The Gilder Lehrman Collection

The Gilder Lehrman Collection

The Gilder Lehrman Collection comprises more than 87,000 letters, diaries, maps, pamphlets, printed books, newspapers, photographs, and ephemera. It documents the political, social, and economic history of the United States from 1493 through the twentieth century.


Immediate access to images of digitized items is now available with a subscription!

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Image: A photograph of Robert L. Stone’s crew posed in front of one of the B-24 Liberators they flew. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09620.290) Explore all of Bob Stone’s letters.

A photograph of Robert L. Stone's crew posed in front of one of the B-24 Liberators they flew.

Table of Contents:

Our Historical Documents

In 1991, Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman embarked on a mission to create one of the most important repositories of historical American documents in the country.

Today, the Gilder Lehrman Collection comprises more than 87,000 items that document the political, social, and economic history of the United States, including many Spotlights on Primary Sources.

*Please note that some historical documents may reflect harmful, offensive, biased, outdated, misrepresentative, or possibly violent language, depictions, views, or opinions.

For more details about what’s in our Collection, please view our Curated Resources.

    Subscribe to the Gilder Lehrman Collection

    For the first time, we are pleased to offer annual and one-month subscriptions to the entire Gilder Lehrman Collection. Access includes the ability to view and download images of the full Collection.

    Why subscribe for a month or a year?

    • Receive access to unpublished manuscripts and diaries, maps, pamphlets, printed books, newspapers, and photographs.
    • Conduct research from home and read eyewitness accounts of American history.
    • Explore a broad range of rare documents of interest to a wide variety of audiences, including scholars, genealogists, journalists, curators, educators, students, and American history enthusiasts.

    One-Month Subscription ($25)

    Annual Subscription ($100)

    Flags of the member nations of the United Nations wave amidst smoke of a bombardment, with military airplanes, ships and tanks in background.

    Collection Exhibitions

    1900 Map showing positions of Union and Confederate armies during 1863 Battle of Gettysburg

    Museum Exhibitions

    See where Gilder Lehrman Collection materials are on display.

    Students look at a historical traveling exhibition about the life of Frederick Douglass.

    Traveling Exhibitions

    Traveling exhibitions are available to rent or purchase for display at any site in the United States.

    Painting of Henry Knox in a navy and gold uniform. Knox is posing with one hand on his hip and the other resting on a cannon.

    Online Exhibitions

    Explore our online exhibitions, many of which feature interactive elements.

    Inside the Vault

    Inside the Vault is a monthly online program that highlights unique primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Curators and scholars discuss historical documents from iconic treasures, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation, to personal letters that reveal the contributions of ordinary Americans.

    *Please note that each program is recorded and sent via email the following day to all registered participants.*

    Detail of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

    View Upcoming Program   View the Program Archive

    Featured Programs

    The Wonders of the Invisible world: Being an Account of the Tryals... [witches]

    The Salem Witchcraft Trials

    Dr. Karin Wulf and our curators discussed what the Salem witch trials reveal about gender in seventeenth-century New England and how they fit into a larger global phenomenon.

    Political cartoon depicting dehumanized caricature of two Irishmen discussing the Chinese Exclusion Act

    Chinese Exclusion Act

    Karalee Wong Nakatsuka, 2019 California History Teacher of the Year, examined documents from the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s that document American attitudes toward Chinese immigration.

    John F. Kennedy with Jackie in car touring Dallas the day he was assassinated

    The Assassination of JFK

    Explore the ticker tape reporting the assassination, President Johnson’s proclamation of a national day of mourning, and the speech Kennedy was never able to deliver.

    How to Use Collection Search

    Learn how to use the Collection search engine to find your favorite documents, letters, maps, and more!

    Watch Video
    open laptop screen with hand typing

    Collection Search

    Search our Collection by keyword or by time period, topic, or primary source type.

    Research

    Start your research here with our collection search and curated reference guides. 

    Rights and Reproductions

    Request publication rights or order research copies of Collection items.

    Contribute to the Collection

    The Gilder Lehrman Institute collects original historical documents that highlight the history of the United States. We are particularly interested in twentieth-century materials, including letters from American servicemen and women, posters, personal letters, diaries, and photographs.

    Priority will be given to materials that enhance the educational mission of the Institute and address the historical research needs of educators, students, scholars, and the general public.

    *Please note that our staff is not allowed to appraise materials. One resource for locating document appraisers is the Professional Autograph Dealers Association.

     Contribute to our Collection