Copyright registrations for 1951

Copyright registrations from 1951 are available from this page. Registrations were classified by category, with renewals included in the same volume as original registration in most cases.

The following types of records are available here:

A guide to abbreviations used in the records is now available, as are registration statistics by category.

1951 original copyrights were due to be renewed in 1978 and 1979 (see the Copyright Office database for most registrations for these years.) Original copyrights for 1951 renewals date from 1923 and 1924. 1923 copyrights could also be renewed in 1950, and 1924 copyrights could also be renewed in 1952.

Philip Harper has transcribed the renewal records for 1923 and 1924 copyrights, in many of the categories that we provide below, into textual form. You can find them at this site.

To see if a book can go online, you may have to check not only the "Books" category, but also the "contributions to periodicals" and "periodicals" categories, if parts of the book first appeared in a periodical, and the "artwork" category if you want to scan any of the illustrations. If the book is a play, or a set of lectures or addresses, check the "Drama and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery" category too.

Books and Contributions to periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

We currently list the original volumes for Part 1A (Books) and Part 1B (Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals). These were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Part 2 (Periodicals) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Drama: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Parts 3-4 (Drama and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Music: Original registrations and renewals

Original music registrations for 1951 were listed in Part 5A (Published Music) and Part 5B (Unpublished Music). Renewals were listed in Part 5C (Music Renewals). All of these parts were published in semiannual volumes.

Maps: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for part 6 (Maps and Atlases) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Artwork: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for parts 7-11A (Works of Art; Reproductions of Works of Art; Scientific and Technical Drawings; Photographic Works; Prints and Pictorial Illustrations) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Commercial prints and labels: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for part 11B (Commercial Prints and Labels) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Motion pictures and filmstrips: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Parts 12 and 13 (Motion Pictures and Filmstrips) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

The images above were scanned the Copyright Office, by Google, by the Universal Library, Dianne Bean, John Mark Ockerbloom, and Mary Mark Ockerbloom from simple photocopies of bound volumes at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and from microfilms provided by the Free Library of Philadelphia. If you would like to contribute better copies, emai onlinebooks@pobox.upenn.edu. (Please don't send any files by email unless I ask for them!)