Urban Studies Resources

Limit the location to "Archives and Rare Books Library" to see just what we have in ARB.

Search this catalog for books held by any of the libraries from 90+ OhioLINK consortium members

Many older books on Cincinnati history have already been digitized by Google books.

Check this guide for other available newspapers, including some local (e.g the Cincinnati Enquirer), international, and historical newspapers.

An index of Cincinnati and Hamilton County newspaper articles.

These newspapers are available on microfilm at the Archives and Rare Books Library

Environmental artist Alice Weston photographed many of the houses in this collection in the 1990s for the publication Great Houses of the Queen City : Two Hundred Years of Historic and Contemporary Architecture and Interiors in Cincinnati. This collection of over 1400 images from the book plus additional images.

From the collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. These lantern slides are the photographic documentation of the League’s housing surveys.

Cincinnati Birth and Death records held by the University of Cincinnati Libraries. The records have all been digitized and are fully searchable. Instructions for searching are available on the website. The records span the years 1865-1912

Available through the website of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Historical Maps of Cincinnati available on the Archives and Rare Books Library website

Lantern slides from the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County featuring Cincinnati places and scenes. The slides show downtown scenes, schools, churches and synagogues, as well as the Ohio River, bridges, steamboats, and railroad stations. Many of the photographs were taken by Elmer Foote, the Library's staff photographer from 1907 to 1919.

Photographs from the Cincinnati History Library available on Getty Images.

Records of the Cincinnati House of Refuge, which was a home for juvenile delinquents, homeless children, or any child deemed as being without a proper home. Records span from 1869-1902. These records are housed at the University of Cincinnati.

Available through the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

From the collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The collection contains over 1,500 images related to Cincinnati history, including many original photographs produced between 1863 and 1970, with a majority spanning the years 1880 to 1920.

Early 20th century postcards from the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County's collection, including selections from the Paul F. Bien and Clyde Bowden postcard collections.

Thousands of photographs showing the construction of the Cincinnati Subway and street improvements made throughout the city of Cincinnati. The photos span the years 1916-1955. These records at housed at the University of Cincinnati.

Images and items from libraries throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.

Records from the Hamilton County Coroner's office, 1887-1930.

From the collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Photographs of the Cincinnati area during and after the historic Ohio River flood of 1937 and earlier floods, featuring Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

The AJA is dedicated to preserving the lives and heritage of American Jewry. They hold and extensive collection on Cincinnati Jewry.

The library holds materials on Cincinnati art and artists, a broad range of auction houses catalogs starting from the 1900s, and an exclusive collection of reference materials. The Cincinnati Art Museum Archives houses records of the Art Museum dating from 1875 to present, and records of the Art Academy of Cincinnati from 1868 to 1998.

This is the former Cincinnati Historical Society Library. They are a great resource for archival collections, photographs, and rare books relating to Cincinnati history, especially 19th century history.

The public library is a great resource for newspapers, rare books, and genealogy. They also have a great collection on steamboat history.

NKU's Special Collections collects material documenting the history and heritage of the Northern Kentucky and Ohio River Valley region, Appalachian authors and topics, military history, slavery and the Underground Railroad. The University Archives documents the history and growth of NKU.

For Northern Kentucky newspapers and church records, and information on finding other historical information on Northern Kentucky, consult the Kenton County Public Library.