New UBVRI colour distributions in E-type galaxies I.The data

New colour distributions have been derived from wide field UBVRI frames for 36 northern bright elliptical galaxies and a few lenticulars. The classical linear representations of colours against log r were derived, with some improvements in the accuracy of the zero point colours and of the gradients. The radial range of signicant measurements was enlarged both towards the galaxian center and towards the outskirts of each object. Thus, the "central colours", integrated within a radius of 3", and the "outermost colours" averaged near the mu_V = 24 surface brightness, could also be obtained. Some typical deviations of colour profiles from linearity are described. Colour-colour relations of interest are presented. Very tight correlations are found between the U-V colour and the Mg2 line-index, measured either at the galaxian center or at the effective radius.