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Book, Writing, and Photographic Artifacts collection
MS 417  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Processing History
  • Collection Scope and Contents
  • Collection Arrangement
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Book, Writing, and Photographic Artifacts collection
    Date (inclusive): circa 1840-2000
    Collection Number: MS 417
    Extent: 13.02 linear feet (12 boxes)
    Repository: Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
    Riverside, CA 92517-5900
    Abstract: The collection, created primarily as a teaching collection, consists of materials meant to be actively used to illustrate the history and techniques of various writing and print systems across the globe, including reproductions, souvenirs, and original specimens of printing and writing tools and instruments, as well as various formats of book and manuscript binding. The collection also includes examples of various photographic prints meant to demonstrate historical photographic processes. Materials in the collection were collected by Special Collections staff to aid with instruction on the history of the book and various writing, print, and photographic technologies and processes.
    Languages: The collection is mainly in English, with some artifacts also containing writing in other scripts.

    Access

    The collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    Copyright Unknown: Some material in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

    Preferred Citation

    [identification of item], [date if possible]. Book, Writing, and Photographic Artifacts collection (MS 417). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

    Acquisition Information

    The collection was created by Special Collections staff over time through a variety of sources, some with unknown provenance.

    Processing History

    Processed by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian, and Robin M. Katz, Primary Source Literary Librarian, 2018.

    Collection Scope and Contents

    The collection, created primarily as a teaching collection, consists of materials meant to be actively used to illustrate the history and techniques of various writing and print systems across the globe, including reproductions, souvenirs, and original specimens of printing and writing tools and instruments, as well as various formats of book and manuscript binding. The collection also includes examples of various photographic prints meant to demonstrate historical photographic processes.
    Materials in the collection were collected by Special Collections staff to aid with instruction on the history of the book and various writing, print, and photographic technologies and processes.
    Items in the collection include early writing artifacts such as a cuneiform tablet, various seals, a wax tablet and samples of paper, papyrus and vellum; book formats such as a scroll, palm leaf manuscript, bamboo book, and printed books; and various printing techniques including moveable type, woodblocks, and various types of printing plates. The collection also includes two cased daguerreotypes.

    Collection Arrangement

    The collection is arranged into the following five series as follows:
    • Series 1. Writing and printing surfaces, undated
    • Series 2. Writing technologies, undated
    • Series 3. Book formats, undated
    • Series 4. Printing technologies, undated
    • Series 5. Photographic processes, circa 1840-1860

    Indexing Terms

    The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

    Subjects

    Book design -- History
    Photography -- History
    Printing -- History -- Origin and antecedents
    Printing -- Specimens
    Writing materials and instruments -- History

    Genres and Forms of Materials

    Paper (fiber product)
    Daguerreotypes (photographs)
    Papyrus (fiber product)
    Printing Blocks (Printings Surfaces)
    Printing Plates
    Replicas