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Jay T. Last Collection of Education Prints and Ephemera: Finding
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priJLC_EDU
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Title: Jay T. Last Collection of Education Prints and Ephemera
Dates (inclusive): 1788-approximately 1930
Bulk dates: 1850-1910
Collection Number: priJLC_EDU
Collector:
Last, Jay T.
Extent:
approximately 2,235 items
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Prints and Ephemera
Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: 626-405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: The Jay T. Last Collection of Education Prints and Ephemera contains over 2,200 printed items related to education in the
United States from 1788 to approximately 1930, with the bulk of the items dating from 1850 to 1910.
Most of these items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included. The collection highlights institutions,
products, and services relating to
learning and teaching. This includes items associated with academic achievement, exhibits, lectures, and institutions of learning.
Language: English.
Note:
Finding aid last updated on December 3, 2019.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities.
The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the
researcher.
[Item title, Call number]. Jay T. Last Collection of Education Prints and Ephemera, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
This collection forms part of the Jay T. Last Collection of Graphic Arts and Social History, which was
donated to the Huntington Library by Jay T. Last in 2005 as a gift in progress. The bulk of the Education prints and ephemera were transferred to the Library between 2010 and 2012, with a sizable addition in 2016.
The Jay T. Last Collection is an unparalleled archive of printed paper artifacts that documents American lithographic, social,
and business history. The collection began in the early 1970s when
physicist and Silicon Valley pioneer Jay Last moved to Southern California and started collecting citrus box labels he found
at local flea markets and rummage sales. As his collection grew,
Last realized that these labels conveyed important information about commercial printing, graphic design, and social history,
and he expanded his collection to include other forms
of American visual culture. Today this collection contains more than 200,000 lithographic prints, posters, and ephemera of
mostly nineteenth- and early twentieth- century American
origin and represents works by more than five hundred lithographic companies.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
The Jay T. Last Collection of Education Prints and Ephemera contains over 2,200 printed items related to education in the
United States from 1788 to approximately 1930, with the bulk of the items dating from 1850 to 1910.
Most of these items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included.
Materials are arranged in two series: small-size items (11 x 14 inches or less) and large-size items (more than 11 x 14 inches).
Small-size items are described broadly at the series level; large-size items and select
small-size items are fully inventoried with printers, artists, and publishers indexed by name. The collection includes over
75 large-size items comprised mainly of lithographed views of colleges and universities, diplomas
and other certificates, penmanship examples, and uncut sheets of rewards of merit. Small-size items number approximately 2,150
and contain a variety of materials, including copy and writing books (composition books),
arithmetic and ciphering books, tuition bills, programs and tickets to graduations and other school events, certificates,
trade cards, student identification cards, postcards, ribbons, and printed billheads and letterheads
(with and without manuscript text).
The collection highlights institutions, products, and services relating to personal knowledge, understanding, character building,
and moral and social qualities including the tools, equipment, supplies, and structures used
for learning and teaching these disciplines in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This includes items
associated with academic achievement, exhibits, lectures, and institutions of learning. The images
provide a rich visual resource for studying the history of American educational institutions, methods, and materials, as well
as a perspective on student life and activities during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
As graphic materials, the prints and ephemera offer evidence of developing techniques and trends in printmaking, and of the
artists, engravers, lithographers, printers, and publishers involved in the creative process.
Alternative Form of Materials Available
Visit the
Huntington Digital Library: Jay T. Last Collection
to view digitized items from this collection.
Related materials in the Huntington Library
- Diana Korzenik Collection of Art Education
- Huntington Library Louis Prang Collection
- Jay T. Last Collection of Children's Books
- Jay T. Last Collection of Printing and Publishing: Louis Prang Archive
The Huntington Library Historical Prints Collection contains one related item
(priHHC_EDU_0000345) that is listed in the "Related Materials" section at the
beginning of Series II in this finding aid.
The collection is arranged in the following two series:
- Series I. Education Prints and Ephemera (small size)
- Series II. Education Prints and Ephemera (large size)
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
Huntington Library's Online Catalog.
