Major Cooper Collections

The American Antiquarian Society’s Special Collections on Cooper

Because of a vigorous and generous acquisition program in the last decades of the last century, the American Antiquarian Society possesses the leading scholarly collection of Cooper first editions and printed texts through 1877, in English and in translation. The Society’s on-going collecting efforts were enriched by the donation of James Franklin Beard’s scholarly papers and his own personal collection of early texts. The Cooper family supplemented the printed collection by donating the manuscripts of The Bravo, The Chainbearer, The Red Rover and Satanstoe, as well as personal papers.

Yale Collection of American Literature

The Yale Collection of American Literature in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library has a major collection of Cooper texts and manuscripts, largely donated by the author’s grandson.

The Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature

Located at the University of Virginia, the Barrett collection is a major repository of printed texts and manuscripts, including The Pathfinder.