Armstrong Browning Library & Museum

05/23/2026

In the summer of 1848, the poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning traveled to Fano, Italy on vacation. Upon entering the Church of San Agostino, they discovered a large painting called the Guardian Angel by a seventeenth-century Italian artist known as Guercino. Robert Browning was inspired by the painting and composed a poem entitled, “The Guardian Angel: A Picture at Fano.”
William Phelps, a Robert Browning scholar, traveled to Fano the spring of 1912 and decided to institute the Fano Club to encourage Browning enthusiasts to visit the Italian city. Anyone could become a member of the club by visiting Fano, seeing the painting, and sending Phelps a postcard postmarked from Fano. He and his wife bought 75 postcards and addressed them to various friends in America. Unfortunately, the postcards never reached their destinations as they were among the mail cargo on board the RMS Titanic.
Learn more about the Fano Club and the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum in our exhibit White Star Lines: Titanic Connections at the Armstrong Browning Library. This exhibit is on display next to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. Both exhibits leave January 6, 2019.

04/24/2026

2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum. Stay up to date with what we have planned to celebrate this important milestone!

Website below:

In December 1951, the long-standing dream of Dr. A.J. Armstrong became a reality after decades of fundraising and meticulous planning with the formal opening of the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum. To honor our 75th anniversary, we are planning a two-day symposium and a community celebration to....

04/24/2026

Browning Day 2026 was a huge success and a wonderful kickoff to the 75th anniversary year at the Armstrong Browning Library.
This year’s celebration featured a special lecture-recital exploring how composers across generations have brought the poetry and letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning to life through song. Dr. Jamie Van Eyck, Associate Professor of Voice, joined by her students, presented a beautiful program of both beloved and rarely heard musical settings—all drawn from the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum music collection.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this celebration so special as we begin a milestone year!

Below is a link to watch the recorded program:

Armstrong Browning Library & Museum Browning Day featuring Jamie Van Eyck

04/08/2026

The Armstrong Browning Library & Museum welcomes you for an afternoon celebrating the lives of Robert Browning & Elizabeth Barrett Browning in poetry and music during our 2026 Browning Day featuring Dr. Jamie Van Eyck, Associate Professor of Voice, and students from the Baylor School of Music on Thursday, April 23, 2006, in the McLean Foyer of Meditation of the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum and virtually via Zoom Webinar. This event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the performance in the Cox Reception Hall.

https://library.web.baylor.edu/event/2026/1548574

03/19/2026

Today we had the pleasure of hosting an ENG 2301 Shakespeare class at ABL. Students experienced a firsthand look at our remarkable Shakespeare collection, much of which was made possible through the generous donation of William “Bill” Stokes, a former student of Dr. Armstrong. His personal collection continues to provide a meaningful, hands-on learning experience for students exploring the works of Shakespeare.

Learn more about our collection:
https://blogs.baylor.edu/armstrongbrowning/2014/04/23/beyond-the-brownings-william-shakespeare-at-the-abl/

03/18/2026

We had the pleasure of hosting the Grolier Club () from New York yesterday—the oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and graphic arts enthusiasts. Our team enjoyed giving them a tour of the library and sharing a selection of rare books and materials from our collection. It was a wonderful visit all around!

02/19/2026

Celebrate America 250 with us 🇺🇸✨ Visit 3 libraries, get stamped & grab free snacks!

🗓 Feb. 20
⏰ 10:00AM - 4:00 PM

02/17/2026

Kick off the semiquincentennial of the United States with an exhibits crawl, hosted by the special collections libraries! Visit each of our locations for special exhibits and hands-on projects centered on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Armstrong Browning Library & Museum - Early American Literary Voices exhibit
Arts & Special Collections Research Center (Moody Library) - Spill the Tea! Communication in Colonial America exhibit
BCPM at Poage LIbrary - American Bicentennial: Planning an Epic Party
Book Arts & Letterpress Lab (Jones Library) - Create your own letterpress print activity
Keston Center (Carroll Library) - Freedom Is Not Free exhibit
Texas Collection (Carroll Library) - A Texan Spin on American Independence exhibit

Visit three of the five special collections, get your passport stamped, and come to The Texas Collection to receive free snacks as you wind up your crawl!

For more information on the Libraries' celebration of America 250, visit our America 250 webpage.

Date:
Friday, February 20, 2026
10am-4pm

The University Libraries join the celebrations of America's semiquincentennial with research presentations, exhibitions, artistic projects, and various special educational events throughout the 2025-2026 academic year.

12/25/2025

From everyone at Baylor Libraries, Happy Holidays 🎄 May your season be bright, merry, and full of stories worth sharing! ✨

12/15/2025

Dean of Libraries, Dean Archer, represented Baylor and The Armstrong Browning Library this past week at the annual wreath-laying ceremony honoring Robert Browning at Westminster Abbey. He also made a visit to Eton College Library regarding an upcoming Browning letters digitization project. This annual visit helps sustain the vital connection between Baylor Libraries and the Brownings as well as other 19th century British writers.
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