Harris Broadsides

Broadsides are single-sheet publications, often issued as ephemera or announcements. The Harris Broadsides Collection is a comprehensive collection of American poetry published in broadside format from colonial times to the present. The collection offers materials covering a broad spectrum of American life, and includes poetry of every description: 18th and 19th century ballads, verse describing newsworthy events, poetic effusions of sentimentality and patriotism, comic verse, and much more. When completed, this digital project will include over 20,000 titles.
This collection is part of Brown University Library, hosted by Brown University.

This collection is part of:

Items in this collection

There is a destiny

There is a destiny

Brown University

Page [2] blank. Printed in gold and colors on white paper within scalloped gold border on page [1] only; decorated initial. At head of title illustration of haloed child and lamb. Title from first line. Poem type-signed: Edwin Markham. Suggested publication date from donor.

There is a destiny

There is a destiny

Brown University

Page [2] blank. Printed in gold and colors on white paper within scalloped gold border on page [1] only; decorated initial. At head of title illustration of haloed child and lamb. Title from first line. Poem type-signed: Edwin Markham. Suggested publication date from donor.

There is a destiny

There is a destiny

Brown University

Page [2] blank. Printed in gold and colors on white paper within scalloped gold border on page [1] only; decorated initial. At head of title illustration of haloed child and lamb. Title from first line. Poem type-signed: Edwin Markham. Suggested publication date from donor.

Then the sun came out

Then the sun came out

Brown University

Border of type ornaments at top and bottom. At end of text: The Season's Greetings from Sara and John Holmes, 1943. Blue paper printed in silver and deep blue; printed as a holiday greeting.

Then Humpty the directions read

1 broadsheet printed on tan card stock. On verso advertisement for Sea Foam, apparently a kind of baking-powder. On recto below poem illustration of man standing on can of Sea Foam. Title from first line. Date from internal evidence.

Their last Christmas

Their last Christmas

Brown University

Printed in black and gold on heavy yellow paper in two columns divided by single lines. On page [1] illustration of sun and branches within gold border at top and bottom; on back cover illustration of crescent moon and branches within gold border at left, top and bottom. Cover title. Poem in 21 stanzas. "The only house on the Pacific coast dealing exclusively in cards and card appurtenances"--P. [4] Suggested range of publication dates from internal evidence.

Their angels

Their angels

Brown University

Printed in green with floral border framing upper part of text.

Theatre Royal, Birmingham. On Thursday, Nov. 6, 1828, will be performed the tragedy of George Barnwell: After which, ...

"George Barnwell" is George Lillo's The London merchant (presumably abridged); Fortune's frolic was written by John Till Allingham; "the interlude of the Dragoons" is unidentified. J. Chandler is not mentioned in Alan St. H. Brock, A history of fireworks. According to the database of playbills in the Templeman Library, Univ. of Kent, Chandler had previously presented a display of fireworks for the same theatre on 15 Nov. 1827. Printed on pale blue paper.

Theatre on fire. Awful calamity!: A letter from Richmond, Virginia dated Dec. 27, says, Last night the theatre took f...

Printed area measures ca. 22.8 cm x 18.0 cm. Poetry in 14 four-line stanzas about the theater fire in Richmond, Va. in December 1811. Within mourning border, printed in two columns divided by heavy single line. Wood-engraving of burning house at head of text. Boston place of publication because of copy in the American Antiquarian Society's Isaiah Thomas Collection.

Theatre Mart Ltd. by arrangement with Galt Bell presents The drunkard

Broadsheet printed in sepia and green on heavy tan paper; playbill printed on tan paper (27 x 14 cm.) pasted to verso. Folded to represent proscenium with curtain opening to reveal playbill; when folded can be used as mailer with space for address. Includes drawings of proscenium and characters in play. Publication date suggested because text says Hollywood performances began July 6, 1933 and are now in "7th year." "The management has been at great pains to produce this drama precisely as originally performed ... in Barnum's American Museum"--Attached playbill.

The zoo, Granby, Quebec

The zoo, Granby, Quebec

Brown University

Glen Siebrasse. At head of text: From The walled cities. Poem. First line: The bars leaf among the flowering birds.

The yule tree

The yule tree

Brown University

White paper printed and illustrated in green; printed as a Christmas greeting. Within single line border.

The young woman's experience

Within ornamental border of type ornaments; printed in two columns. Border and type used by several printers in New England in the first half of the 19th century.

The Young Patriot's answer

Poetry printed within border in red and blue in two columns divided by rule. Illustration at head of text. At bottom beneath curvilinear line within border: Henry Eckel, Printer, S.E. corner of Fifth and Market Streets, Wilmington, Del. Date suggested by dated second poem. Main title possibly different. Brown University's copy is missing upper part.

The Yorkshire Irishman: and, Cupid benighted

Printed in two columns divided by line of type ornaments. At end of text: Printed and sold, wholesale and retail, at 285 Water-street. J.C. M'Clelland was listed at above address from 1824 to 1829.

The Yorkshire bite

The Yorkshire bite

Brown University

Boy steals highwayman's horse. Boy steals highwayman's horse. Printed in two columns divided by curvilinear line. Poem in 16 four-line stanzas with one-line chorus: Sing fol de dol lar di diddle o drum. Suggested range of publication dates from internal evidence.