Collection History

Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) was a New York-based art dealer and collector. In 1900, he donated his collection of prints to The New York Public Library in order to establish a Department of Prints, the first public print collection in New York City. This collection of nearly 18,000 prints, representing 978 artists, is especially rich in holdings of French printmakers, but also includes works by English, American, Spanish, German, Dutch and Belgian artists. At Avery's request, many of the artists inscribed their prints, which frequently appear in multiple, including rare or unique, impressions.

Related Resources

The New York Public Library. A Handbook of the S.P. Avery Collection of Prints and Art Books in the New York Public Library (1901)

NYPL "The Samuel Putnam Avery Collection" <http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/36/node/29594>