Primary Sources

Here is a short listing of primary sources that you can explore in the Cornell University Library Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. A primary source is an original document or object which was created during the time period being studied. Typical examples include letters, diaries, photos, newspaper articles, eyewitness accounts, autobiographies, government reports, paintings, maps, etc. Many of the primary sources in Cornell's collection are housed at the Division of Rare and Manuscripts Collections (RMC), which is Cornell's principal repository of rare books, manuscripts, and archival materials in history, literature, music, the arts, science, natural history, technology, and human sexuality.