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Start Over Repository University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Subject Book industries and trade

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Jay A. Gertzman collection on Samuel Roth, 1926-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
4 linear feet (5 boxes)
Abstract:
Jay A. Gertzman, professor emeritus of English at Mansfield University, is the author of four books: Fantasy, Fashion, and Affection: Illustrated and Decorated Editions of Robert Herrick's Poetry, Bookleggers and Smuthounds: The Trade in Erotica, 1920-1940; Samuel Roth, Infamous Modernist; and A Descriptive Bibliography of Lady Chatterley's Lover: With Essays Toward a Publishing History of the Novel. This collection focuses on Gertzman's research on Samuel Roth (1893-1974), writer, publisher, and entrepreneur, who is best known for publishing unauthorized excerpts of James Joyce's Ulysses in the United States, and for being the plaintiff in a landmark case before the United States Supreme Court that redefined what constitutes obscene material unprotected by the First Amendment. Researchers will find notes associated with Gertzman's book, Samuel Roth, Infamous Modernist, which was published in 2013 by University Press of Florida, as well as various research notes on Samuel Roth's...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Stuart Teacher collection of significant items in the history of Running Press, 1972-2017, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
7 linear feet (10 containers)
Abstract:
This 46-item collection (1972-2017, undated) consists of documents and artifacts identified by Stuart Teacher as significant to the history of Running Press. Founded by brothers Stuart and Lawrence Teacher in Philadelphia in 1972, Running Press grew to be one of the most successful independent publishers in the nation by the mid-1980s. This collection represents, in the words of Stuart Teacher, "two parallel themes" in the company's history: a creativity-centric publishing philosophy and a strong, collaborative employee culture.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Boni & Liveright and Horace Liveright correspondence, 1916-1934 (inclusive)

Extent:
5 linear feet (11 boxes)
Abstract:
Horace Liveright and Albert Boni owned the publishing company Boni & Liveright Inc., the first American publishing company to publish authors such as Faulkner, Freud, Cummings, and Hemingway. This collection consists of a series of letters between various parties and Horace Liveright. Most files contain correspondence written to and from Horace Liveright or his associates in the company (e.g. Donald Freide, Julian Messner, and Arthur Pell).

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Christie's auction catalogs, 1967-2020 (inclusive)

Extent:
38 linear feet (39 boxes)
Abstract:
Founded in 1766 Christie's is one of the world's largest auction houses. It has played an increasingly central role in the sale of rare books and manuscripts over the course of the 20th century. This finding aid serves as a guide to the more than 500 Christie's catalogs held in Print Coll. 43 as well as Christie's catalogs post-1977 which are not present in Print Coll. 43 but are held elsewhere in the Penn Libraries. Those catalogs with box and folder numbers present are in Print Coll. 43, those with library call numbers listed can be found in the Penn Libraries catalog, those listed as being in Print Coll. 28 are located in the Lawrence J. Schoenberg collection of catalogs.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Book and Manuscript Auction catalogs, 1885-2022 (inclusive)

Extent:
45 linear feet (45 boxes)
Abstract:
For more than a century the Penn Libraries have been purchasing books and manuscripts at public auction in the United States and abroad. This finding aid serves as a guide to more than 750 auction catalogs for books and manuscripts from sixteen international auction houses in Print Collection 48 as well as other catalogs from these auction houses held elsewhere in the Penn Libraries, that were collected by Penn curators and staff members.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Material Text collection, 15th-21st century (bulk 1900-2010) (inclusive)

Extent:
11.5 linear feet (49 boxes)
Abstract:
The Material Text collection consists of objects related to the history of the book and the physical processes involved in book production. This "collection" is an artificial one as it has been assembled by Kislak Center curators from many sources and will continue growing with new additions. The main purpose in aggregating these objects in one physical collection is to allow their use in teaching the history of printing and the book.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Maggs Bros. catalogs, 1914-2018 (inclusive)

Extent:
12 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in 1853 by Uriah Maggs (1828-1913), Maggs Bros. Ltd. is one of the leading bookselling firms in the English-speaking world. This finding aid serves as a guide to the more than four hundred Maggs catalogs in the Penn Libraries' collections, which is particularly comprehensive from the 1940s to the 2000s.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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William Steig papers, circa 1907-2002 (inclusive) 1950-2000 (bulk)

