American Antiquarian Society facts for kids

Quick facts for kids American Antiquarian Society
View of Antiquarian Hall from the corner of Park Ave and Salisbury St.
Country	United States
Type	Research library
Established	1812; 213 years ago (1812)
Location	185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°16′38″N 71°48′39″W / 42.27722°N 71.81083°W / 42.27722; -71.81083
Branches	1
Collection
Size	4.5 million
Access and use
Population served	1,211 (Membership, 2024)
Other information
Director	Scott E. Casper
Staff	45

The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) is a very special place in Worcester, Massachusetts. It's like a super old library and a club for people who love history. They collect and keep almost everything printed in America before the 1900s. This includes books, newspapers, and even old games!

Founded in 1812, the AAS is the oldest historical society in the United States. It focuses on the history of the entire country. Its main building, called Antiquarian Hall, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical site. The main goal of the AAS is to gather, protect, and share all printed records from the first European settlements up to the year 1876.

The AAS offers many programs for different people. These include professional scholars, students, teachers, artists, writers, and anyone interested in history. You can learn about topics like environmental history, the history of Indigenous Peoples, and American religion.

Amazing Collections at AAS

The AAS has a huge collection of over four million items. These include books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, art, and handwritten papers. It's believed that the Society has copies of two-thirds of all the books printed in what is now the United States from 1640 to 1820. Many of these books are extremely rare, and some are the only copies left in the world!

The collections include historical items from all fifty U.S. states. They also have materials from most of Canada and the British West Indies. One very famous book they own is the Bay Psalm Book. This was the first book ever printed in America. The AAS also has one of the largest collections of American newspapers printed before 1876. There are more than two million newspaper issues in their collection.

Other cool things in their collection include:

• The first American women's magazine edited by a woman, The Humming Bird, or Herald of Taste.
• Over 60,000 pieces of sheet music.
• More than 300 old games, like puzzles, board games, and cards.
• A large collection of historical pottery.
• Many old diaries and personal papers from New England.
• A diverse collection of photographs from the 1830s to the 1920s.
• Children's literature dating back to the 1650s.

History of the American Antiquarian Society

Isaiah Thomas, who started the American Antiquarian Society.

The American Antiquarian Society was started by Isaiah Thomas. It was officially founded on October 24, 1812. This happened through a special law passed by the Massachusetts General Court. It was the third historical society in America. But it was the first one to focus on the history of the entire country.

Isaiah Thomas began the collection with about 8,000 books from his own personal library. The first library building was built in 1820 in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1853, the Society moved to a bigger building. This building was also in Worcester, at the corner of Highland Street.

Later, a new building was constructed. It was designed by Winslow, Bigelow & Wadsworth. This building was finished in 1910. It stands on the corner of Park Avenue and Salisbury Street. Over the years, several additions have been made to this building. These additions helped make room for the growing collection. The most recent addition was completed in 2019. It added space for a new heating and cooling system, a special lab for preserving old items, and a multi-use learning lab.

In 2013, the AAS received a special honor. President Obama gave them the National Humanities Medal at the White House.

Focus on Printing History

Inside the reading room at the American Antiquarian Society.

As a learned society, the AAS offers many public talks and workshops. One important topic they study is printing technology. They especially focus on how printing was done in British North America in the 1700s. Isaiah Thomas, the founder, was a newspaper man. So, he collected many printed materials.

Not much changed in European printing technology until the late 1700s. Before that, paper was made by hand from woven cloth. Later, it started to be made from industrial pulp. The AAS works hard to protect printed records from this early time period. They have a special department on-site that repairs and preserves old books and papers. They use various sewing, cloth, and binding materials to help keep these historical items safe.

Leaders of the AAS

Over its more than 200-year history, the Society has had 14 main leaders. These leaders have guided the organization's vision and helped grow its collections. Different leaders sometimes oversaw different parts of the Society at the same time.

Famous Members of the AAS

Many well-known people have been members of the American Antiquarian Society. These include scholars, writers, journalists, historians, artists, filmmakers, and even U.S. presidents. Here are some of the notable members:

See also

• Books in the United States
• History of books
• List of antiquarian societies
• List of historical societies in Massachusetts
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Historical Society
• National Register of Historic Places listings in northwestern Worcester, Massachusetts