A Guide to Early Imprints at the Indiana Historical Society, 1619-1840

Since 1922, when the Indiana Historical Society’s William Henry Smith Memorial Library was established, librarians and curators have worked with prominent donors and booksellers to build a unique and significant collection of printed resources. The Guide to Early Imprints provides the opportunity to showcase the Society’s holdings in many areas, including Old Northwest and early state history; early North American travel accounts and travelers’ guides; natural history; Indiana imprints; and medical, agricultural, and transportation history. The Guide contains bibliographic descriptions of over 1800 books and pamphlets and includes two indexes, one listing titles and subjects and the other printers and publishers. The starting date of coverage in the Guide was determined by the earliest imprint in the collection, Voyages et decouvertures by Samuel de Champlain (Paris, 1619). The ending date is the same as that chosen by R. Carlyle Buley in his classic work, The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period, 1815-1840, published by the Society in 1950.

The description of each item includes, as appropriate, the following elements: author’s full name and dates; title transcription; imprint statement; date of publication; statements of pagination and collation; description of illustrations; binding note; historical notes; source from which the item was acquired; citations of the item in standard bibliographies; and the library’s call number. The book contains illustrations drawn from many of the items described.