An agreement between the Newberry and the Eastland Disaster Historical Society will bring a comprehensive collection of photographs, family records, and historical documents to the Newberry. Together, these materials tell a vivid story about the Eastland Disaster of 1915, the 844 people who tragically died in the event, and the impact it had on their families and the city of Chicago at large.

The historical significance of a 1545 letter penned by Michelangelo lies less in what the letter says than in how it was written. What does Michelangelo’s style of handwriting reveal about his art and self-image in Renaissance Italy?

Freely available under the Newberry’s open access policy, a new digital archive of 26,000 postcards from early 20th-century Britain offers users access to a fascinating trove of visual culture. Many of the postcards are “Oilettes,” reproductions of specially commissioned oil paintings reflecting various aspects of British life and imagination.

In the 1930s, the Newberry designed its own typeface to be used on book bindings made by the library’s in-house bindery. Intended to make life easier for librarians in the dimly lit stacks, the typeface was optimized for legibility–and it continues to appear on Newberry signage and gallery labels.

The Newberry and its 13 project partners are leading a year-long initiative to heighten the 1919 Chicago race riots in the city’s collective memory, engaging Chicagoans in public conversations about the legacy of the most violent week in Chicago history.