Websites of Antiquarian Societies and Collections

United States | United Kingdom and Ireland | Italy

United States
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The American Antiquarian Society (AAS)
"An independent research library founded in 1812 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The library's collections document the life of America's people from the colonial era through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Collections include books, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals, broadsides, manuscripts, music, graphic arts, and local histories.”

American Philosophical Society (APS)
“The American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the United States, was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.”

Antiquarian Maps at Reed College
“An excellent representative collection of Antiquarian Maps is one of Special Collections' most fascinating groups of materials. Presented to the college by Alfred J. Cormack, the parent of an alumnus, it comprises 77 maps dating from 1486 to 1864 and spans almost four centuries in the development of mapmaking. Images of these maps are accessible online for consultation and study. Through purchase, another 24 antiquarian maps, mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries, were added, all of which can be studied in Special Collections & Archives.”

The Antiquarian Society: Archaeoastronomy and Geomancy
“The Antiquarian Society is a registered not-for-profit organisation that promotes archaeology and astronomy. The combination of these disciplines is known as astro-archaeology.”

Farber Gravestone Collection
"The Farber Gravestone Collection is an unusual resource containing over 13,500 images documenting the sculpture on more than 9,000 gravestones, most of which were made prior to 1800, in the Northeastern part of the United States. The late Daniel Farber of Worcester, Massachusetts, and his wife, Jessie Lie Farber, were responsible for the largest portion of the collection. This online version of the Farber Gravestone Collection is sponsored by the American Antiquarian Society."

New Hampshire Antiquarian Society
“A number of family records from the Hopkinton area, Revolutionary War records including some pensions records, a limited number of New Hampshire town histories, copies of deed abstracts, cemetery record to 1936, the 1790 & 1800 census in book form, a limited number of probate records of homes and businesses, a limited number of photographs of homes and businesses.”

Plymouth Antiquarian Society (PAS)
“A significant collection of American furnishings, decorative arts, china, toys, domestic artifacts, textiles and clothing, from the late 17th to the mid 20th centuries. Society archives include Plymouth and area family papers, books, journals, and photographs. The Society holds an especially significant Textile & Clothing Collection with an estimated 5,000 items.”

Society for American Archaeology (SAA)
"An international organization started in 1934 that is dedicated to the research, interpretation, and protection of the archaeological heritage of the Americas."

The Society of American Archivists (SAA)
“Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists is North America's oldest and largest national archival professional association. SAA's mission is to serve the educational and informational needs of more than 5,000 individual and institutional members and to provide leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of records of historical value.”

The Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA)
“Formed in 1967, the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) is the largest scholarly group concerned with the archaeology of the modern world (A.D. 1400-present). The main focus of the society is the era since the beginning of European exploration. SHA promotes scholarly research and the dissemination of knowledge concerning historical archaeology. The society is specifically concerned with the identification, excavation, interpretation, and conservation of sites and materials on land and underwater. Geographically the society emphasizes the New World, but also includes European exploration and settlement in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.”

The Yale Map Collection
“The Map Collection has the largest collection of maps in Connecticut and one of the largest university collections in the United States. Its collections are geographically comprehensive and consist of over 200,000 map sheets, 3,000 atlases, and 900 reference books. The Collection receives maps and charts on deposit from the U.S. government agencies, and through gift and purchase. The Collection also houses approximately 15,000 rare (pre-1850) sheet maps. Though these cover many areas of the world, most pertain to North America, the United States, and New England. There is also a sizeable reference collection and a small, selective serials collection.”

United Kingdom and Ireland
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The Antiquarian Horological Society (AHS)
"The AHS brings together those who share a common interest in antiquarian horology ranging from the earliest timepieces to 20th century mechanisms. The society spans the UK and countries overseas and welcomes everyone with an interest in clocks and watches, from newcomer to experienced collector."

Archives of European Archaeology Project (AREA)
“This is a European Union, Culture 2000, three-year project (2005-08) that aims to assist with research on and documentation of the history of archaeology. More specifically, it involves research on the history of scholarly contacts within and across research traditions, both in the 17th –18th centuries and in the 19th –20th centuries, in the framework of the AREA transversal research axes on 'Antiquarian studies', 'Southern dictatorships' and 'Archaeology abroad."

Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections (AMARC)
“The AMARC “promotes the accessibility, preservation and study of manuscripts and archives in libraries and other research collections in Great Britain and Ireland. It brings together curators, researchers and all who share a scholarly interest in this field.”

