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Collections

Architectural Plans and Drawings

The Architectural Plans and Drawings collection includes proposals and “as-built” designs and plans for renovations to the historic house, its orangery, and other out-buildings, as well as designs and plans for new construction, especially service buildings and museum and library additions at Dumbarton Oaks.

Blissiana Files and Artifacts

The Blissiana files and artifacts contain various ephemeral materials to, from, or pertaining to the founders of Dumbarton Oaks, Mildred Barnes Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss, their family, their friends, and their correspondents. The Blissiana collection also contains artifacts, including photographs, digital images, books, records, music scores, and household furnishings relating to Mildred Barnes Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss.

Dumbarton Oaks Newsletters

Dumbarton Oaks has published a a succession of news bulletins that date back to 1941. The current newsletter is The Oaks News: A Monthly Bulletin from Dumbarton Oaks, which had its first digital issue in February 2012 and is published monthly.

Ephemera Collection

The Ephemera Collection consists of a variety of materials related to the Byzantine and Pre-Columbian cultures and to worldwide gardens and landscapes that provide an alternative, popular cultural perspective on the academic research fields at Dumbarton Oaks.

French & Company: Correspondence and Related Documents

The French and Company Correspondence and Related Documents collection contains correspondence, inventories, appraisals, and some photographs pertaining to the acquisition and sale of decorative art objects by Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss and by Dumbarton Oaks. These objects include several important tapestries and antique furniture. The collection also reflects the financial difficulties and eventual reorganization of French and Company and the subsequent liquidation of objects held on consignment for Dumbarton Oaks.

Historical Papers

The Historical Papers collection contains materials that document the formation and subsequent years of the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection and preserves correspondence and related documents from notable scholars, especially in the field of Byzantine studies.