Collections
Two million pieces of evidence.
Letters, diaries, ledgers, photographs, maps, sheet music, garments, ceremonial objects, and the papers of the people who lived in this region. The Filson's collections cover four centuries of Ohio Valley life — and they are open to anyone who needs them.
2.1M
Manuscripts & archival items
50,000
Books, pamphlets & journals
10,000
Museum artifacts
5,000
Garments & textiles
What’s in the stacks
The materials of Ohio Valley history.
The Filson collects manuscripts and personal papers, business and organizational records, architectural drawings, maps, prints, photographs, sheet music, rare books, and the museum and textile objects that make a written record three-dimensional.
Particular strengths include early Kentucky settlement and statehood, the river trade and the Ohio Valley economy, the African American experience in Louisville and the Commonwealth, the Civil War in the border states, women’s organizational and political life, and the architectural history of Louisville.
Manuscripts & papers
Personal correspondence, diaries, business and organizational records, plantation papers, military records, and the working papers of writers, civic leaders, and reformers.
Books & periodicals
Rare and reference books, pamphlets, broadsides, city directories, and a substantial run of Kentucky and Ohio Valley newspapers.
Photographs & visual
Daguerreotypes through digital. More than a million images documenting Louisville, Kentucky, and the Ohio Valley from the 1840s onward.
Maps & architectural
Manuscript maps, Sanborn fire-insurance maps, plats, and the architectural drawings of Louisville firms including those who built the Filson's own home.
Museum artifacts
Furniture, ceremonial objects, decorative arts, militaria, and the personal possessions that make material culture legible.
Textiles & costume
Five thousand garments and textile pieces from the 1810s forward — quilts, samplers, dresses, uniforms, and everyday wear.
How to use the collections
Two ways in: the reading room, and from anywhere.
The research library is free and open to the public during regular hours. Remote research help is available by request.
In person
Visit the research library
- 1.Schedule a seat online or by phone — space is limited and registered visitors get priority.
- 2.On arrival, complete the registration form at the front desk and check your bag.
- 3.Submit a call slip; a librarian will retrieve materials from the closed stacks.
- 4.Use the materials at a reading-room table. Take research photographs at no charge; ask about reproduction-grade scans.
- 5.Check out at the front desk before you leave. There is no fee.
Remote
Research from anywhere
- 1.Submit a research request through our online form describing what you're after.
- 2.A reference librarian responds, usually the same day, with what we have and how to access it.
- 3.The first thirty minutes of staff research time are free. Beyond that: $35/hour for members, $50/hour for non-members.
- 4.Reproductions and licensing are quoted on request.
Most of it lives on site
Manuscripts don’t scale.
The vast majority of our manuscripts and rare books live exclusively on site — the kind of materials that don’t fit a search box. Tell us what you’re looking for and a reference librarian will work with you, in person or remotely. The first thirty minutes of staff time are free.