Beyond Hawkesye: A Pilot Examination of the Potential of the Christopher Hawkes’ Archive for the Study of British Archaeology in it European Context
“This is a collaborative project between Durham University and the University of Oxford. This project focuses on the figure of Christopher Hawkes (CFCH), the first Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford (1946-1972). It aims to undertake an initial examination of the potential of the Christopher Hawkes’ archive in the Bodleian library for the study of the development of professional archaeology in Britain and the influence of British archaeology in the world especially after World War II.”

Cambridge Antiquarian Society
"Founded in 1840 to provide access for local people to the local history, architecture and archaeology of Cambridgeshire (which now includes the old County of Huntingdon and the new Unitary Authority of Peterborough). Among other benefits, members are eligible to attend the annual programme of monthly lectures, are entitled to a reduced fee for the Society's two annual conferences, and receive a copy of the Society's annual publications."

Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society (CWAAS)
"CWAAS was founded in 1866 and exists to promote, encourage, foster and co-ordinate the study of archaeology, history, genealogy, customs and traditions of what is now the County of Cumbria."

Forum for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Ireland (FMRSI)
“FMRSI is intended to act as a resource for teachers, researchers and students of early and Early Modern literature, language, history, and culture; who are on this island; to bring people together in the spirit of community and collaboration.”

Glastonbury Antiquarian Society
"The Society was founded in 1886 on the initiative of J G L Bulleid, who was then the Mayor, '… its primary object being the support and establishment of a Museum at Glastonbury as a repository for specimens and books relating to and connected with art, archaeology, and natural history, with especial reference to Glastonbury and its immediate neighbourhood, …' ”

International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB/LILA)
“The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is an organisation that encompasses national associations of antiquarian booksellers around the world. It speaks for twenty national associations, thirty countries and two thousand leading booksellers. Its sign stands for the integrity and professionalism of the trade worldwide.”

Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society
The society's "objectives are the advancement of knowledge of natural history and human history and cultural development, especially in the Isle of Man and related countries."

National Library of Scotland (NLS)
“The National Library of Scotland is Scotland's largest library. As well around 14 million printed items, we have over 100,000 manuscripts, around two million maps, and 25,000 newspaper and magazine titles. We receive roughly 320,000 new items every year, and have material in 490 languages.”

The Paper Museum of Cassiano Dal Pozzo A Catalogue Raisonneé
“THE ‘MUSEO CARTACEO’, or ‘Paper Museum’, is a collection of more than 7,000 watercolours, drawings and prints, assembled during the seventeenth century by the famous Roman patron and collector, Cassiano dal Pozzo, and his brother Carlo Antonio dal Pozzo.”

The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art “The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is an educational charity established to promote and support the study of British history of art and architecture. The Centre was founded in 1970 through a generous grant from Paul Mellon, KBE to Yale University. Situated in Bloomsbury, central London, the Centre serves as a research centre for scholars, housing a reference library and photographic archive.”

The Society of Antiquaries of London
“As the oldest archaeological library in the country, the Library holds an outstanding collection of British county histories, a fine collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century books on the antiquities of Britain and other countries and an exceptionally wide-ranging collection of periodical titles (British and foreign) with runs dating back to the early to mid-nineteenth century.”

Making History: 300 years of antiquaries in Britain

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
“The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was founded in 1780 by David Steuart Erskine, the 11th Earl of Buchan (1742-1829), and was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783. It is the oldest antiquarian society in Scotland and was born during a period of intellectual energy in Scotland, and many of those contributing to that energy were already, or would become, Fellows.”

The Society of Archivists
“The Society of Archivists is the principal professional body for archivists, archive conservators and records managers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The society exists to promote the care and preservation of archives and the better administration of archive repositories, to advance the training of its members and to encourage relevant research and publication.”

Royal Archaeological Institute
"The Royal Archaeological Institute is one of the foremost national archaeological societies. Its interests span all aspects of the archaeological, architectural and landscape history of the British Isles."

A World History of Archaeology in the Nineteenth Century: Nationalism, Colonialism and the Past “This project is the result of seven years of research undertaken by Dr Díaz-Andreu. It aims to facilitate the understanding of nineteenth-century archaeological practice and discourse by looking at its interplay with the political ideology of nationalism and related ideologies of imperialism and colonialism."

"The Royal Society - Library"
"The main strength of the collections is in the 17th and 18th centuries; from the 1680s to the mid 19th century the policy of the Library was to acquire every important scientific publication. In addition, the practice of Fellows donating their own works, which started in 1661, continues to the present day."

Italy
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Accadaemia Nazionale di Lincei
"Founded by Prince Federico Cesi in 1603, it was the first modern scientific society in the world. Its mission is to promote, coordinate, integrate and disseminate scientific knowledge in their highest expressions in the framework of unity and universality of culture."