The Newport Historical Society opens its collections to researchers through the procedures outlined below. Because we are currently in the process of reorganizing and re-housing portions of the collection, some areas will be closed at various points during the next few years. We will endeavor to keep these closures brief, and will make an attempt to accommodate emergencies whenever possible. Please plan ahead when you wish to perform research at the Historical Society.
Access and Use Policy
The Newport Historical Society is responsible for properly protecting, preserving, maintaining, and providing access to its collections. It is the policy of the NHS that its collections will be available for publication, exhibition, interpretation and education, research, reproductions, and derivative work. Qualified users include institutional personnel, artists, contractors, historians, researchers, scientists, and the general public. The collection may be used for non-commercial and commercial purposes. The collections of the Newport Historical Society are held as a public trust for the benefit of present and future generations. The NHS will make its collections accessible to the general public to the greatest extent possible.
The NHS staff is not obliged to assist inquiries that involve excessive time or cost to the institution. The Newport Historical Society’s library and collections are open to researchers by appointment only. To request an appointment, please call 401-846-0813 or email us at bsullivan@newporthistorical.org. We cannot guarantee service for walk-ins to the collections or the library.
Staff members respond to inquiries in the order in which they are received. Responses may be expected within 5-7 business days. Historical Society members are given priority in making appointments for visits, which are contingent upon staff availability and the physical condition of materials. All researchers must sign the Library & Resource Center Rules form prior to accessing materials.
There is a maximum time limit of two hours per appointment.
Access Fees
There is a $5/day fee for access to the research library, including published materials, genealogical reference materials, and the Society’s general photograph collection. Members of the Society and Rhode Island residents are exempt from this fee. An NHS membership card or Rhode Island identification will be required.
The Society charges $25/hour to retrieve archives, special collections (including photograph special collections), and artifacts. Members are charged $10 for this service.
There is a $75.00/hour fee (paid in advance) for staff to conduct research. Members are charged $50/hour for this service; and Patron level members receive four hours at no charge each year.
Photography Rules and Regulations
The NHS does not allow photography of its collections without prior written authorization. It reserves all intellectual property rights that it owns in regard to its collections. Ownership of photographs of collections items does not imply permission to reproduce or publish such materials, although the Executive Director or Director’s designee may offer this permission in writing. The institution reserves the right to restrict photography of copyrighted, culturally sensitive, or physically endangered materials.
The NHS’s photographs and photographic special collections are never allowed to be photographed or photocopied by a researcher. The Newport Historical Society provides digital prints or scans of the images from our collections for educational, commercial, or personal use. Become a member and you will be eligible to receive a discount on your reproduction cost. Be sure to read the guidelines below for information about using and reproducing images from the Newport Historical Society collections.
The Newport Historical Society does not own copyright on all collections in its holdings. The charging of fees is based on the Newport Historical Society’s physical ownership of the images and not on copyright. Charges to non-profit organizations are discounted. Tax-exempt numbers must accompany non-profit requests. Researchers who obtain permission to reproduce images from the Newport Historical Society are responsible for securing copyright from the persons or organizations that hold copyright. We will assist you in determining the copyright owner to the best of our ability.
Images from NHS collections may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Newport Historical Society. Permission is granted for ONE TIME, NON-EXCLUSIVE USE ONLY. Permission is granted for a specific purpose; all subsequent and additional use requests must be made in writing. Any reproduction or subsequent use of the provided copies is prohibited without the express written permission of the Newport Historical Society and payment of additional use fees. Generally, the Newport Historical Society will provide a 300 dpi tif file although larger formats or special scanning requests may be accommodated. Please expect a 7 business day turnaround for your order.
The Newport Historical Society’s fee for reproducing a photographic or fine art image from the collections is broken into two parts: a reproduction fee and a use fee. The reproduction fee covers the cost of purchasing the image from the Society. The use fee covers the cost for publishing an image in a book, magazine, newspaper, website, or any other public media. If the image is being used for personal reasons, and will not be published, there is no use fee associated with the order. Please contact us with questions or for current rates.
The Newport Historical Society requires pre-payment and a signed Permission to Publish form (to be supplied by the Society after approval of the estimated cost) before completing your order; this requirement is non-negotiable.
Library, property & general geneology research (published volumes): please contact Bert Lippincott, Research Librarian, at 401-846-0813 or bsullivan@newporthistorical.org for an appointment. Walk-ins for library research will be accommodated when possible, but this is not guaranteed. We strongly urge you to call before arriving.
Manuscripts, photographs, artifacts and special collections: Please request an appointment in writing to bsullivan@newporthistorical.org, and give us a minimum of three weeks notice, if possible. Your email should include your contact information, a description of your project, and, as specifically as possible, what you wish to examine. We will contact you to let you know whether we are able to accommodate you, and will set up an appointment. You must have an appointment to do research in these collections.