Blog post written by Mili Walton, Illustration '27, Library Research Consultant
Do you have bad eyesight? Do you want to lift weights without having to go to the gym? Have you been reading a book and thought to yourself, “Meh, this is nice and all but this book here is far too small.” Well, I’m glad to share that the Goldstein Library has a section that can fix all those problems at once!
On the third floor, on the far wall opposite to the stairs, stands the Ringling oversize collection! These behemoths of literature span the entire wall, heavily sat upon their shelves waiting to be read.
Our collection varies dramatically from beautifully printed posters by Alfonse Mucha, a hefty tome on the history of Marvel comics, stunning books of photography, and collections of maps, histories, and galleries. Let’s not forget the massive book of Peanuts comics! One particular book that I found myself enjoying was Dinomania: The Lost Art of Winsor McCay. I’ve always been a big fan of dinosaurs, so I couldn’t help but take a peek at a big book about big dinosaurs.
The book covered the sort of “cultural mania” that happened with dinosaurs and the artistic renaissance that it produced. There were many fascinating diagrams and photos showing how artists depicted dinosaurs with the limited scientific knowledge surrounding them and how dinos came into pop culture, film, comics, and even political cartoons.
I was surprised by the amount of propaganda posters and editorial comics that were featured in the book. The wonderful thing about the oversize collection is that there is literally something there for everyone. I highly encourage you to stop by next time you find yourself on the library third floor. You won’t be disappointed!
