Special Collections and Archives at Denver Public Library

08/11/2026

A little bird (Woodstock) told us it was Snoopy's birthday yesterday! To celebrate this fellow Leo's ♌ birthday we are showing some scenes from his pilot days from two books in our Ross Barrett Aviation Collection 🛩️.

"Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel", first edition, 1969.

"Snoopy and the Red Baron", first edition, 1966. - Charles M. Schulz's first full-length novel.



♌️

08/09/2026

The product - the inspo ("Pride & Prejudice", 2005 film)

08/08/2026

Happy international 🐈 day! To celebrate we are featuring these pen and ink sketches of sassy cats fed up with smoking 🚬 PSAs.

These cats were drawn by Richard L. Crowther, a renowned Colorado architect known for pioneering passive solar energy architectural designs in the 1940s.

Crowther worked as an artist as well. He opened the Context art gallery in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver in the 1980s. Here he exhibited his "architectonic" art.







A tired cat saying a polluted "meow".

Probably the most fed up feline out of the 3 sketches.

Portrait of the artist and architect Richard L. Crowther posing next to his art inside his Context art gallery in Denver.

Richard L. Crowther posing on top of a building he designed holding a miniature model of the building in 1974.

Crowther standing next to his air type solar collector in 1974.

Richard L. Crowther's art piece titled "architectonic V", 1985.

08/07/2026

From our rare conservation book collection, hand-colored plates of gorgeous moths in various life stages, from plump colorful cylindrical caterpillars to delicate patterned winged adults.

The Naturalist's Library by William Jardine, published in 1843.

08/04/2026

So many decisions go into how a book is printed--- styles of fonts, placement of text, use of decorative embellishments, margins on a page. This Manual of Linotype Typography published in 1923 explores the possibilities a printer must decide on when creating each unique book.

Mounted frontispiece titled "The Hand That Keeps the World Informed" showing a printer using printing tools.

Highly decorated page in the manual explaining the importance of a title page in a book.

A breakdown of the parts or anatomy of a book.

A breakdown of the parts or anatomy of a book.

A page showing examples of benedictine style decoration.

The title page of the book.

08/03/2026

For we are showing off this Denver map from the 1950s that includes tiny overlayed illustrations and tidbits about the city on the verso.

08/01/2026

Happy 150th birthday 🎂 Colorado! We ❤️ you!

You can view these items in-person on the 5th floor of Central Library.

The official Colorado Centennial-Bicentennial Commemorative poster autographed by members of the Colorado Centennial-Bicentennial Commission, 1976.





The cover of the Constitution of the state of Colorado published in 1876.

Map of Colorado created by Samuel Augustus Mitchell in 1878, two years after Colorado became a state.

08/01/2026

07/30/2026

We have limited edition illustrated copies of classic novels such as these two Jane Austen books! Visit us during open hours to view them on the 5th floor of Central Library.