The University's Portrait Collection dates to 1815, the year Brown acquired its first portrait — a painting of its founding president James Manning. As the collection has grown over the years the subjects of these portraits have included administrators, faculty, students, trustees, and benefactors. Many are Brown graduates, although some are community leaders, military heroes, or other figures with only tangential connection to the University but still thought worthy of emulation. Most of the people portrayed in these images lived lives that in some way benefited Brown, and consequentially have been meant to serve as an inspiration.
The Brown University Portraits files contain general files, committee reports, correspondence, artist information, copies of portraits, portrait locations, and other documents related to Brown University's portrait collection. The files date from 1857 to 2015, with a bulk of the materials undated but from the twentieth century.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Brown University Portraits, OF-1V-1, Brown University Library.