Charter, Laws, and Catalog of Book of the Library Company of Philadelphia

The Charter, Laws, and Catalogue of Books, of the Library Company of Philadelphia. Phila.:

Printed by B. Franklin and D. Hall, 1764. 26,150pp.

An important early American library catalogue, the 1764 catalogue of the Library Company of

Philadelphia, printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall when they were business partners.

Franklin was founder of the Library Company and the person most responsible for its contents. At the time, this was probably the most extensive library in colonial British America. Books are organized in the catalogue by size (e.g. folio, quarto, octavo and duodecimo). Following each section are several blank leaves, apparently provided for library additions.

Rare. Miller and WorldCat locate over 20 copies but The last copies coming to auction were in 1976, 1934, and 1919.

From Catalog III

The catalogue of what was probably the most extensive library in colonial British America, arranged by format — folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo — with blank leaves after each section for additions. Franklin was the Company's founder and the person most responsible for its contents. Miller locates over twenty copies; the last at auction were in 1976, 1934, and 1919.