Library
General United States (mainly pre-World War II)
001 United States Conflict & The SouthNative North American, Southwest United States & Texas
005 Southwest United States & TexasLatin America
009 MexicoGeneral Reference
013 English LanguageFiction, Poetry & Plays (19th & 20th Century)
017 Late 19th & Early 20th Century LiteraturePhilosophy, Intellectual History, Politics & Economics
025 19th & 20th Century PhilosophyAnimals, Plants & Behavior
029 PlantsSouth Pacific, Africa, Middle East & 20th Century Art
033 AfricaAsia
038 Asian HistoryGeology & Natural Resources
046 Earth Science & ResourcesArchitecture, Construction & Design
049 Architecture20th Century Western Art
053 19th & 20th Century Western ArtScience & Math
061 AstronomyRussian & Ottoman Empire General
065 Russia & Ottoman EmpireMedieval & Modern Europe
069 Eastern EuropeGreece & Ancient Greece
073 Greece & Ancient GreeceItaly, Roman Antiquity & Renaissance
077 Italy, Roman Antiquity & RenaissanceFrance, Spain & Portugal
081 France, Spain & PortugalGermany, North Europe & Austria
085 Germany, North Europe & AustriaGreat Britain & Scandinavia
089 Great Britain & ScandinaviaEngland
093 EnglandThis resource provides access to the library of Donald Judd. The library was cataloged according to OCLC bibliographic formats and standards. Entries for each title link to WorldCat where possible.
While serving in the army, Judd traveled with a small library of paperback books given to soldiers on deployment. He began buying books as a student, first at the College of William and Mary and later at the Art Students League and Columbia University as a student of philosophy and art history. While at Columbia, Judd also worked in the library. He collected books on his travels and his personal library would eventually house more than thirteen thousand volumes. These books reflect the wide-range of Judd’s interests and value he placed on knowledge. When asked to describe his library in a late interview, he stated: “It’s about everything.”
Judd’s books are housed in multiple libraries which vary in size and use including one in his studio at 101 Spring Street in New York; two at La Mansana de Chinati/The Block in Marfa; and one at each of his ranch houses, Casa Morales, Casa Perez, and Las Casas. This resource focuses on the volumes housed in the north and south libraries at La Mansana de Chinati/The Block. The south library was Judd’s original library, with volumes on pre-twentieth-century topics including classical art, architecture, history, and literature organized by region and country of origin. The north library, formerly Judd’s print and drawing studio, focuses on twentieth-century topics from a range of disciplines including art, architecture, astronomy, anthropology, horticulture, literature, and philosophy. Organized by Judd, the books in the art and architecture sections are arranged chronologically, from west to east, based on the birth date of the subject.
The bookshelves of the libraries at La Mansana de Chinati/The Block were designed by Judd to respond to the dimensions of the room and were built by local craftsmen. The furniture, including a large table and a daybed, numerous chairs and stools, was designed by Judd. A small room in the south library housed a portion of Judd’s periodical collection while a private room in the north library served as a reading room.
This project was made possible through the generous support of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation.