american indian history

This collection has been described as “perhaps the finest gathering of materials on American Indians in the world.” Over 17,000 sources of early contacts between American Indians and Europeans were donated in 1911 by Edward E. Ayer, for whom the collection is named. Since this donation, the Newberry has acquired 130,000 volumes, over 1 million manuscript pages, 2000 maps, 500 atlases, 11,000 photos and 3500 drawings and paintings regarding American Indians. The collection holds an emphasis on Native American archaeology, ethnology, art and language; the history of contact between Natives and Europeans; the history of voyages including accounts of early America; the development of cartography in the Americas; and the expanding western frontier of America.