Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut (AUB) bases its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American liberal arts model of higher education. A teaching-centered research university, AUB has more than 800 faculty members and a student body of more than 8,000 students.

The University encourages freedom of thought and expression and seeks to graduate men and women committed to creative and critical thinking, life-long learning, personal integrity, civic responsibility, and leadership.

The University Libraries are the intellectual hub of AUB. They develop, manage, and provide access to distinctive collections, historic and rare primary sources that document the history and culture of AUB, Lebanon, the Arab World, and the region at large in order to advance the research, teaching, and learning of the scholarly and clinical communities at the University and beyond. The libraries’ robust collections span centuries of knowledge and research produced about and from the region.

This page was initiated by the University Libraries so as to highlight and display special collections that deserve to be shared with the world, giving credit and much deserved attention to the artists and cultural icons behind the works.

Materials on display include collections of paintings, posters, photos and other items that have shaped the cultural heritage of Lebanon and the region.