Extent:
21 linear feet (45 boxes)
Abstract:
William Steig (1907-2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, and writer of children's books. In 1930, Steig began a long and fruitful relationship with The New Yorker, for which he produced more than 2,600 drawings and 117 covers. When he was sixty-one, Steig began writing children's books, including Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1969), Dominic (1972), Doctor De Soto (1982), and Shrek! (1990), the basis for the DreamWorks animated film of the same name. This collection includes 45 boxes of material, including correspondence; personal and professional records; drafts of Steig's writings; financial records; press, promotional material, and material from exhibits; awards Steig received; and original artwork, including original ink and watercolor drawings and work that would later appear in the New Yorker. There is also ephemera related to the movie Shrek, as well as personal artifacts, such as Steig's brushes and pens.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Gotham Book Mart records, 1723-2006 (inclusive) 1967-2006 (bulk)

Extent:
79 linear feet (95 boxes)
Abstract:
The Gotham Book Mart (1920-2006) was one of New York City's most iconic bookstores during the 20th century. Founded by Frances Steloff (1887-1989), the daughter of poor Russian-Jewish immigrants, the Book Mart became a social center for the New York literati and a focal point for literary modernism in the United States. Steloff's successor, independent literary manuscript dealer Andreas Brown (1933-), maintained the store's focus on avant garde and small press publications while incorporating his own interests in postcards and genealogy. This collection contains 91 boxes of material relating to the daily operation of the Book Mart; correspondence, biographical, and legal material from both Brown and Steloff; postcard and genealogical material collected by Brown; photographs of the store, its employees, and events which took place there; and manuscripts and ephemera offered for sale.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Stuart Teacher collection of Running Press material, circa 1866-2013, bulk 1965-1990 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.5 linear feet (11 boxes)
Abstract:
This collection, dating from 1866 to 2013, contains published works, personal papers, business records and ephemera assembled by Stuart "Buz" Teacher, who founded Running Press with his brother, Lawrence "Larry" Teacher in 1972. Published works that inspired Running Press in its early years are included herein, along with documents that pertain to the publishing house's subsequent growth and sale to the Perseus Books Group in 2002. Around 1983, the Teacher brothers began restoring a townhouse at 125 South 22nd Street in Philadelphia; the documentation of this process is also included in the collection.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Edwin Pugh letters to C. F. Cazenove, 1903-1915 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:
Edwin William Pugh (1874-1930), an author known for his works in the style of "the British Cockney School," frequently corresponded with his literary agent, Charles Francis Cazenove (1870-1915). These letters, dating between 1903 and 1915, represent a period of decline in Pugh's literary career; and the letters, postcards, telegraphs, and telegrams in the collection relate not only to the logistics behind the creation and publication of Pugh's fiction, but also to the author's personal struggles, including poverty and poor health.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Siegfried Weisberger papers, 1708-1955 (inclusive) 1923-1955 (bulk)

Extent:
4 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract:
This collection includes material collected by Siegfried Weisbeger (1896-1984), proprietor of the Peabody Book Shop in Baltimore Maryland and confidante of H.L. Mencken (1880-1956), a noted writer, editor, and social provocateur, famous for his disdain for common morals and received wisdom. The collection contains correspondence between the two men and other correspondents of the Peabody Book Shop, manuscripts and published writings by and about Mencken (many of them signed), and autobiographical writings and poems written by Weisberger.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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American publishing, printing, and book-related ephemera collection, 1827-1961 (inclusive) 1852-1961 (bulk)

Extent:
0.4 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:
This is a collection of Book-of-the-Month club news, mailings, and offers along with a few examples of other book-seller related materials such as advertisements, catalogs, lists, and financial and business documents, mostly receipts. The bulk of the collection is from the years 1850 to 1961 with a few outlying documents from the 1820s to 1840s.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Alan and Lois Fern collection of Leonard Baskin and Gehenna Press material, 1957-1971 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear_foot (1 box and oversized folder)
Abstract:
Leonard Baskin (1922-2000) was a figurative sculptor, graphic artist, poet, printer, and founder of the Gehenna Press. This collection documents the printed works of Leonard Baskin and his Gehenna press through announcements; cards; exhibition advertisements; invitations; printing examples, bookplates, and keepsakes; printed complete works; and prospectuses and catalogs.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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William C. Lengel papers, 1888-1965 (inclusive) 1910-1965 (bulk)

