F. Weber & Company, Inc. records, 1865-1973

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Summary

Creators:
Janentzky and Weber, Manufacturers and Importers, Weber, Frederick, and F. Weber & Co
Abstract:
Manufacturer of artists' materials, including paints, papers, and other supplies. Records contain trade catalogs and price lists, paint formula books, sample books, and business papers, trade catalogs and sample books of other companies, and lectures written and delivered by F. Weber.
Extent:
18 Linear Feet (41 boxes)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

F. Weber & Co., Inc. Records, 1865-1973, Research Library, The Getty Research Institute, Accession number 950018.

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa950018

Background

Scope and content:

The archive of F. Weber & Company, Inc. contains printed catalogues and brochures, ledgers with financial and technical information (including paint formulas), correspondence and other business papers, manuscripts of lectures and photographs from trade fairs. The material dates from 1865-1971, with the bulk of the material from the first 3 decades of the 20th-century.

Paint formula books, ca. 1865-1967, undated (ca. 30), are handwritten ledgers documenting most aspects of F. Weber & Company's manufacture of paint, including special orders and customers. Many of the ledgers include inserted paint samples. All of the ledgers cover a span of years; some as many as 20 years. All of the ledgers are fragile.

Sample books, 1925-1951, (ca. 30 items) include printed books, brochures and cards which provide samples of artists' materials for sale by Weber. These include samples of canvas, various types of paints, inks, papers and colored pencils.

Business papers (2.5 lin. ft.) 1870-1973, n.d., include 4 small wage and expense account books from the 1870s; a ledger of Weber Co. stock on hand for 1897; 3 stock certificate books, 1921-1963; blueprints, drawing and specifications for an F. Weber manufacturing building, 1917; and by-laws and incorporation papers, 1920-1921. The F. Weber & Company's participation in trade fairs and expositions (1922-1941, n.d.) is documented with some correspondence, printed material and ca. 15 photographs. There are also ca. 15 lectures (and announcements for lectures) by F. Weber, ca. 1922-35, in mss. and printed form, on the technical aspects of artists materials, especially paints. A scrapbook contains clippings, brochures and flyers about his lectures.

Other companies' trade catalogs and price lists (ca. 40 items) were collected by the F. Weber & Company in the course of doing business, and date from 1870-1951.

Monographs from the collection have been accessioned to the Reseach Library's general collection.

Biographical / historical:

Successors to Janentzky & Weber Manufacturers & Importers, F. Weber & Company, Inc. was established in 1853 and incorporated in 1920. The company manufactured artists supplies, including painting and drawing supplies, mathematical instruments, materials for gilders, sign and coach-painters, china decorators, engineers, lithographers, etchers and engravers, as well as materials for pyrography or wood burning, and wax and paper flowers. Their main office was located at 1125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, and branch houses existed at 709 Locust St., St.Louis, Missouri, and 5 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland.

Frederick Weber was a chemist, author, lecturer and painter.

Acquisition information:
The archive was accessioned by the Getty Research Library, Special Collections in 1995, although received prior to 1995.
Processing information:

Pamela Johnson, library assistant at the Getty Conservation Institute, began processing the collection in early 1994. Jill Markman, also from the library of the Conservation Institute, took over the processing in 1995. Jocelyn Gibbs assisted her in the processing and arrangement of the papers, and compiled the finding aid March 1996.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in five series: Series I. Trade catalogues and price lists, ca. 1876-1962; Series II. Paint formula books, ca. 1865-1967; Series III. Sample books, ca. 1925-1951; Series IV. Business papers, ca. 1870-1973; Series V. Other companies' trade catalogues and sample books, ca. 1870-1951.

Physical location:
Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.
Rules or conventions:
archives, personal papers, and manuscripts

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Terms of access:

Contact Library Rights and Reproductions.

Preferred citation:

F. Weber & Co., Inc. Records, 1865-1973, Research Library, The Getty Research Institute, Accession number 950018.

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa950018

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
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