Research

Founded in 1822, the Rhode Island Historical Society is the fourth-oldest state historical society in the United States. The Society has the largest and most important historical collections in existence relating to Rhode Island.

These collections include 25,000 museum objects, over 100,000 printed books, 110,000 photographs, 3,400 sound recordings (including oral histories and music), 9 million feet of moving picture film, over 1,100 manuscript collections (measuring over 7,000 linear feet), 3,400 maps, 20,000 prints, 16,000 pieces of ephemera, 15,000 architectural drawings, and several smaller, miscellaneous categories of historical holdings. These collections grow every year, due to gifts and purchases.

We have created a number of ways for you to explore our Collections and all aspects of Rhode Island’s rich history. See How To Visit the Robinson Research Center. Explore our Collections and Rhode Island History Journal archives on this website. Check out our easy to use Research Tools including The CABINET our online catalog.