-1945) and the Herreshoff family--a collection that includes five thousand texts, three thousand images (glass-plate negatives, photographs, etchings, prints), an estimated fifteen thousand archival quality media (rare books, publications, letters, drawings), plus video, film and audiotapes. The Library also includes media from important yachting and America's Cup collections, including those of the Herreshoff family, Briggs S. Cunningham, J. E. Roosevelt, Charles Moody, Edward I. du Moulin, and Stanley Livingston, Jr.
The Library's computerized card catalog currently consists of approximately 5,000 books and periodicals. Cataloging, housing and preserving of this collection is ongoing and has been funded in part by the generous support of the Champlin Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. We are also extremely grateful to individual donors and supporters.
In addition to the general collection, the Library is home to a unique America's Cup Archive, containing clippings, correspondence, photos, and other ephemera. Much of this material has been donated to the Library by members of the America's Cup Hall of Fame, making this collection a truly rare research resource.
The crown jewel of the Library's research collection is the Nathanael Greene Herreshoff Archive. The collection consists of Herreshoff's original intellectual material, including:
- Original handwritten Recollections written in the 1930s.
- Original Diary "Nice, France Spring 1874", "Log of the Riviera" plus other personal and business diaries dating from 1860s.
- Personal diaries 1870-1938 and sequential design record books covering the period from Spring 1884 to Spring 1934.
- Notes, letters, calculations, comparisons and commentary on the development of yacht rating rules from the 1890s forward.
- Hand drawings, calculations, record books, letters and memoranda on numerous Herreshoff designs.
- Letters concerning the various America's Cup campaigns from 1893 through 1920.
Because of the rarity of our collection, we do not circulate our holdings. The collection, is however, open to the public and available for research. We encourage visitors to make an appointment with either the Curator or Librarian. Please call 401/253-5000 to arrange an appointment.
Archived Publications
The Museum offers an online archive of its Chronicle newsletters, published from 1979 to 2001. Please click here to access the list of archived newsletters.
Research Services
Research service is offered, subject to availability of Library or Curatorial staff. Ready reference questions may be submitted and will be answered free of charge. A fee of $60/hour for non-members, $30/hour for members is charged for in-depth research services. Additional fees are charged for scanning and reproduction of materials; please inquire. Two to four weeks of lead time is required and should be anticipated when submitting requests. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Librarian or Curator.
Contacts
John Palmieri, Curator j.palmieri@herreshoff.org
Norene Rickson, Librarian n.rickson@herreshoff.org
