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Books & Pamphlets Research Guide

 

How to Find

  • Search the Catalog for records for almost all published in the U.S. before 1840
    • Genre Terms list
  • Online Finding Aids are available for some items published elsewhere, or after 1840
  • Other Places to Search:
    • Printers’ File*
    • Mather Family Library and Mather Family Collection card catalog

Digital Access

  • America's Historical Imprints (Readex)*
    • Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans (1639-1800) (Readex)*
    • Early American Imprints, Series II. Shaw-Shoemaker (1801-1819) (Readex)*
  • Sabin Americana 1500-1926 (Gale)*
  • Wright American Fiction 1851-1875 *
  • Some scanned images from a few books and pamphlets are in GIGI separately or by following links in the Catalog

Types of Collections

  • American literature [Literature published after 1820; James Fenimore Cooper Collection; Literary Annuals/ Gift Books; Publishers’ Series; Dime Novels]
  • Biography & Genealogy [Biographies; Collective Biographies; Genealogies; Genealogical Charts]
  • Directories & Reference Works [Almanacs; City Directories; Cookbooks; Encyclopedias; Yearbooks
  • Early & Rare Books [Reserve collection; Early American imprints, published before 1821; Bindings collections, Miniature books]
  • History of the Book [Book Salesman’s Samples; Booksellers’ and Auction Catalogs; Library Catalogs; Bookplates and Booksellers’ Labels; Bibliographies; Printing and Publishing]
  • Institutions (including Educational) [Schools & Colleges; Learned Societies; Libraries; National, State, and Local Institutions]
  • Local Histories [Town, County, and State Histories]
  • Government [Federal Documents; State Documents; Town Documents]
  • Non-U.S. (or Foreign) [Canadiana; Latin Americana; Caribbean / West Indies Other Locations (Foreign Imprints; Foreign Institutions; Foreign Almanacs; Foreign Newspapers; Mather Family Library)]
  • Plays & Librettos
  • Religion [Bibles; Hymnals; Mather Family Library; Collection; Tracts; Books on Religion (X-class)]
  • Trades & Technology [Architecture; Canals and Railroads; Trade Catalogs]

Research Guides

Books & Pamphlets

Children's Literature

Graphic Arts

Manuscripts

Newspapers & Periodicals

Questions? Contact the curator:

Elizabeth Watts Pope
epope@mwa.org
(508) 471-2118

 

Programs/Projects

  • Program for the History of the Book in American Culture (PHiBAC)

Fellowships

  • Botein fellowship
  • NEMLA fellowship
  • Also from AAS:
  • Common-place online journal
  • |
  • A New Nation Votes database
  • |
  • Past is Present blog
  • |
  • Teach US History online resource
Print logo American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609-1634
Tel: 508-755-5221, Fax: 508-753-3311, library@americanantiquarian.org
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