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Benjamin Hoag papers
MVZA.MSS.0289  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Biography/Administrative History
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Benjamin Hoag papers
    Dates: 1878-1916
    Collection Number: MVZA.MSS.0289
    Creator/Collector:
    Extent: 0.62 cubic feet
    Repository: UC Berkeley. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
    Berkeley, California 94720-3160
    Abstract: Benjamin Hoag was an egg collector and merchant active in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The Benjamin Hoag Papers collection contains egg catalogs, field notes, correspondence, and ephemera.
    Language of Material: English

    Access

    The collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    Copyright restrictions may apply. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives in writing for approval. Please contact the Museum Archivist for further information.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item]. Benjamin Hoag papers. Collection Number: MVZA.MSS.0289. UC Berkeley. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

    Biography/Administrative History

    Benjamin Hoag was born in 1865 in Ancram, New York, but lived most of his life in Stephentown, N.Y. He was an avid collector of bird eggs and kept detailed catalogs of his collection. He sold oological supplies and books, and was active in the egg trade. He died in 1932. “Hoag, Benjamin”. Special Collections and University Archives. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Accessed 20 Aug. 2014. http://scua.library.umass.edu/umarmot/hoag-benjamin/

    Scope and Content of Collection

    The Benjamin Hoag Papers collection contains several egg catalogs, which frequently give detailed narrative information about the acquisition of the specimens. Many pages of the catalogs were rendered illegible when ephemera and correspondence were glued on top of the records. In addition to egg catalogs, the collection contains field notes, “schedules” of observed birds in Rensselaer County, correspondence, and ephemera. While some of the correspondence deals with Hoag’s oological supply business and his egg collecting activities, much of it relates to his magazine and newspaper subscription sales. The ephemera includes newspaper clippings, publisher catalogs, and leaflets advertising books. The collection also includes a ledger of goods sold.