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Research & Education
Revs Institute is more than a museum.
We support scholarly and instructional work both within our community and the greater community. Our mission honors deep appreciation of automotive history through archival work, as well as preservation, conservation, and restoration of automobiles.
The Library and Archives
The mission of the Library and Archives is to support scholarly and instructional work around historically significant automobiles and the artifacts that have surrounded them throughout time.
Within the Revs Institute’s rich and expanding collections researchers can explore a broad spectrum in the history of business and industry, design, historic preservation, inventors, marques and models, motorsports, races, racing car drivers, transportation, and the social impact of automobility.
The Revs Institute acquires books, journals, audio-visual resources, mascots, manuals, photographs, posters, and other materials to support its mission. The priority is to collect items that directly support the maintenance and research of the Miles Collier Collections marques and models, support the research of the history of Grand Prix and Indy car racing, and reflect the history of other marques and automobility in general.
“Racing is a great mania to which one must sacrifice everything, without reticence, without hesitation.” Enzo Ferrari
An Unparalleled Archive
The Revs Institute’s holdings are comprehensive, with over 100 archival collections, over 24,000 books, 200,000 magazine and journal issues, and over 600,000 online images. Materials are in English, French, German, Italian, and Japanese.
The book collection includes rare early treatises on precursors to the automobile and the cradle of the automotive industry, including early electric and steam vehicles and 19th-century gasoline engine experimentation.
Revs Institute has complete runs of nearly every enthusiast magazine publication, most technical and trade journals, and a large variety of both professional and hobbyist newsletters. Of special note are early publications, including The Car Illustrated, Motor (online and print), and Rapiditas.
Additionally, the Library contains publications such as auction catalogs, auto show programs, racing programs, and sales literature.
The Research Library
The Library and Archives at Revs Institute also boast archival collections containing original diaries, engineering documents, letters, papers, photographs, and scrapbooks from individuals and organizations that have left their marks in automotive history and the pageant of motor sport.
Visiting the Library
Revs Institute grants access to researchers with an interest supported by the collection. Access is by appointment only. A researcher must present a valid photo identification and proof of current residence to library staff. Acceptable forms of identification include a driver’s license or state identification, a passport, or a faculty or student identification card. Email the Library at library@revsinstitute.org to discuss your research needs.
