John D. Merriam Collection

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The John D. Merriam Collection is a collection devoted to illustration. The particular focus of the collection is original prints, drawings, and paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries that were created as illustrations for children's books and for children's magazines. However, in later years Merriam expanded his collecting to include prints and drawings by artists from Old Masters to contemporary Boston artists whose works focus on fantasy and imagination and who moved beyond illustration to work more broadly in graphic design and advertising. The collection consists of approximately 10,000 original prints, drawings, and paintings by approximately 500 artists. In many cases, the works are accompanied by the copies of the books or issues of the magazines for which they were created.

Critical funding to support long-term preservation of and enhanced public access to Boston Public Library collections, including this one, was provided by the Associates of the Boston Public Library.