Special Collections and Archives at Denver Public Library

Special Collections and Archives at Denver Public Library History of the American West, genealogy, and so much more. Digital collections at digital.denverlibrary.org http://history.denverlibrary.org

A 1947 road map of Denver published by Phillips 66 showing points of interest and a section about Colorado traffic rules...
09/28/2026

A 1947 road map of Denver published by Phillips 66 showing points of interest and a section about Colorado traffic rules.





09/25/2026

Come and visit us on the 5th floor of Central Library, no appointment required, during our open hours

Monday - Thursday 10 AM - 6 PM
Friday 10 AM - 5 PM
Saturday - Sunday 11 AM - 5 PM





09/24/2026

Our Denver Public Library Special Collections and Archives includes a wonderful Western art collection of over 4,000 artworks dating from the mid-1800s to the present, such as this beautiful painting by Olive Moya

You can see pieces from our art collection hanging on the walls of the 5th and 7th floors of Central Library, or request to view art from our closed stacks in-person on the 5th floor.

Digital reproductions of the art collection are available online at digital.denverlibrary.org





09/23/2026

If you love baseball ⚾ come see our historical Colorado baseball materials in our Special Collections and Archives on the 5th floor of Central Library. You can also access vintage baseball photos on our digital collections site at digital.denverlibrary.org





In the 1720s three Cree tribal leaders (Ochagach, Tacchigis, and La Marteblanche) drew canoe routes, portages, and the t...
09/21/2026

In the 1720s three Cree tribal leaders (Ochagach, Tacchigis, and La Marteblanche) drew canoe routes, portages, and the transportation network west of Lake Superior towards Lake Winnipeg.
They provided this information to French fur traders in the schematic form, likely drawn on either deer skin or tree bark, that shows connections from place to place, not unlike modern subway maps.

Historic maps that directly tie indigenous geographic knowledge are exceedingly rare. The published version we have was produced by Paris-based mapmaker Philippe Buache in 1754, but the information he used came from the original drawings.

Pierre Gaultier de Varennes and Sieur de La Verendrye, French fur trader and military officer, transcribed this information into a manuscript map. That manuscript map then traveled to Europe for inclusion in the piece of paper we have today.

Come down to Central Library if you'd like to see this incredible map in-person, and to read the full description of this rare gem!





09/17/2026

We have 3 examples of fore-edge painting in our Special Collections and Archives that we know of. Could more secret illustrations be hiding under the shiny metallic gilding on the margins of some of our books?





09/15/2026

Visit our Special Collections and Archives on the 5th floor of Central Library to hear these sounds in-person.

We have so many free resources available to explore including archival collections, microfilm, rare books, maps, art, and online databases.



Union supporters protest Denver Post's proposed wage cut for mailroom employees on 17th Street in Denver on August 3, 19...
09/08/2026

Union supporters protest Denver Post's proposed wage cut for mailroom employees on 17th Street in Denver on August 3, 1988.

Participants in the Swift and Company Workers Strike in the Globeville neighborhood of Denver, September 19, 1956. Members of the United Packinghouse Workers Union held strikes in 36 other cities on the same day.

Frontier Airlines flight attendants and members of the Machinist Union negotiating their contract and protesting the airlines' decision to train attendants to replace them if they went on strike in Denver, May 24, 1984.

Migrants in Action members participating in a press conference during a protest over migrant workers' living conditions near Fort Lupton, Colorado in 1969.

Women demonstrate to free Mother Jones who helped organize Colorado coal miners during the strike against the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, January 1914.

09/07/2026

All Denver Public Library locations will be closed tomorrow, September 7, in observance of Labor Day. Access many library services online at denverlibrary.org.

Address

10 W 14th Avenue Pkwy
Denver, CO
80204

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

(720) 865-1821

Website

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