Special Collections

The Center maintains an excellent library of books on epigraphy and palaeography as well as an extensive collection of photographs and squeezes (accurate paper impressions) of Greek and Latin inscriptions and microfilms of Latin manuscripts. In addition to the Center's resources, the University Libraries contain a strong collection of scholarly materials for the study of the ancient and mediaeval world.

The Center's holdings have been enhanced by gifts from a number of private collections:

The Arthur and Joyce Gordon Collection of Latin photographs, squeezes and books has been with the Center since its inception, thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Joyce Gordon and Professor Gordon's colleagues at Berkeley. This collection formed the basis for their many publications but it contains some unpublished items.

The A.G. Woodhead Collection resulted from Professor Woodhead's years as editor of the Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum. Many of the books and offprints in this collection were sent to him from scholars in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War years and are difficult to obtain elsewhere in the United States. This collection continues to expand through the gifts of Professor Woodhead.

The J.K. Evans Collection of Latin photographs was donated to the Center in 1992 by Professor John K. Evans of the University of Minnesota. Professor Evans received special permission to take these photographs of inscriptions in the museums of northern Italy. A number of these inscriptions are still unpublished.

The J.M.R. Cormack Collection was given to the Center in 1995 by Mrs. Sybil Cormack. It contains all the papers, photographs and squeezes Professor Cormack made while working on the Macedonia volume of Inscriptiones Graecae, which was left uncompleted due to his sudden death in 1975. The collection also contains books and maps of Macedonia.

The Sterling Dow Collection of offprints was given to the Center by Professor Dow's estate in 1995 after his death at age 93 earlier that year. This is a vast collection of offprints touching on nearly every aspect of the ancient world. Included in the collection are invaluable notes and correspondence.

The Benjamin D. Meritt Collection of offprints was given to the Center by Professor Meritt's estate in 2004 after the death of his wife, Lucy Shoe Meritt. This large collection of offprints, many of which he has annotated, is largely, though not exclusively, concerned with Professor Meritt's own interest in Attic epigraphy and history. The collection also contains a number of photographs.

The Center's collections are non-circulating. For more information about the Center's holdings, please contact the Curator, Wendy A. Watkins.

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