Selected Special Collections

Theodore Roosevelt Hunting Library

Publications on hunting, natural history and exploration

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) took great personal interest in his "big-game library" and bequeathed this portion of his book collection to his youngest son Kermit, who in turn left it to his son and namesake. In 1963 and 1964 Kermit Roosevelt presented his grandfather's hunting collection to the Library of Congress. Although composed primarily of late nineteenth and early twentieth century publications on hunting, natural history, exploration, ornithology, and sport, the collection includes a number of significant early editions such as Jean de Clamorgan's La Chasse du loup (Paris: 1566); Robert de Salnove's La Venerie royal (Paris: 1655); L'Histoire naturelle (Paris: 1767), a work by John Ray that was translated into French by François Salerne; and The Histoire of Fovre-Footed Beastes (London: 1607) and The Historie of Serpents (London: 1608) by Edward Topsell. Most of the 254 volumes bear Roosevelt's bookplate.