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Welcome to the Phillips Library, the research and documentation division of the Peabody Essex Museum. As one of New England’s older libraries, it has national reputation as a major resource for maritime history and art, New England life and culture, American decorative arts, Asian art and culture, Native American history and art, the art and culture of Oceania, natural history and genealogy.
Researchers, curators, and the general public may conduct research utilizing the library’s 400,000 printed volumes, over a mile in linear feet of manuscripts, and uncounted thousands of pieces of ephemera. In addition there are several thousand broadsides, approximately 20,000 pamphlets, and substantial runs of periodicals.
Few research facilities can boast such gracious accommodations. Two architecturally noted structures, Daland House and Plummer Hall, form the Phillips Library. Newly restored, the library boasts state-of-the-art technology for the storage and protection of rare documents. The interior has also been completely restored. Gold leaf and crystal chandeliers sparkle. Polished floors, glazed bookcases, fresh paint in hues of peach and cream, and the elegant sweep of grand white columns graciously welcome visitors and researchers. Long wooden worktables equipped with hookups for computers, comfortable Windsor chairs, and attentive librarians all contribute to creating a researcher’s paradise. |
