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Art and Architecture: Library Collections

The Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library is the premier research library for the study of art, architecture and archaeology at Oxford. It incorporates multiple libraries previously housed in separate locations around the University.

Introduction

An assiduous bibliophile, Edgar Wind built two library collections whilst in Oxford. This page contains information about their history and collection of titles. 

Edgar Wind's Library Collections

 

Edgar Marcel Wind
Unknown photographer
© Warburg Institute, London

History of Art departmental library

The first Oxford-based library collection assembled by Edgar Wind was for the University’s newly-established (in 1955) Department of the History of Art on Beaumont Street, Oxford.  A shelf-list of books acquired during Wind's tenure as Professor of the History of Art at Oxford was complied (see box below).
This collection was transferred to the newly-created Wind Room at the Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library (opened in 2001).

Personal library collection

The second library Wind created was his personal collection.
Reflecting his wide-ranging areas of interest, this collection of incunabula and more recent publications came to dominate his apartment at Belsyre Court, Oxford. 
Wind’s personal library remained with his widow, Margaret Wind, under whom it continued to grow. A list of titles held at the Belsyre Court apartment was completed in 1998 (see box below).
Mrs Wind bequeathed the collection to five Oxford libraries: the Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library, the Taylor Institution Library, Trinity College Library, the Bodleian Library and the English Faculty Library; most duplicates were not retained. Non-duplicate early printed books were mostly transferred to Trinity College Library and the Bodleian Library.

Wind Room, Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library, Bodleian Libraries

The Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library's Wind Room houses, primarily, pre-1900 publications from the above two library collections as well as some more recently acquired titles.  Items housed in the Wind Room are available for consultation and may be requested at the Ground Floor Help Desk or from Art Library Enquiries: artlib-enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Please allow at least two weeks' notice ahead of your visit.
The post-1900 titles acquired during Wind's life as well as after his death are either housed with the Art, Archaeology and Ancient World's main collections or held offsite, from where they may be requested.

Contact

Art & Architecture Librarian, Bodleian Libraries
Email: artlib-enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

History of Art Department Library Collection