Special Collections at Gutman Library

Main Collections

Spanning two centuries, the Gutman Library Special Collections offers rich and varied resources for studying the history of schooling and learning in America. Main collections include:

• Action for Children's Television
• Historical Textbooks
• History of Education and Teacher Training Schools
• Jeanne S. Chall Collection on the Teaching of Reading
• Private School Catalogs
• Public School Reports
• Manuscript Collections

Examples of Research Projects Using the Collection

Past researchers, from Harvard and the larger scholarly community, have used the materials in Special Collections to support a variety of scholarly projects. Some examples of topics include:

• 19^th century Massachusetts compulsory attendance statutes
• Depiction of “heroes” from the American Revolution in United States history textbooks
• Use of color theory (i.e., color spectrum) in art education textbooks
• Use of modern/standard periodic table of elements in chemistry textbooks
• Analysis of human nature vs. animal nature in the Man: A Course of Study curriculum project
• Social class formation in private schools between 1880-1930
• Progressive educators in pre-1940 Boston
• In-service teacher’s institutes in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries
• Use of radio in education in the 1930s
• Inclusion of Shakespeare in 19^th century textbooks
• Use of popular music in early Sesame Street programming
• Depiction of Latin America in 20^th century world history textbooks
• Use of illustrations in 19^th century mathematics textbooks
• Sex education programs in San Francisco Public Schools between 1930-1950
• Depiction of violence during the Civil Rights Movement in post-1960 textbooks
• Examination of “scale board” bindings in early 19^th century textbooks
• Changes in curriculum and required texts in various cities and states