Jay T. Last Collection of Religion Prints and Ephemera: Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Charla DelaCuadra.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Prints and Ephemera

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

Phone: 626-405-2191

Email: reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Overview of the Collection

Title: Jay T. Last Collection of Religion Prints and Ephemera

Dates (inclusive): approximately 1828-approximately 1921

Bulk dates: 1850-1900

Collection Number: priJLC_REL

Collector: Last, Jay T.

Extent: approximately 60 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 Religion Prints and Ephemera contains approximately 60 printed items related to beliefs and practices usually involving devotional and ritual observances concerning God, creation of the universe, spirituality, and the moral conduct of human affairs. The materials were made and used in the United States from approximately 1828 to 1921, with the bulk of the content dating from 1850 to 1900. Certificates pertaining to biblical societies and other theological organizations are represented, as are items relating to baptism and other formal or ceremonial rites and initiations in religious use. Images of sacred scenes, verses, and parables; portraits of saints or spiritual leaders; and views of houses of worship are also found here. Most items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included.

Language: English.

Note:

Finding aid last updated on February 5, 2018.

Administrative Information

Publication Rights

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.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, Call number]. Jay T. Last Collection of Religion Prints and Ephemera, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

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 Religion prints and ephemera were transferred to the Library between 2010 and 2012.

Background

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.

Access

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Scope and Content

The Jay T. Last Collection of Religion Prints and Ephemera contains approximately 60 printed items related to beliefs and practices usually involving devotional and ritual observances concerning God, creation of the universe, spirituality, and the moral conduct of human affairs. The materials were made and used in the United States from approximately 1828 to 1921, with the bulk of the content dating from 1850 to 1900. Certificates pertaining to biblical societies and other theological organizations are represented, as are items relating to baptism and other formal or ceremonial religious rites and initiations. Images of sacred scenes, verses, and parables; portraits of saints or spiritual leaders; and views of houses of worship are also found here.

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 29 large-size items comprised mainly of baptismal certificates and lithographs of Christian scenes and imagery. Especially noteworthy are eight woodcut and hand-colored Pennsylvania-German certificates of birth and baptism dating from 1837-1853 (priJLC_002917-002923 and priJLC_004970), mostly printed and/or handwritten in German. They relate to illuminated Fraktur drawings popular in Pennsylvania-German culture during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Small-size items number approximately 30 and contain a variety of materials, including tickets, leaflets, certificates, and printed letterheads (with manuscript text).

The collection supports various fields of research related to religion and Christianity in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This includes regional baptism records, places and patterns of worship, and Christian iconography. The images also provide a rich visual resource for studying American interpretations of Bible stories and figures common during this period. As graphic materials, the collection highlights developing techniques and trends in printmaking while documenting 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

Jay T. Last Collection of Printing and Publishing: Louis Prang Archive

Includes greeting cards and other ephemera related to religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following two series:

Series I. Religion Prints and Ephemera (small size)
Series II. Religion Prints and Ephemera (large size)

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.

Genres

Certificates.

Chromolithographs.

Ephemera.

Ephemera -- United States -- 19th century.

Ephemera -- United States -- 20th century.

Engravings.

Intaglio prints.

Leaflets (printed works)

Lithographs.

Printed ephemera.

Prints.

Relief prints.

Views.

Subjects

Angels -- Pictorial works.

Animals -- Pictorial works.

Apostles -- Pictorial works.

Babies -- Pictorial works.

Baptism -- Pictorial works.

Baptism.

Bible stories -- Pictorial works.

Birds -- Pictorial works.

Bishops -- Pictorial works.

Camp meetings -- Pictorial works.

Cherubs (Art)

Children -- Pictorial works.

Church architecture -- Pictorial works.

Church buildings -- Pictorial works.

Clergy -- Portraits.

College campuses -- Pictorial works.

Convents -- Pictorial works.

Couples -- Pictorial works.

Crosses -- Pictorial works.

Deathbeds -- Pictorial works.

Devil -- Pictorial works.

Flowers -- Pictorial works.

Hell -- Pictorial works.

Jesus Christ -- Pictorial works.

Last Supper -- Pictorial works.

Luther, Martin, 1483-1546 -- Pictorial works.

Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Pictorial works.

Men -- Pictorial works.

Missionaries -- Pictorial works.

Mothers -- Pictorial works.

Noah’s ark -- Pictorial works.

Prayer -- Pictorial works.

Prayer.

Priests -- Pictorial works.

