Our Art and Artifacts collections include prints, paintings, sculptures, and drawings; ceramics, clay tablets, textiles, statuettes, and other cultural objects. These works offer rich opportunities for teaching, research, and exhibition.
We also house a collection of vintage media technology, featuring items such as an early 20th-century phonograph, a 1970s cassette player and record, a reel-to-reel player, a Super 8 projector, microphones, and other historic media devices. This collection has become a favorite among students exploring the history of sound and visual technologies.
American and European prints from the 19th to mid-20th centuries: Composed from the collections of several donors, most prominently Elizabeth and Stuart Chevalier, and William H. Schuchardt.
Austin Whittlesey Collection of Watercolors: Works by the Los Angeles architect, depicting mostly street scenes and buildings in North Africa and Southern Europe.
Barack Obama Presidential Campaign Posters: Donated by Oxy alumnus Richard Reys, it includes works by Shepard Fairey and others.
Chinese Scrolls:
Harold L. Doolittle Collection: Includes prints, glass slides, and photographs by the Pasadena artist, along with personal materials and books he collected on printmaking and photography.
Irene Robinson Collection: Over 100 works by the Pasadena painter.
Japanese Prints Collection: Original prints, most from the 19th century, including masters such as Hokusai and Hiroshigue.
Paul Landacre Collection: Includes original prints and books illustrated by Landacre, a master engraver, donated by William H. Schuchardt, and the books illustrated by him, part of the Michael L. Steinberg Collection of Paul Landacre and California Printers and Ward Ritchie Collection.
Paintings and Modern Prints Collection: A general assortment of artworks from several provenances.
Stereographs Collection: Nearly 10,000 stereograph cards, each showing two photos that become 3D when seen through a stereoviewer - a 19th century invention that was extremely popular and still amazes.
Voyage of the Bonite Collection: 85 lithographs depicting locations where the French naval vessel La Bonite stopped during its voyage around the world from 1836-1837.
Ancient ceramics
Ancient coins
Antique cartographic globe (16th century)
Antique dolls
Babylonian clay tablets
Chinese artifacts in ceramic and bronze
German ceramic coins from 1920
Indonesian shadow puppets
Latin American ceramics
Palm leaf books
Stone tools
Textiles
Thai and Cambodian Figurines
Vintage technology
Woodblocks with carved Japanese and Chinese characters