Teiser (Ruth) papers, circa 1930-1990

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Title:
Ruth Teiser papers
Dates:
circa 1930-1990
Creators:
Teiser, Ruth
Abstract:
The papers of freelance writer and historian, Ruth Teiser, divided into three series: Winemaking in California files; Research and Writing files; and Personalia and General Correspondence.
Extent:
Number of containers: 25 cartons, 2 boxes, 1 oversize folder (linear feet: 31.5)
Language:
Collection materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ruth Teiser papers, BANC MSS 98/182 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

Divided into three series: wine making in California files, research and writing files, and personalia and general correspondence. The wine making in California files consist of materials Teiser gathered during the course of researching and writing her book on the history of wine in California. These materials include biographical files, files on California wineries, geographical files, subject files, and some manuscripts and book production files. Teiser's research and writing files consist of manuscripts and research materials (with some photographs) from Teiser's career as a freelance writer and reporter. Topics represented in these files include canning and other food technologies; bakeries and bread; economic development and the electronics industry in Santa Clara County; printing and fine presses in Northern California; San Francisco history; and assorted others. The collection also includes a small amount of general correspondence and personalia from Ruth Teiser and her colleague and friend Catherine Harroun. Among these personal items are some materials on Sidney Teiser and family photographs.

Biographical / historical:

Ruth Teiser (1915-1994) was born in Portland, Oregon to attorney Sidney Teiser and Betty (Kline) Teiser. Ruth attended Mills College from 1932 to 1934 and Stanford University (where she received her B.A. and M.A.) from 1936 to 1941. She built a career as a reporter and freelance writer and photographer. Her articles, essays, and book reviews appeared in Bay Area newspapers and magazines, including Westways, Travel, Wine World, Wines and Vines, and California Living. Subject areas of particular interest to Teiser were wine in California, San Francisco history, and books and fine printing. In 1965, Teiser started a new phase in her career when she became a part-time senior editor and interviewer at the Regional Oral History Office (ROHO), Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. For ROHO, Teiser and her long-time friend and colleague Catherine Harroun, director of the Wells Fargo HIstory Room, conducted a series of interviews with local printers, publishers, hand bookbinders in the Bay Area. They also conducted many interviews for a wine oral history series. In 1976, the Book Club of California published Printing as Performance Art by Teiser and Harroun. In 1983, the pair published a history of California wine entitled Winemaking in California, which won awards of merit from the California Historical Society and the Commonwealth Club of California.

Processing information:

Processed by Lara Michels in 2012.

Accruals:

No additions are expected.

Physical location:
Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding Aid written by Lara Michels
Date Prepared:
© 2007
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid generated by Finding Aid author(s) via EAD XPress; markup validated by The Bancroft Library staff using OAC validation tools; Date of source: June 2012

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000. Consent is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.

Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ruth Teiser papers, BANC MSS 98/182 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
Website