Reading -- Pictorial works.

Reformation.

Saints -- Pictorial works.

Theological seminaries -- Pictorial works.

Women -- 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.

Anderson, Walter W.

Aspinwall, Horatio G.

Bannan, Benjamin, 1807-1875

Calvert Lithographing Co. (Detroit, Mich.)

Cosack & Co.

Crosby, Charles H., 1819-1896

Haehnlen, Jacob, 1824-

Hanford, Albert, 1807-1883

Hawkins, Ezekiel C.

Hop Pill Mf'g Co.

J. Ottman Lithographic Company

King, W. A. (Artist)

Longacre & Co.

Queen & Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Reed, Edwin O., approximately 1824-

Samuel Bowles and Company

Sarony, Major & Knapp Lith.

Shields, C. (Printer)

Stevens, H. R.

Theo. Leonhardt & Son

Thomas & Eno

Thoubboron, J.

Tobin, M. F.

William H. Forbes & Company

Series I. Religion Prints and Ephemera (small size) approximately 1835-1890

Physical Description: approximately 30 items in 1 binder and 1 flat-top box

Arrangement

Items smaller than 8 x 10 inches are housed in one binder.

Items that are between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size are arranged in one box. Items with individual call numbers are arranged numerically. Select items have been fully cataloged and are described in the following format:

Title of print. Date
Artist(s) (when known). Printer(s). Publisher(s).

Binder 1

Religion (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 10 items

Box 1

Religion (between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size)

Physical Description: approximately 20 items

Note

Select items in this box have been fully cataloged and are listed below.

priJLC_REL_004971 This certifies that on the 1d day of August 1889 holy baptism... 1889

Publishers: Kohler, Ignatius, 1827-1901

priJLC_REL_004972 This is to certify that [Dea J. S.] Kelley... 1853

Printers: B.W. Thayer & Co. ;

priJLC_REL_004974 Plan of the pews in the chapel Freeman Place, Beacon Street. approximately 1845-1865

Printers: J.H. Bufford & Co.

priJLC_REL_004975 W. A. Scott. approximately 1858

Artists: Newsam, Albert, 1809-1864 Printers: P.S. Duval & Son Publishers: Wilson, Joseph M. (Joseph Miller), 1838-1902

priJLC_REL_004976 John Vaughan Esq. after 1835

Printers: Wagner & Cerveau

priJLC_REL_004977 Rev. G. N. Gordon and his wife. approximately 1861

Artists: Fabronius, Dominique C. Printers: J.H. Bufford's Lith.

priJLC_REL_004978 Camp meeting. approximately 1848-1850

Printers: Kellogg & Comstock Needham, Dwight

priJLC_REL_004979 The prodigal son returned to his father. approximately 1848-1849

Printers: Ward, Joseph (Lithographer) Publishers: Ward, Joseph (Lithographer)

priJLC_REL_004980 Noah's ark. approximately 1838-1856

Printers: Currier, Nathaniel, 1813-1888 Publishers: Currier, Nathaniel, 1813-1888

priJLC_REL_004981 Noah's ark. approximately 1848-1850

Printers: Kellogg & Comstock Needham, Dwight

priJLC_REL_004982 Reading the Scriptures. approximately 1838-1856

Printers: Currier, Nathaniel, 1813-1888 Publishers: Currier, Nathaniel, 1813-1888

priJLC_REL_004983 Reading the Scriptures. approximately 1838-1856

Printers: Currier, Nathaniel, 1813-1888 Publishers: Currier, Nathaniel, 1813-1888

priJLC_REL_004984 The Lord's supper. Das heilige Ubendmahl. before 1847

Printers: Peters, Gustav Sigismund, 1793-1847

priJLC_REL_004985 Our Father which art in heaven… approximately 1840-1845

Publishers: Patten, James Madison

priJLC_REL_004986 "Only a little brook." ©1876

Publishers: George Stinson & Co.

priJLC_REL_004987 "The mother of our Lord." ©1879

Publishers: George Stinson & Co.

priJLC_REL_005033 New Bethel ship, John Wesley. - Rev. O.G. Hedstrom, pastor. 1858

Series II. Religion Prints and Ephemera (large size) approximately 1828-approximately 1921

Physical Description: 29 items

Arrangement

Items are arranged numerically by call number and described in the following format:

Title of print. Date
Artist(s) (when known). Printer(s). Publisher(s).

priJLC_REL_000590

First Presbyterian Church : Baltimore, Md. approximately 1856-1866