Our Mission

The Rosenbach Museum & Library seeks to inspire curiosity, inquiry, and creativity by engaging broad audiences in exhibitions, programs, and research based on its remarkable and expanding collections.

 

About the Rosenbach Museum & Library

The Rosenbach Museum & Library was the home of two brothers, Dr. A.S.W. and Philip Rosenbach. A.S.W. Rosenbach was a legendary dealer and collector of rare books and manuscripts, while Philip's expertise encompassed the fine and decorative arts. Founded in 1954 to preserve the two brothers' personal collections and company archive, the Rosenbach's holdings have continued to grow. The Rosenbach is a major cultural destination—a research center that is home to one of the nation's great collections of rare books and manuscripts, as well as a beautiful, historic townhouse filled with fine art and antiques. The eclectic treasures include:

• Manuscripts for such outstanding literary works as James Joyce's Ulysses, Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers, and Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim
  
  
• Fine 18th- and 19th-century British and American furniture
  
  
• Items associated with important authors, including Herman Melville's bookcase and Nathaniel Hawthorne's personal copy of Melville's Moby Dick
  
  
• The world's largest collection of portrait miniatures painted in oil on metal
  
  
• A selection of John Tenniel's original illustrations for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
  
  
• The only surviving example of the first printing of Yankee Doodle
  
  
• A complete recreation—with the original contents—of poet Marianne Moore's Greenwich Village living room (designated as a national Literary Landmark by Friends of Libraries USA)
  
  
• Over 10,000 drawings and manuscripts by acclaimed children's book author/illustrator Maurice Sendak

 

Institutional Goals

The 11 characteristics that follow were developed by the board and staff of the Rosenbach Museum & Library in April 2007 and adopted by the board as formal institutional goals that same month. Rooted in our mission, vision and strategic plan, these goals are are enunciations of our core values and help to define who we are. Together with our strategic plan, we use these goals to help guide internal decision-making and set organizational priorities. We're proud of the goals and wanted to share them with our constituents.

1. Preserve, develop, and conserve the collections.

2. Make the collections accessible to diverse audiences.

3. Stand out from the crowd.

4. Be a laboratory for innovative museum interpretation.

5. Be playful.

6. Be substantive.

7. Build community.

8. Seek support from our audiences - financial and otherwise.

9. Encourage creative interactions with our collections.

10. Get help - work as a board/staff/volunteer team.

11. Change as needed.