Billheads.
Certificates.
Chromolithographs.
Copybooks (instructional materials)
Diplomas.
Education.
Ephemera.
Ephemera -- United States -- 19th century.
Ephemera -- United States -- 20th century.
Engravings.
Handbills.
Intaglio prints.
Leaflets (printed works)
Letters (Correspondence).
Letterheads.
Lithographs.
Manuscripts.
Pictorial lettersheets.
Postcards.
Printed ephemera.
Prints.
Programs.
Relief prints.
Rewards of merit.
Ribbons.
Tickets.
Trade cards.
Views.
Advertising -- Schools.
Birds -- Pictorial works.
Children -- Pictorial works.
College buildings -- Pictorial works.
College campuses -- Pictorial works.
Feathers -- Pictorial works.
Fruit -- Pictorial works.
Horse-drawn vehicles -- Pictorial works.
Landscapes -- Pictorial works.
Lettering -- Pictorial works.
Libraries -- Pictorial works.
Men -- Pictorial works.
Penmanship -- Pictorial works.
Penmanship.
Political science.
Portraits.
Schools -- Pictorial works.
Teachers -- Pictorial works.
Universities and colleges -- Pictorial works.
Women -- Pictorial works.
Women’s colleges -- Pictorial works.
Printer, Publisher, Artist Index
The following is a complete list of printers, publishers, and artists represented in the fully-cataloged items in this collection.
A. Hoen & Co.
A.W. Scribner and Co.
Alvord, Corydon A., approximately 1812-1874.
Armstrong & Co. (Boston, Mass.)
Arnold, Jno. H.
Baker, Geo. H. (George Holbrook), 1827-1906.
Barnum Field & Co.
Britton, Rey & Co.
Cattier, F. L.
Courier Steam Press.
Davenport, Rice.
Denio & Phelps.
Deroy, Laurent, 1797-1886.
Diamond Litho-Pub'g Co.
Dodd & Rumsey.
Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co.
Fanshaw, Daniel, 1788?-1860.
Ferd. Mayer & Co.
Ferd. Mayer & Sons.
Flagg and Gould (Andover, Mass.)
Fox, Stanley.
G. & C. Merriam (Firm)
G. & W. Endicott (Firm)
Gazette and Patriot Office.
Gies & Co.
Goupil, Vibert & Co.
Graham, Andrew B.
Grunewald, Gustav, 1805-1878.
Hart, Chas. (Charles), active 1870-1880.
Hunckel & Son.
Imbert’s Lithographic Office.
Journal Steam Press.
Kidder, James, 1793-1837.
Kollner, Augustus, 1813-1906.
Kummer, Julius Hermann, 1817-
M’Kown, J. (John), 1780?-1836.
Major & Knapp Engraving, Manufacturing & Lithographic Co.
Maverick, Andrew, 1782-1826.
Mendel, Edward, 1827-1884.
Messenger Office (Brattleboro, Vt.)
Middleton, Strobridge & Co.
Moss Engraving Company.
New York Printing Company.
P.S. Duval & Co.
Photo Engraving Co.
Pollock, Thomas (Engraver)
Prang & Mayer.
Prentiss, John, 1778-1873.
Quesenburg, Wm.
Redfield, Justus Starr, 1810-1888.
Reding's Press.
Sage, Sons & Co.
Salem Observer Press.
Sears, Roebuck and Company.
Senefelder Lith. Co.
Siebert, Martin W., 1810 or 1811-
Singerly, B. (Benjamin)
Smith, Samuel Stevens, 1809-1875.
Snyder, Black & Sturn.
Star Print.
Telegraph Print.
Tenney, Samuel Newell, 1802-1867.
Torrey, James D.
Varney, Samuel Jameson, 1814-1859.
W. Schuchman Lith.
Wade, William, active 1844-1852.
Western Lith. Co. (Des Moines, Iowa)
Whitehorne, G. A.
Williams, W.
Winham, F. A.
Winter, Egidius C.