American Antiquarian Society
American Antiquarian Society Institutional Archives from AAS
About the "Donors and Donations" Volume:
The volume labeled "Donors and Donations to the American Antiquarian Society" is a manuscript record of all the gifts to, and other acquisitions by, the American Antiquarian Society between 1813 and 1829. It records the Society's first collection of museum objects, books, and manuscripts, some of which are no longer held by the library. A transcription of these early acquisitions is available as a PDF here: https://www.americanantiquarian.org/Findingaids/american_antiquarian_society.pdf
About the American Antiquarian Society Institutional Archives:
The items included in this collection are a sample of the recorded institutional history of the American Antiquarian Society.
Founded in 1812 by Revolutionary War patriot and printer Isaiah Thomas, the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) is both a learned society and a major independent research library. Thomas asked members to send materials for preservation in the Society's library. He explained, "We cannot obtain a knowledge of those who are to come after us, nor are we certain what will be the events of future times; as it is in our power, so it should be our duty to bestow on posterity that which they cannot give to us, but which they may enlarge and improve and transmit to those who shall succeed them."
The Society's broad collecting mandate enabled it to build the preeminent collection of record for early American printing in what would become the United States, which includes supporting manuscript collections.
More information on the AAS institutional archive is available on the AAS website here: https://www.americanantiquarian.org/about/publications/proceedings
The volume labeled "Donors and Donations to the American Antiquarian Society" is a manuscript record of all the gifts to, and other acquisitions by, the American Antiquarian Society between 1813 and 1829. It records the Society's first collection of museum objects, books, and manuscripts, some of which are no longer held by the library. A transcription of these early acquisitions is available as a PDF here: https://www.americanantiquarian.org/Findingaids/american_antiquarian_society.pdf
About the American Antiquarian Society Institutional Archives:
The items included in this collection are a sample of the recorded institutional history of the American Antiquarian Society.
Founded in 1812 by Revolutionary War patriot and printer Isaiah Thomas, the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) is both a learned society and a major independent research library. Thomas asked members to send materials for preservation in the Society's library. He explained, "We cannot obtain a knowledge of those who are to come after us, nor are we certain what will be the events of future times; as it is in our power, so it should be our duty to bestow on posterity that which they cannot give to us, but which they may enlarge and improve and transmit to those who shall succeed them."
The Society's broad collecting mandate enabled it to build the preeminent collection of record for early American printing in what would become the United States, which includes supporting manuscript collections.
More information on the AAS institutional archive is available on the AAS website here: https://www.americanantiquarian.org/about/publications/proceedings