Collections

Recent Acquisition

Eighteenth-Century Comic Operas

Brooke, Frances, 1724?-1789. Rosina, a comic opera, in two acts: as performed at the Theatre, New-York. New-York: Printed for Berry and Rogers, [1787] Evans 20244

O'Keeffe, John, 1747-1833. The poor soldier, a comic opera, in two acts - as performed - at the theatre, New-York. New-York: Printed for Berry and Rogers, [1787?] Evans 20608

Hoare, Prince, 1755-1834. No song no supper: an opera, in two acts - 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Mathew Carey, Dec. 5, 1792. Evans 24400

Our record of the early American musical theater is significantly enhanced by the acquisition of these three libretti, each previously known in only one copy. AAS now possesses over 80 per cent of all libretti published in the United States before 1801.
Purchased from Norman Kane. Nancy Burkett Collection.

-David Whitesell, Curator of Books

Recent Acquisitions Index

"One day I am visited by a collector of ordination sermons; the next, by a collector of 4th of July orations; then comes a collector of geography; another wants religious newspapers; another wants every book printed in New York before 1700. I accommodate myself to all; for I want every thing and collect every thing, and I have more zeal than the whole of them: and in this way I am kept very busy."
~Christopher Columbus Baldwin
 3rd Librarian of AAS