American Imprints
Early American Imprints (Evans & Shaw Shoemaker)
Note: The terms microprint, microcard, and micro-opaques all refer to the same format.
Early American Imprints, first series, 1639-1800. New York: Readex Microprint, 1955-69. 31,000 Microprint cards. Library Annex Microprint 22. Online access from Readex: Early American Imprints. Series I, Evans (1639-1800) .
Early American Imprints, second series, 1801-1819. (Shaw Shoemaker). New York: Readex Microprint. About 50,000 Microprint cards. Library Annex Microprint 23
Records for most individual items in both the first and the second series have been added to the online catalog. [As of September 2022, the library catalog incorrectly says Olin Library is the location for Micropirnt 22 and Microprint 23]. If the item you want does not appear in the catalog, check the microcard set directly under the item's Shaw Shoemaker number.
Scope:
This collection, based on Evans' American Bibliography, contains the full text of all known existing books, pamphlets, and broadsides printed in the United States (or British American colonies prior to Independence) from 1639 through 1800. It reproduces every nonserial item listed in Evans and an additional 1100 titles from Bristol's supplement to Evans.
History:
The microprint edition was undertaken by the American Antiquarian Society in 1955 and edited by the late Dr. Clifford K. Shipton, then director of the Society. The extensive collection of early American imprints in the Society's library provided a substantial number of the imprints that were filmed. Many other major libraries in the United States and Europe also made texts available and provided editorial corrections to the original bibliographic work of Dr. Evans.
Arrangement:
Items in microprint are arranged in sequence by the numbers assigned by Evans in his bibliography. Although the serials and newspapers have been numbered in the bibliography, they are not included in the microprint edition. Numbers 39163-49197 represent titles not in Evans but mostly from Bristol's supplement.
This collection is arranged according to the numbers in Charles Evans' American bibliography.
Bibliographies and Guides:
Bibliography of American Imprints to 1901: Compiled from the data bases of the American Antiquarian Society and the Research Libraries Group, Inc. New York: K.G. Saur, 1993. 92 volumes. (Library Annex Z 1215 .B47x 1993 +)
In five sections: v. 1-42. Main part -- v. 43-56. Author index -- v. 57-71. Subject index -- v. 72-82. Place index -- v. 83-92. Date index. The first 42 volumes contain full records, arranged alphabetically by title, whereas the other 50 are indexes.Reproduces ca. 40,000 records for "items issued from presses located within the present borders of the United States...during the years 1640 through 1900...." Does not include records for serials or separately issued engraved/lithographic maps and prints. It does not claim completeness, especially for the years following 1819. Entries will note the presence of an item in the Early American Imprints microcard set, or in other microform sets such as Wright American Fiction.
Evans, Charles.
American Bibliography. A chronological dictionary of all books, pamphlets, and periodical publications printed in the United States ... to 1820. 1903-1959. 14 volumes. Available online from HeinOnline Spinelli's Law Library Reference Shelf. See this catalog record for the description and the online link.
Evans planned to include imprints through 1820 in his bibliography and all but the last volume, completed by Shipton after Evans' death, bear the dates 1639-1820 on the title page.
Supplement to Charles Evans' American Bibliography. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia. [1970]. Uris Library, A.D. White Stacks Z 1215 .E92 + Suppl.
Items lacking the "M.P." notation are not included in the microprint edition.
Index to Supplement to Charles Evans' American Bibliography. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1971. Uris Library, A.D. White Stacks Z 1215 .E92 + Suppl. Index
Index to authors and titles and a separate index in one alphabet to printers, publishers, and booksellers.
Shipton, Clifford K., ed. National Index of American Imprints through 1800. The short-title Evans. [Worcester, MA]: American Antiquarian Society, 1969. 2 volumes. Olin Library Reference Z 1215 .E92 +. Second copy in the Uris Library Stacks Z 1215 .E92 +.
An alphabetical author-title index to the microprint edition. For the full original description of any item, see Evans' bibliography.
Related Sets:
Early American Newspapers, 1704-1820, Microprint 21
Updated 09/22/2022