Extent:
13.5 linear feet (14 boxes)
Abstract:
This collection documents William C. Lengel's (1888-1965) career as an author, literary agent, and editor. It offers many insights into the literary world and publishing industry of the mid-twentieth century. The collection also contains many examples of Lengel's own writing, fiction and non-fiction. The William C. Lengel papers contains a substantial amount of material about author Theodore Dreiser, due to the fact that Lengel was a friend and literary agent to Dreiser. Most of the Dreiser material is related to their professional relationship, and includes typescripts, annotated drafts, and correspondence concerned with editorial and publishing matters.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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ELM Press collection of Enid Mark lithographs, photographs, and ephemera, 1971-2008 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.3 linear feet (13 boxes, 1 drawer)
Abstract:
Enid Mark (1932-2008) was the founder of ELM Press and an American editor, publisher, and artist specializing in handmade books. The ELM Press collection of Enid Mark lithographs, photographs, and ephemera measures 5.3 linear feet in thirteen boxes and one drawer and dates from 1971 to 2008. It primarily documents Enid Mark's work on limited-edition art books with ELM Press and exhibitions featuring this work.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Carol Joyce papers and Academy Books and Bindery records, 1912-2017 (inclusive) 1975-2008 (bulk)

Extent:
10 linear feet (10 record cartons, 30 volumes, and 3 oversize flat files) and 4.1 gigabytes
Abstract:
This collection documents the career of Carol Joyce (born 1946), a bookbinder, conservator, designer, and artist, specializing in book and paper restoration, limited edition books, conservation enclosures, and the rebinding of damaged books. She owned and operated Academy Books and Bindery, in Stockton, New Jersey, from 1983 to 2008. The collection contains many examples of limited-edition books that she produced or collected, as well as visual and written documentation for some of her projects.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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J.P. Horn & Co. / Campion & Company business records, 1914-1931 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.4 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract:
This is a collection of business records of two Philadelphia publishing firms, J.P. Horn & Co. and Campion & Company, during the early portion of the 20th century. Materials include account books, invoice books, order books and miscellaneous correspondence regarding finances.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Gotham Book Mart collection of Edward Gorey material, 1945-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:
11 linear feet (19 boxes)
Abstract:
Edward St. John Gorey (1925-2000) was an American author and artist, primarily known for his children's stories and illustrations of children's books, although he also produced adult-oriented work. Sometime around 1977, Gorey established a company, Doomed Enterprises, to handle all matters related to publication and licensing of his work. This collection consists primarily of records of Andreas Brown's and the Gotham Book Mart's records relating to Doomed Enterprises, documents relating to the execution of the Edward Gorey estate after 2000 (for which Brown served as an executor), and other documents and artifacts documenting Gorey's public image and legacy.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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G. & C. Merriam Company records, 1834-1875 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.25 linear feet
Abstract:
Small collection of records regarding the G. & C. Merriam Company spanning the years from 1834 to 1875. The papers comprise chiefly correspondence to the G. & C. Merriam Company.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Law Association of Philadelphia Library records, 1879-1897 (inclusive) 1881-1882 (bulk)

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
The Law Association of Philadelphia was chartered in 1827, formed by the union of the Law Library Company and the Associated Members of the Bar of Philadelphia, and charged with keeping a law library. Over the years, the Law Association of Philadelphia Library became the Law Library of the Philadelphia Bar Association (1931) and the Theodore F. Jenkins Memorial Law Library (1967). This collection contains receipts, ephemera, and manuscripts from 1879 to 1897, presenting a near-daily record of the Law Association's highly regarded library during 1881 and 1882 and documenting the Association's efforts to maintain an up-to-date library.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Atha Tehon papers, 1929-2012 (inclusive) 1970-2012 (bulk)

Extent:
11.5 linear feet (30 boxes and 8 oversized folders)
Abstract:
Atha Tehon (1926-2012) was a children's book designer and art director at Dial Books for Young Readers for thirty years and a freelance designer. This collection documents Tehon's life and career in the field of children's book publishing through correspondence, professional papers, project files on children's books, artwork, and awards.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Helen Godey Wilson catalog of books by William McFee, circa 1920-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
Helen Godey Wilson (1879-1937) was an avid book collector and the granddaughter of Lewis A. Godey, publisher of Godey's Lady's Book. This collection contains an alphabetical catalog of William McFee (1881-1966) books owned by Wilson, written in her own hand, along with a letter from McFee to Wilson, a bibliographic checklist of McFee's first editions, sales lists of William McFee books from various booksellers, and a biographical sketch of McFee by Harry E. Maule. These items date roughly between 1920 and 1937.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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A. & W. MacKinlay, Limited collection, 1880-1924 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.3 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
This collection (1880-1924) contains documents that relate to the business dealings of A. & W. MacKinlay, Limited, a bookselling company founded by Andrew and William MacKinlay in 1827, and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.The bulk of the collection consists of invoices charged by A. & W. MacKinlay to H & A. Locke or to D. Y. Stewart and Son, two regional businesses. A few pieces of business correspondence are also included, along with a pair of ledger books which were printed and sold by A. & W. MacKinlay, but which contain the handwritten financial accounts of two unidentified businesses.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Jay A. Gertzman research collection on censorship, 1882-1999 (inclusive) 1920-1950 (bulk)

