Special Collections

Chess Books and Journals, late 1700s-present

Mechanics' Institute houses the finest public repository of chess literature west of the Mississippi. The collection includes over 2,500 publications (books and journals) on chess from the late 1700s to the present. The collection of chess periodicals is especially strong with complete runs of major European publications including British Chess Magazine, the oldest continuously published chess magazine dating back to 1882. The collection boasts all volumes of American Chess Bulletin (1904-1963), Chess Review (1933-1969), and Chess Life and Review (aka Chess Life) from 1961 to the present. MI's collection of California periodicals rivals that of the John G. White collection at the Cleveland Public Library, the top institution in the world for chess literature. MI has several California regional chess publications not in the Cleveland collection, including Chess in Action.

Industrial Expositions and World's Fairs, 1894-1962

MI has an extensive collection of items related to domestic and international Industrial Exhibitions and World's Fairs including records and ephemera pertaining to the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition, the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, and we also have various texts and pamphlets covering other historical international and national expositions and World's Fairs.

Californiana, 1840-present

The Californiana collection consists of books, bound journals, atlases, maps, San Francisco city directories, and gazetteers; at least 450 items are pre-1945 although the majority of these items have yet to be catalogued. Collection highlights include SF City directories dating from 1852, Grizzly Bear journal, Overland Monthly periodical, the works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, and books and journals on the 1906 earthquake and fires, the Gold Rush, and the Comstock Lode. The collection offers researchers resources on all aspects of California's evolution as a major player in science and industry, technical innovation, and the humanities.

Western Americana, early 1800s-present

The Western Americana collection consists of books, maps, and printed ephemera which document the exploration, settlement, and development of the Trans-Mississippi West including Hawaii and Alaska. The collection, which includes about 200 pre-1945 items, contains material about the history and culture of Native American communities throughout the West, and on the history of the Spanish Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, and the Overland Trails after the discovery of gold.

Arion Press Fine Print Books

Since 1974, the Arion Press, located in the Presidio in San Francisco, has been publishing limited-edition books at an average rate of 3 titles per year. The volumes are handcrafted from the meticulously hand-set metal type to the hand-made paper that is fed into the letterpress machines to the individually hand-crafted slipcases that the books are stored in. While many of the volumes are literary classics, they also publish contemporary and original works of literature, and most of the volumes are illustrated with original artwork or photographs by prominent artists. Mechanics' Institute is very fortunate to have a collection of over 70 volumes of Arion Press books due to a generous donation of one of our members.

The Civil War, 1861-present

MI's collection of Civil War books resulted from generous donations by two of our members. The collection not only documents the conflict that took place between the North and the South but also the role that California played in the War Between the States. California was an especially valuable asset to the Union Forces due to its rich gold deposits. Several of the wars' most famous figures spent time in California prior to the war, e.g., William Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant and of course John C. Fremont, to name a few.

Membership, Independent, and Special Libraries

This small but growing collection reflects MI's status as a member of the Membership Libraries Group (MLG), which is comprised of membership, independent, and special libraries throughout the world.

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