Popular Books
The books listed below are those that were most popular among Library members during the years covered by the first charging ledger, 1789-1792. It provides a fascinating look at reading activity in 18th-century New York City, featuring titles and authors both canonical and nearly forgotten.
The number to the right of each title is the number of circulations recorded in the ledger. Click on book titles for more information, including fuller titles, links to pdfs of the Library’s 1789, 1791, 1792, or 1793 catalogs if the book appears therein, and a local note that indicates whether the book is still in the Library collection. If the book remains in the collection, a link will take the user to its cataloging record. Each book page also includes the circulation history of the title. Click on the borrower name for more information on the person.
-
Gillies Greece (99)
-
Arabian Nights (97)
-
Romance Real Life (96)
-
Recess (94)
-
Amicable Quixote (93)
-
Zeluco (92)
-
Bellamys Life (90)
-
Convent (89)
-
Marriage Act (89)
-
Adelaide & Theodore (88)
-
Baron Tott (85)
-
Columbian Magazine (85)
-
Hooles Ariosto (85)
-
Julia de Roubigne (85)
-
Emilia (84)
-
Sullys Memoirs (84)
-
Zelia (83)
-
Am Museum (80)
-
Ela (80)
-
Excursion (79)
-
George Matiland (76)
-
Voltaire (76)
-
Robertsons America (73)
-
Retribution (72)
-
Clarissa (72)
-
Analytical Review (71)
-
Towers Frederick (71)
-
Childrens Friend (70)
-
Gil Blas (69)
-
Coxes Travels (68)
-
Moores France (68)
-
Modern Universal (67)
-
Country Maid (67)
-
Betsy Thoughtless (67)
-
Platonic Guardian (66)
-
George Bateman (66)
-
Irish Guardian (64)
-
Anacharsis (63)
-
Marmontels Tales (63)
-
Rousseau (62)
-
Delia (62)
-
Bee (62)
-
Fairy Tales (62)
-
Edward Mortimer (62)
-
School for Fathers (61)