Extent:
4 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract:
Jay A. Gertzman is professor emeritus of English at Mansfield University. This collection includes research material collected and used by Jay Gertzman to produce his book Bookleggers and Smuthounds: The Trade in Erotica, 1920-1940;. Documents collected here pertain to the proliferation and censorship of erotic material in the era between the two World Wars.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Ben Wolf collection of material relating to The Appeal of Prints, by Carl Zigrosser, 1970 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear_foot (1 box and 1 oversized folder)
Abstract:
This collection consists of design work completed by artist Ben Wolf (1914-1996) for The Appeal of Prints, by Carl Zigrosser. Included are a few letters to Wolf from the printer, Richard W. Taylor, dust jacket designs and mockups, galley proofs, and mockups of the book.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Harold Dies papers relating to the Dreiser Trust, 1903-2013 (inclusive) 1955-2012 (bulk)

Extent:
9 linear feet (9 boxes)
Abstract:
Harold Dies (1914-2012) was a trustee of the Dreiser Trust from its establishment following Helen Dreiser's death in 1955 to his own death in 2012. The Dreiser Trust managed the income and approved contracts for sale of Theodore Dreiser's published works. This collection documents Harold Dies' work with the Dreiser trust and includes financial information; agreements, copyright, correspondence, and royalty statements relating to the works of Helen Dreiser, Theodore Dreiser (bulk), and Paul Dresser; correspondence relating to the Trust and the estates of family members; legal and court records relating to estates of family members; some personal material of Harold Dies and members of the Dreiser family (including Gertrude A. Hopkins Dorn (niece of Theodore Dreiser), Helen Dreiser, Theodore Dreiser, Vera Dreiser, and Paul Dresser (brother of Theodore Dreiser)); and publications using Dreiser material or Dreiser-inspired content.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Singing Horse Press records, 1974-1992 (inclusive)

Extent:
21 boxes
Abstract:
The collection comprises correspondence (485 folders in 20 boxes) and production materials related to Paper Air (23 folders in one box). The correspondence includes solicitations for poetry from Gil Ott and the responses that he received. The poets' works were either published as books by Singing Horse Press or in the magazine Paper Air.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Running Press records, 1972-2008 (inclusive) 1978-1995 (bulk)

Extent:
58 boxes
Abstract:
The Running Press Records are the institutional records of the Philadelphia based publisher which follow the growth and development of the company from its establishment in the early 1970s to 2008, six years after the company's acquisition by the Perseus Book Group.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Book and Manuscript Dealer catalogs, 1905-2022 (inclusive)

Extent:
53 linear feet (105 boxes)
Abstract:
For more than a century the Penn Libraries have been purchasing books and manuscripts at public auction in the United States and abroad. This finding aid serves as a guide to more than 1,600 book and manuscript dealer catalogs from 112 different firms. The collection includes substantial runs of catalogs from dealers of importance in the history of the book trade who are no longer in operation, such the Rosenbach Company, H.P. Kraus, and E.P. Goldschmidt. In addition, it contains catalogs from dozens of other book dealers around the world who are still currently active.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Bernard Quaritch catalogs, 1922-2018 (inclusive)

Extent:
12 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in London in 1847 by German émigré Bernard Alexander Quaritch (1819–1899), Bernard Quaritch Ltd. is one of the most influential antiquarian bookselling firms in the world. Quaritch has long played an especially critical role as agent for American institutions and collectors at London auctions. This finding aid serves as a guide to the more than five hundred Quaritch catalogs and bulletins published after 1920 in the Penn Libraries' collections. The collection is especially comprehensive from the 1950s to 2000s.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Shoseki, chizu, sugoroku fukuro-shū, 書籍, 地図 [地圖], 双六袋集 [Collection of Wrappers for Books, Maps, and Sugoroku], circa 1800s-1966 (inclusive)

Extent:
.33 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
This volume includes fukuro 袋 for 122 ehon 絵本 (illustrated books), 12 sugoroku 双六 (board games), and 4 maps, pasted onto pages in apparently no order. The fukuro are wrappers for printed material and are often heavily illustrated with images and/or text.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Collection of material relating to William Wait copyright legacy, 1877-1933 (inclusive)

Extent:
.2 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:
William Wait (1821-1880) was a lawyer and an author of a number of legal texts pertaining to the law in New York. His last will and testament allowed for the continuation of the publication and sale of the law books for which he had copyright until his youngest son turned 21 in 1889. This collection contains information about the legacy of Wait's copyrighted works following his death in 1880.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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