The rare books collection contains more than 32,000 volumes and is searchable through Fondren's online catalog.

The books are available for use only in the Woodson Research Center reading room and do not circulate; please ask Woodson staff for information on photocopies and scans of this material.

History of Science Collection

Crowned by four recently acquired rare astronomy books: Nicolaus Copernicus' masterpiece, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (1566), which marks the dawn of modern science; Alessandro Piccolomini's La Sfera del Mondo (1579), considered the first handbook for stargazers; Cornelius Gemma's De Naturae Divinis Characterismis (1575) relating to the nova of 1572 and a comet in 1556; and Johannes Kepler's Tabulae Rudolpinae (1675), the first English text of Kepler's tables based on the laws of planetary motion. Many other important volumes of physics, mathematics, and astronomy are present.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC from the pull-down menu and add search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.)

Ricketts and Shannon Book Collection

Versatile British artists Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon were long-time partners in life and art. Both were members of the Royal Academy. They pursued independent careers as artists and often collaborated on creative projects. Shannon is best known for his painting and lithography, Ricketts for his contributions as book designer and illustrator and for designing costumes and sets for the theater. Together they founded the Vale Press in 1896, so they could have complete artistic and production control.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC from the pull-down menu and add search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further search within the Ricketts and Shannon Collection

Benjamin Monroe Anderson Collection on the History of Aeronautics

The Anderson Collection was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Ben Anderson in 1986. The collection contains books and memorabilia that document the history of aeronautics. The major emphasis of the collection is on airplanes and the type of material ranges from pilots' manuals to aircraft company histories. A companion manuscript collection is MS 69, the Benjamin M. Anderson Aeronautical History collection, 1784-1988 located at http://library.rice.edu/collections/WRC/finding-aids/manuscripts/0069. 

To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-ANDER from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Anderson Collection.

Stockton Axson Collection of 18th Century British Drama

Started as a memorial to Stockton Axson, an English professor at Rice, the Axson collection contains restoration and 18th century British drama, representing major and minor literary figures in the fields of dramatic poetry, comedies, tragedies, and operas from 1650 to 1800. The plays represented often have more than one edition, and sometimes more than one variant of an edition is included in the collection.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-AXSON from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the AXSON Collection.

George Cruikshank Collection

These books and printed materials relate to the life of times of George Cruikshank (1792-1878). A renowned political caricaturist of the Regency period, Cruikshank's illustrations from the 1830s focused primarily on the works of Dickens and Harrison Ainsworth. The extensive collection includes books about the artist, biographies, exhibition catalogues, dealers' sales catalogues of his works, prints and drawings.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-CRUIKS from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Cruikshank Collection.

Shirley B. Greene and Waldo W. Greene Wilder Collection

The Greene Collection was donated in 1987 by Mr. and Mrs. Greene and represents his interest in the playwright Thorton Wilder. The collection contains plays and books written by Thorton Wilder as well as materials written about Thorton Wilder and his work.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-GREENE from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Greene Collection.

General and Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Limited Editions Club Collection

The Hirsch Collection was donated in 1982 and contains books printed by the Limited Editions Club from 1929 to 1984. The Limited Editions Club reissued classic literature with fine bindings and illustrations to a small group of subcribers.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-Lim-Ed from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Limited Editions Collection.

Carroll and Harris Masterson Texana Collection

The Masterson Collection was started with a large donation of materials from Mr. and Mrs. Masterson in 1966. The collection documents Texas history ranging from laws printed in Spanish from the days when Texas was part of Mexico to contemporary histories of Texas corporations. Included in the collection are early issues of the Telegraph and Texas Register and examples of fine modern Texas presses such as Carl Hertzog.

To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-MAST from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Masterson Collection.  

Allan H. Stevenson Collection

The Stevenson Collection was donated by Mrs. Allan H. Stevenson in 1986 and consists of her husband's collection of books on the history of paper and watermarks. Mr. Stevenson was a graduate of Rice University and an international authority on the use of watermarks and handmade paper to date early books and manuscripts.

To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-STEVEN from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Stevenson Collection.

William Watson Collection

The Watson Collection is a small group of books of poetry written by Sir William Watson, an English Poet who lived from 1858-1935. His most famous poem was "Wordsworth's Grave", published in 1890.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-WATSON from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Watson Collection.

Huxley Collection

Sir Julian Huxley's personal scientific library on a variety of subjects, including but not limited to, biology.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-Huxley from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Huxley Collection.

Wilson Collection of Historical Cartography & Geography

A collection of historical maps and atlases which trace the development of the precision of maps, and that provide a glimpse of the evolution of countries and provinces of the period.
To search this collection, use Fondren WebCat's Advanced Search option, in the "Location" field, choose WRC-WILSON from the pull-down menu. Add any other search terms you desire (subjects, authors, etc.) to further limit the search within the Wilson Collection.