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Jay T. Last Collection of Transportation Prints and Ephemera: Finding
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priJLC_TRAN
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Title: Jay T. Last Collection of Transportation Prints and Ephemera
Dates (inclusive): 1826-approximately 1911
Bulk dates: 1840-1905
Collection Number: priJLC_TRAN
Collector:
Last, Jay T.
Extent:
approximately 740 items
Repository:
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
Abstract: The Jay T. Last Collection of Transportation Prints and Ephemera contains more than 730 printed items that relate to land-based
modes of transportation primarily in the United States
from the 1820s to the early 1900s. The bulk of the collection dates from 1840 to 1905 and consists largely of advertising
and promotional materials, business records, and illustrations produced for or
pertaining to the bicycle, carriage and wagon, railroad, and freight and passenger transport industries.
Language: English.
Note:
Finding aid last updated on June 30, 2016.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
IThe 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 Transportation 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 transportation prints and ephemera were transferred to the Library between 2010 and 2012.
The Jay T. Last Collection is an unparalleled archive of printed paper artifacts that documents American lithographic 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 19th and early 20th century American
origin and represents works by more than five hundred lithographic companies.
The Jay T. Last Collection of Transportation Prints and Ephemera contains more than 730 printed items that relate to land-based
modes of transportation primarily in the United States
from the 1820s to the early 1900s. The bulk of the collection dates from 1840 to 1905 and consists largely of advertising
and promotional materials, business records, and illustrations produced for or
pertaining to the bicycle, carriage and wagon, railroad, and freight and passenger transport industries.
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
are fully inventoried, and all printers, artists, and publishers are indexed by name.
The collection has 167 large-size items consisting of advertising cards, posters, broadsides, system maps, timetables, views,
and other visual materials primarily produced for railroad companies,
with additional items concerning vehicle and part manufacturers such as wheel works, carriage builders, bicycle manufacturers,
and locomotive machine shops.
Small-size items in the collection number more than 570 and are comprised mainly of advertising and promotional ephemera
and business documents such as printed booklets, business cards, calendars, catalogs, envelopes,
handbills, labels, leaflets, postcards, trade cards, and separated book and periodical illustrations, as well as stationery
with printed billheads and letterheads filled out with manuscript or
typewritten correspondence.
The collection touches on topics of transportation, commerce and manufacturing, technology and engineering, travel and tourism,
and geography. The images are primarily promotional in nature
and provide information about the history of the American railroad, bicycle, and horse-drawn vehicle industries and the evolution
of their advertising strategies in the 19th and early 20th
centuries. As graphic materials, the prints offer evidence of the development of printmaking techniques and trends, and of
the artists, engravers, lithographers, printers, and publishers
involved in the creation of these prints.
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 Transportation: N.N. Hill Brass Company Business Correspondence
- Jay T. Last Collection of Transportation: Railroad Passes
- Jay T. Last Collection of Transportation: Railroad Stock and Bond Certificates
Note
The Huntington Library Historical Prints Collection contains two related items (priHHC_TRAN_0000006 and priHHC_TRAN_0000007)
that are listed in the "Related Materials" section of the Carriage and Wagon (large-size) subseries within this finding aid.
The collection is arranged broadly by size in the following series and subseries:
- Series I. Transportation Prints and Ephemera
(small size)
- Subseries A. Bicycle (small size)
- Subseries B. Carriage and Wagon (small size)
- Subseries C. Railroad (small size)
- Series II. Transportation Prints and Ephemera
(large size)
- Subseries A. Bicycle (large size)
- Subseries B. Carriage and Wagon (large size)
- Subseries C. Railroad (large size)
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
Huntington Library's Online Catalog.
Broadsides.
Chromolithographs.
Engravings.
Intaglio prints.
Lithographs.
Maps.
Posters.
Prints.
Relief prints.
Timetables.
Views.
Advertising -- Bicycle industry.
Advertising -- Carriages and carts.
Advertising -- Railroads.
Advertising -- Tires.
Bicycles -- Pictorial works.
Bridges -- Pictorial works.
Carriages and carts -- Pictorial works.
Landscapes -- Pictorial works.
Locomotives -- Design and construction -- Pictorial works.
Locomotives -- Pictorial works.
Pictorial maps.
Railroad cars -- Design and construction.
Railroad companies.
Railroad passenger cars -- Pictorial works.
Railroad stations -- Pictorial works.
Railroad travel -- Pictorial works.
Railroads -- Buildings and structures -- Pictorial works.
Railroads -- History -- Pictorial works.
Railroads -- Pictorial works.
Railroads -- United States -- History -- 19th century.
Railroads -- United States -- Maps.
Tire industry.
Tourism -- Pictorial works.
Transportation -- Pictorial works.
Transportation equipment industry.
Wagons -- Pictorial works.
United States -- Maps.
Printer, Publisher, Artist Index
The following is a complete list of printers, publishers, and artists represented in the collection.
Allen, Lane & Scott.
American Bank Note Company.
American Industrial Publishing Co.
Annin, William B., 1791?-1839.
Ashby & Vincent.
Beyer, Edward, 1820-1865.
Bien, Julius, 1826-1909.
Bigot, Alphonse, approximately 1828-1872 or 1873.
