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Borowitz Collection

Special Collections and Archives

Borowitz Collection

Special Collections and Archives

Borowitz Collection

Image from a broadside regarding Constance Kent case

Broadside About Murderer Constance Kent from the Criminal Broadsides Collection
 

This extensive collection, donated by Albert Borowitz and Helen Osterman Borowitz, includes both primary and secondary sources on crime as well as works of literature based on true crime incidents. The collection documents the history of crime, with primary emphasis on the United States, England, France, and Germany from ancient times to the present day. It includes groups of materials on specific criminal cases which have had notable impacts on art, literature, and social attitudes. This provides the researcher with a wealth of material on those cases and their cultural effects. The collection is comprised of a variety of formats including books, manuscripts, ephemeral materials, artifacts, and audio-visual media. Although true crime is the primary focus of the Borowitz Collection, it also contains notable holdings in several other topics and genres. A handful of these are listed under the captions "Books" and "Manuscripts, Ephemera, and Archival Collections" below. Other prominent materials include a large group of press photos, and a vast collection of sheet music which spans more than two centuries of musical achievement and taste. Distinguished author collections include the works of Arthur Machen, Henry James, John Galsworthy, and John Cowper Powys and his brothers.