The Archives at the Strauss Health Sciences Library collects and preserves historical items and ephemera related to the history of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Key areas of focus include the campus's history, significant events, notable faculty, and the histories of the University of Colorado School of Medicine (1924–2008) and the Strauss Health Sciences Library.

A highlight of the Archives is a diverse collection of medical artifacts dating from the 19th century.  The collection began as 160 items discovered in a locked workroom at Denison Memorial Library. After moving to the Strauss Health Sciences Library, it expanded significantly with a 2015 donation from Dr. Robert H. Shikes, professor emeritus of pathology at the CU School of Medicine. A passionate collector of medical artifacts, Dr. Shikes contributed thousands of items, including numerous glass medicine bottles from the late 19th to early 20th centuries and archival materials such as lecture tickets, pamphlets, postcards, and medical advertisements. Many have been digitized in the CU Anschutz Digital Collections.

Additional contributions from Dr. Carl Bartecchi, the School of Medicine Dean’s Office, the former Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital, and others have continued to enrich the collection.

Items in the Archives and Historical Objects Collection are available for research by appointment. For inquiries, please Yumin Jiang by email: yumin.jiang@cuanschutz.edu or phone at 303-724-2137.

Select artifacts are also available for institutional loans, see the Lending of Collection Artifacts & Archival Materials Policy, and images can be requested via the Image Reproduction Requests webform.