Salem: Printed at the Office of the Gazette, 1842, Item #808

8vo.  255 x 150 mm., [10 x 6 ¼ inches].  xvi, 171 pp.  Missing front wrapper; spine and lower wrapper with some chips; clean copy with partially unopened text block.

The Salem Athenaeum, incorporated in 1810, was formed by the union of the Social and Philosophical Libraries, which had their origins in the 1760’s.  A very brief history of the Athenaeum appears in the “Introductory Remarks”, which is followed by the Act of Incorporation and the By-Laws and Regulations of the institution.  The catalogue lists about 9,000 volumes and was published to celebrate the move of the institution to a permanent home on Lawrence Place in Salem. 

The catalogue is organized systematically by subject and a detailed “synopsis” lists the subject and sub-category classification system of the library.  Main topics are Theology, Jurisprudence, Government, and Politics, Science and Art, Belle Lettres, History, and Pamphlet Volumes. The pamphlet section of the catalogue runs from page 97 to 171, suggesting the depth of the American collection in the library.

Price: $85.00