The British Library holds many rare, unusual or unique items relating to the Americas. Here is a small selection of highlights from our Americas Collections.
Earliest Surviving Wall Map of America
Americae, sive quartae orbis partis, nova et exactissima descriptio, 1562
'I Sing the Body Electric'
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1855
A Brazilian Journey
Voyage pittoresque et historique au Brésil, ou Séjour d'un artiste français au Brésil, depuis 1816 jusqu'en 1831 inclusivement, etc
Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
'The central act of my administration, and the greatest event of the nineteenth century' (Abraham Lincoln, February 1865)
First North American Printed Verses
Robert Hayman, Quodlibets, 1628
Americas Collections materials can also be found online on the following pages:
- Caribbean Collections Highlighights
- Duke's plan of New York (1664)
- Attack on Pearl Harbor (sound recording)
Contact
Americas Collections
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7743
Fax: +44 (0)20 412 7563
E-mail: americas@bl.uk
