John Ringling Library

The Library of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is an enduring testament to John Ringling’s passion for collecting. His love for Baroque art, Italian and Northern Old Masters, and decorative arts is revealed by his book collection that can indeed be seen as a complement to his art museum. More than 800 titles survive from John Ringling’s art book collection of the 1500 titles listed in the estate inventory taken after his death in 1936. His library consisted of rare limited editions, folios with hundreds of hand colored plates of ancient glass, important early periodicals, and leather-bound volumes of famous English art collections from which he acquired some of his paintings. John Ringling’s book collection is honored with its own room in the new Library.