Search results
Welcome to the American Antiquarian Society. We are a national research library and community of learners dedicated to discovering and sharing a deeper understanding of the American past. Everyone is welcome to join our public programs and explore our vast collections.
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) cultivates understanding of the American past, grounded in its ever-growing collection of printed and manuscript sources.
AAS has collected over four and a half million books, pamphlets, newspapers, graphics, and manuscripts and continues to add to these holdings through active acquisitions guided by our collection development policy.
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in the United States with a national focus.
The graphic arts collections at the American Antiquarian Society are diverse and expansive, incorporating over 400,000 historic American objects subdivided into 135 collection areas. The department cares for prints, broadsides, maps, ephemera, sheet music, drawings and photographs.
The American Antiquarian Society is located at 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts. Admission is free. When visiting the American Antiquarian Society or attending an AAS program, individuals may be photographed by our staff for marketing or promotional purposes.
Many collections from the American Antiquarian Society are available digitally via databases, inventories, and online exhibitions. Databases include both resources that are freely available as well as subscription-only resources (these are clearly indicated in the chart below).
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) cultivates a deeper understanding of the American past, grounded in its ever-growing collection of printed and manuscript sources. The Society fosters a broad community of inquiry through inclusive programs and generous support of scholarship.
AAS members—who currently number over one thousand individuals—are elected by their colleagues in recognition of their eminent works of scholarship, artistic endeavors, or public engagement in pre-twentieth-century American history and culture.
The American Antiquarian Society is this nation's chief repository for early American newspapers, and a significant portion of research done at the Society draws upon the Society's collection.
