U.S. Congressional Serial Set Finding List: Annual Reports, Commissioner of Patents (I 23.1/1:, C 21.1/1:)

A 1790 law gave authority to grant letters patent to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Attorney General, subject to the President's approval, and required that those letters patent be recorded in the office of the Secretary of State. The Patent Office was formally established in 1836 under the Secretary of State and was transferred to the new Department of the Interior in 1849. In 1925, the Patent Office was transferred to the Department of Commerce. The annual report of the Commissioner of Patents originated in 1837 with the purpose of providing a statement of expenditures, a list of patents, and a list of patentees for the year covered. Until 1862, this annual report also included a statement on agriculture, which was then transferred to the Annual Reports, Secretary of Agriculture (A 1.1:) once that department was established. Other additional information was gradually included in the annual report but was transferred to the Official Gazette (I 23.8:) once it began publication in 1872. The annual reports from 1837 to 1848 were published under the auspices of the State Department but were addressed directly to Congress, and thus they are included here under the later Interior Department call number.

(Andriot 487, Checklist 511-514)

* 1870-1871, v.2-3 not included in Congressional documents.