# The First Smithsonian Collection: European Engravings of George Perkins Marsh & the Role of Prints in the National Museum

In her book "The First Smithsonian Collection," author Helena E. Wright discussed the 1849 purchase of the Marsh Collection, a group of European engravings and art books that formed part of the library of Vermont Congressman George Perkins Marsh. It was the first collection acquired by the institution and was the first public print collection in the United States.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2015
- By: Library Of Congress
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021689922/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/2021689922?play=1)