The old collection
The Old Collection and the special collections can be searched using the library catalogue (location GS) and in LIBRIS
The Old Collection
The collection contains around 5,500 volumes. The main part of the collection consists of 19th century literature. There are eighteen books from the 17th century, and around one hundred from the 18th. The oldest book in the collection is from the 16th century. Most of the books are in German, English or French, but there are also some books in Italian, Latin and quite a few in Swedish. One part of the Old Collection consists of the 600 books and posters donated to the library by Konstfack founder Nils Månson Mandelgren in 1844.
The oldest items in the collection dates from the 16th century and consists of twelve plates depicting architectural elements and pieces of furniture made by Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau, and a book by Sebastiano Serlio with this rather long-winded title:
Sebastiani Serlii Bononiensis De architectvra libri qvinqve, Quibus cuncta fere Architectonicae facultatis mysteria docte, perspicue, vberrimeq[ue] explicantur, A' IOANNE CAROLO SARACENO ex Italica in Latinam, linguam nunc primùm translati atque conuersi. In quibus, praeter orationis perpetuam continuatamq[ue] seriem, [et] propriae aedificiorum mensurae, [et] consentaneae quoque structurarum omnium designationes perquàm eleganter insertae accommodataeq[ue] fuerunt. Necnon extraordinarius quinquaginta portarum libellus in operis calce adiunctus hic demum conspicitur
The collection includes the original edition of Diderot's Encyclopaedia, published in 1751, books by English illustrator Walter Crane as well as a large number of folios (large-format books) with beautiful colour illustrations on the subjects taught at the university. General subjects such as Art History, Botany and Zoology are also represented.
The collection reflects the educational history of Konstfack, and there is therefore quite a
bit of literature pertaining to construction and mechanical engineering, classical architecture and a large number of models for architectural ornamentation. Material on geometry, drawing techniques and furniture carpentry models are also abundant.
The Old Collection is kept in a locked space. The books can be retrieved on request and read at the library.