WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY
The American Imprints Inventory
A Preliminary Statement
of Plan
In November of last year there was proposed to the Historical Records
Survey a project for an inventory of early American books, pamphlets, and
broadsides printed during such periods as to constitute important sources of
American history, and for making a record of such material available to
scholars, historians, and others. As it appears that much printed material
of great historical importance is now unknown and therefore unavailable to
scholars who would be interested in consulting it, it was evident that such
an inventory would constitute a logical and useful extension of the present
activities of the Historical Records Survey.
It was also found that few bibliographers had devoted attention to the
systematic recording of the early printed materials of the states west of the
Atlantic seaboard. And even in the east coast states, to the record of whose
imprints Charles Evans made so monumental a contribution in his American
Bibliography, there is reason to believe that the number of eighteenth century
titles which he recorded can be doubled.
- The -proposal for an imprints inventory was submitted informally to a
number of authorities, bibliographical and historical, and met with almost
unanimous approval. It was thereupon determined to add this inventory to
the program of the Historical Records Survey. Some work on this inventory
has already begun end will be extended as state directors find it feasible
to take it up.
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Administratively, the work will he a part of the general activities of
the Historical Records Survey, carried on under the direction of the National
Supervisor, who will authorize state directors to undertake work on the im¬
prints inventory, and to assign to it certain members of their staffs.
On the technical aspects of the work state directors will look for ad¬
vice to Douglas C. McMurtrie, (2039 Lewis Street, Chicago, Illinois) who has
been appointed Historical Advisor to the National Supervisor on this aspect
of the Survey's activity. Mr, McMurtrie is well posted on the history of
printing and publishing throughout the United States, and has visited a
considerable number of libraries and institutions whose material we shall
have occasion to examine and inventory. State directors will be advised by
him regarding the plan and execution of a program for their own state, and
answers to questions regarding technical details as to listing of titles, and
so forth.
Scope of the Imprints Inventory
To keep the work within the limits which will make practicable a reason¬
ably complete list of Amorican printing, it was deemed necessary to establish
date limits, which vary with the period of settlement of the various states.
Books, pamphlets, and broadsides printed anywhere in the United States in 1820
or earlier (that is, before 1821) are to be listed. But, proceeding westward
from the Atlantic seaboard, the date limit is advanced, so that it takes in,
for example, material printed in 1850 in Illinois and Missouri, The inclusive
date for the Pacific coast states is 1876, while for most of the Rocky Mountain
states it is 1890. The full table of date limits (which is available in quantity
on separate mimeographed sheets for the use of workers) is as follows:
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AMERICAN IMPRINTS INVENTORY
Historical Rocords Survey
Date Limits
Books, Pamphlets, and Broadsides printed in the following geographic aroas in tho
following years or oarlior are to "be listod:
All points in the United States 1820 Minnesota 1865
(The 1820 date limit applies
to all tho Atlantic sea- Kansas 1875
"board and New England
states, New York City, Nebraska 1875
Philadelphia, etc.)
South Dakota 1890
Later dates as follows:
New York state outside of New
York City (but Hudson
river towns such as Fough-
koepsie, Newburgh, Hudson,
Troy, Albany, etc. through
1830 only.)
1850
North Dakota
Colorado
Wyoming
1890
1876
1890
Pennsylvania outside of
Philadolphia
1830
Utah
1890
Ohio
1840
Montana
1890
West Virginia
1830
Idaho
1890
Mississippi
1840
Nevada
1890
Alabama
1840
New Mexico
1875
Florida,
1860
Arizona
1890
Kentucky
1830
Texas
1860
Tennessee
1840
Oklahoma
1870
Michigan
1850
Arkansas
1870
Indiana
1850
California
1875
Illinois (but Chicago 1871)
1850
Oregon
1875
Missouri
1850
Washington
1875
Wisconsin
1850
Hawaii
1860
low?.
1860
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Typos ofj Wprjs: to be Undortakon
Throe typos of work, P.H contributing to tho ond of making cccossiblo
printed material of historical importanco, will bo undortakon:
A. Preparation of a joint list, on slips tho size of catalogue
cards, of titles of books, pamphlets, and broadsides (within
the date limits established) which havo already boon recorded
in published bibliographies, catalogues of libraries, etc.
The typing of these title slips will be done at points whore
suitable labor is most conveniently available. All slips
will bo sent to and filed at the Chicago office of tho
Historical Records Survey. Piling will be don^ by place
and date of printing.
B. Inventory of books, pamphlets and broadsides (printed within
tho date limits established) in libraries throughout tho
country, thought likely to contain enougfr material of impor¬
tance to justify examination and listing of the titles found.
The best ways of locating in libraries tho material in^which
we are interested, and the style of recording the titles
found, will be dealt with in detail in a "Manual of Practice,"
now in course of preparation.
It is especially requested of the bibliographers, librarians
and historians into whose hands this outline may come, that
thoy suggest to our Historical Advisor, libraries and institu¬
tions, exploration of whose holdings will prove specially
fruitful. These will often be old institutions "off tho
beaten track" or collections specializing in some particular
field.
It is especially dosired to examine collections of bound
volumes of early pamphlets, and to record printed documents
bearing on early local activities - political, commercial,
roligious, fraternal, etc., in the community in which the
library is located.
C. Examination of a few files of the more important early news¬
papers for information regarding local printing and publish¬
ing activities, and particularly for advertisements of, ar
notices or records of. pamphlets or books locally printed.
With author and title of an advertised imprint known, it is
then often possible to locate in some library a copy of the
imprint itself.
Original and duplicates of tho titles recorded trill be sent to and
filed at the Chicago offico of the Historical Records Survey. Each slip
will show by Union Catalog symbols the library in which it was found. When
the same title is reported from a number of locations* the location symbols
will be consolidated on a single slip and its duplicates*
The original slip will, in all instances, be an author entryl After
all reported locations are noted on it, this slip will be sent eventually
to the Union Catalog of the Library of Congress for permanent record in
its invaluable list of printed materials.
Duplicate slips will be filed geographically and chronologically. It
is hoped thus to build up a great imprint catalogue of early American books'
and pamphlets, which will bo helpful to scholars intorosted in local aspects
of history. The ultimate disposition of this imprint catalogue-will be later
determined, but it will undoubtedly be offered to the Library of Congress if
that institution desires to take it over at the conclusion of our work on the
inventory of American imprints.
The oooperation of librarians and historians throughout the country, in
advising on procedure in their own and other institutions is earnestly invited,
and will be most cordially appreciated. Communications on these points should
be addressed to Douglas C. McMurtrie, 2039 Lewis Street, Chicago, Illinois.
We are confident that many thousands of new titles will thus bo added
to the Union Catalog, In the nature of things, these additions wi-11 rep¬
resent rare and oftentimes unique pamphlets, many of them important in sub¬
ject matter, the very existence of which would, otherwise, never be known
to interested scholars.
Luther H. Evans
National Supervisor
May 13, 1937 Historical Records Survey