Bingham & Dodd.
Brett, Alphonse.
Britton & Rey.
Bufford, John Henry, 1810-1870.
Burch, J. A.
Callahan & Co.
Calvert Lithographing Co. (Detroit, Mich.)
Camerer, Wm.
Cameron, Amberg & Co.
Chapin, John Reuben, 1823-1894.
Charles Van Benthuysen & Sons.
Chas. H. Crosby & Co.
Chatto & Windus (Firm)
Cincinnati Lith. Co.
Clapp, Matthews & Co.
Clark W. Bryan & Co.
Clarke, W. A. (Advertising manager)
Clay, Cosack & Co.
Compton & Company.
Concanen, Alfred.
Cook, Charles, 1812-1863.
Corning Journal.
Cotsworth, Moses B. (Moses Bruine), 1859-1943.
Courier Company.
Crawford, C. G.
Crosby, Charles H., 1819-1896.
Culver, Page, Hoyne & Co.
Cushing, John Dean, 1795-1866.
Daily Argus Chromotype Press.
Damrell & Moore.
Dickman-Jones Co.
Drummond, Dominick I., approximately 1830-1899.
Edwards, J. H., 1808-1879.
Endicott & Co. (New York, N.Y.)
Endicott & Swett.
Erie Railway.
Feger, D. H.
Ferd. Mayer & Sons.
Fisk & Russell.
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company.
Forbriger, Adolphus A., -1869.
Forney, Matthias N. (Matthias Nace), 1835-1908.
Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Frizzell, S. S. (Samuel S.), 1843-1895.
Gazette Print (Columbus, Ohio.)
Geo. C. Rand & Avery.
Geo. H. Walker & Co.
Geo. Schlegel (Firm)
Gies & Co.
Graphic Company.
Grebner, Charles.
Hartwell, Alonzo, 1805-1873.
Hatch Lith. Co.
Haugg, Louis, 1856-1894.
Haven, John.
Heffron & Phelps.
Henderson Lithographing Co.
Henry Seibert & Bros.
Hoessli, J. R.
Horn, Solon, 1813 or 1814-1899.
J.E. Farwell & Co.
J.H. Bufford's Lith.
J.H. Colton & Co.
J.M.W. Jones Stationery & Printing Co.
James Ballantyne and Co.
Jarmy, Thos.
Jno. B. Jeffery Pr. Co.
Johnstone, E. McD., -1895.
Julius Bien & Co.
Kilburn & Cross.
Kilburn, Samuel Smith.
Knight & Porter.
Knight, Leonard & Co.
Kollner, Augustus, 1813-1906.
Krebs Lithographing Company
L. Johnson & Co.
L.H. Bradford & Co.
Lane, Fitz Henry, 1804-1865.
Levison & Blythe.
Lewis, Charles E. (Lithographer)
Longacre & Co.
Lord, C. K.
Maerz & Co.
Manning, John H., approximately 1820-.
Matthews & Warren.
Matthews-Northrup Company.
McGoffin, John, 1813-.
Milton Bradley & Co.
Mitchell, S. Augustus, Jr. (Samuel Augustus)
Mone, F.
More, Geo. W.
Morris, C. N. (Printer)
Morse, George Frederick, 1834-1926.
National Railway Publication Company.
Nesbitt, George F.
New England Lithographic Co.
New England Street Railway Club.
New York Lithographing and Engraving Co.
News Job Print.
Niagara Lithograph Co.
Oertel, Johannes Adam Simon, 1823-1909.
Onken's Lith.
Ord, Jonathan.
Otis, Fessenden N. (Fessenden Nott), 1825-1900.
P.S. Duval & Co.
Parsons, Charles, 1821-1910.
Pease, Richard H., 1813-1869.
Perrin, P. I., 1812-1896.
Perry Mason & Co.
Pickersgill, W. C.
Plate, G. (Engraver)
Poole Bros.
Poole Brothers.
Press Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Rand Avery Supply Co.
Rand McNally and Company.
Rand, Avery & Co.
Raphael Tuck & Sons.
Reuter, Emil.
Richardson & Foos.
Rogers, Fred, 1832-1870.
Rosenthal, L. N. (Louis N.)
Rosenthal, Max, 1833-1918.
Ruddock, David S.
Russell & Richardson.
Sage, Sons & Co.
Sanford, Warren & Harroun.
Sartain, Samuel, 1830-1906.
Schell, Francis H., 1834-1909.
Sears, A. T.
Shober & Carqueville.
St. Louis Democrat Litho. & Printing Co.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Stauffer, Jacob, 1808-.
Stein, A., 1835-1900.
Stone Printing and Manufacturing Company (Roanoke, Va.)
T. Sinclair's Lith.
Tanner, Henry Schenck, 1786-1858.
Thomas & Lathrops.
Times Printing House.
Transcript Print.
Van Benthuysen, C. (Charles), 1817-1881.
Ware Bros. Co.
Watson, Gaylord.
Weed, Parsons & Co.
Weissenborn, G. (Gustavus)
Werner Company.
Wilstach, Baldwin & Co.
Wm. P. Northrup & Co.
Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co.
Woodward, Tiernan, and Hale.
Wright, Ransom C.