Welcome to the Manuscripts Division

The Manuscripts Division collects, preserves, and provides access to material in three major collecting areas: the Performing Arts Archives, the Northwest Architectural Archives, and the Literary Manuscripts Collections. The collections support research for various University departments, as well as research locally, nationally and internationally.

Northwest Architectural Archives

The Northwest Architectural Archives was begun in 1970. The archives collects the records of architects, engineers, contractors, landscape architects, and interior designers from a region which includes Minnesota, western Wisconsin, northern Iowa, and the eastern Dakotas.

Every type of document generated by these individuals and firms is collected: drawings of all kinds, specifications, job files, and photographs are chiefly sought. The collections span nearly 130 years of work by many notable practitioners.

Performing Arts Archives

The Performing Arts Archives was established in 1971 by the University of Minnesota Libraries for the preservation and study of the records relating to the history of theatre, music, dance, and associated organizations in Minnesota.

Its goal is to document as fully as possible the activities of individuals and groups in both professional and amateur performing arts throughout the state. The collections include the most important companies in each of the major arts fields.

Literary Manuscripts Collections

The Literary Manuscripts Collections, established in 1971, is the repository for the personal papers and manuscripts of authors and poets either born in Minnesota or who resided in the state for a significant length of time.

Among the collections is a broad array of source materials for studying the lives and careers of these writers: diaries, journals, correspondence, notes, outlines, drafts of written works, photographs, and copies of published editions may all be found in the collections.