Jay T. Last Collection of Education 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 Education Prints and Ephemera

Dates (inclusive): 1788-approximately 1930

Bulk dates: 1850-1910

Collection Number: priJLC_EDU

Collector: Last, Jay T.

Extent: approximately 2,235 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 Education Prints and Ephemera contains over 2,200 printed items related to education in the United States from 1788 to approximately 1930, with the bulk of the items dating from 1850 to 1910. Most of these items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included. The collection highlights institutions, products, and services relating to learning and teaching. This includes items associated with academic achievement, exhibits, lectures, and institutions of learning.

Language: English.

Note:

Finding aid last updated on December 3, 2019.

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 Education 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 Education prints and ephemera were transferred to the Library between 2010 and 2012, with a sizable addition in 2016.

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 Education Prints and Ephemera contains over 2,200 printed items related to education in the United States from 1788 to approximately 1930, with the bulk of the items dating from 1850 to 1910. Most of these items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included.

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 over 75 large-size items comprised mainly of lithographed views of colleges and universities, diplomas and other certificates, penmanship examples, and uncut sheets of rewards of merit. Small-size items number approximately 2,150 and contain a variety of materials, including copy and writing books (composition books), arithmetic and ciphering books, tuition bills, programs and tickets to graduations and other school events, certificates, trade cards, student identification cards, postcards, ribbons, and printed billheads and letterheads (with and without manuscript text).

The collection highlights institutions, products, and services relating to personal knowledge, understanding, character building, and moral and social qualities including the tools, equipment, supplies, and structures used for learning and teaching these disciplines in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This includes items associated with academic achievement, exhibits, lectures, and institutions of learning. The images provide a rich visual resource for studying the history of American educational institutions, methods, and materials, as well as a perspective on student life and activities during the 19th and early 20th centuries. As graphic materials, the prints and ephemera offer evidence of developing techniques and trends in printmaking, and of 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

Diana Korzenik Collection of Art Education
Huntington Library Louis Prang Collection
Jay T. Last Collection of Children's Books
Jay T. Last Collection of Printing and Publishing: Louis Prang Archive

The Huntington Library Historical Prints Collection contains one related item (priHHC_EDU_0000345) that is listed in the "Related Materials" section at the beginning of Series II in this finding aid.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following two series:

Series I. Education Prints and Ephemera (small size)
Series II. Education 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

Billheads.

Certificates.

Chromolithographs.

Copybooks (instructional materials)

Diplomas.

Education.

Ephemera.

Ephemera -- United States -- 19th century.

Ephemera -- United States -- 20th century.

Engravings.

Handbills.

Intaglio prints.

Leaflets (printed works)

Letters (Correspondence).

Letterheads.

Lithographs.

Manuscripts.

Pictorial lettersheets.

Postcards.

Printed ephemera.

Prints.

Programs.

Relief prints.

Rewards of merit.

Ribbons.

Tickets.

Trade cards.

Views.

Subjects

Advertising -- Schools.

Birds -- Pictorial works.

Children -- Pictorial works.

College buildings -- Pictorial works.

College campuses -- Pictorial works.

Feathers -- Pictorial works.

Fruit -- Pictorial works.

Horse-drawn vehicles -- Pictorial works.

Landscapes -- Pictorial works.

Lettering -- Pictorial works.

Libraries -- Pictorial works.

Men -- Pictorial works.

Penmanship -- Pictorial works.

Penmanship.

Political science.

Portraits.

Schools -- Pictorial works.

Teachers -- Pictorial works.

Universities and colleges -- Pictorial works.

Women -- Pictorial works.

Women’s colleges -- 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.

A. Hoen & Co.

A.W. Scribner and Co.

Alvord, Corydon A., approximately 1812-1874.

Armstrong & Co. (Boston, Mass.)

Arnold, Jno. H.

Baker, Geo. H. (George Holbrook), 1827-1906.

Barnum Field & Co.

Britton, Rey & Co.

Cattier, F. L.

Courier Steam Press.

Davenport, Rice.

Denio & Phelps.

Deroy, Laurent, 1797-1886.

Diamond Litho-Pub'g Co.

Dodd & Rumsey.

Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co.

Fanshaw, Daniel, 1788?-1860.

Ferd. Mayer & Co.

Ferd. Mayer & Sons.

Flagg and Gould (Andover, Mass.)

Fox, Stanley.

G. & C. Merriam (Firm)

G. & W. Endicott (Firm)

Gazette and Patriot Office.

Gies & Co.

Goupil, Vibert & Co.

Graham, Andrew B.

Grunewald, Gustav, 1805-1878.

Hart, Chas. (Charles), active 1870-1880.

Hunckel & Son.

Imbert’s Lithographic Office.

Journal Steam Press.

Kidder, James, 1793-1837.

Kollner, Augustus, 1813-1906.

Kummer, Julius Hermann, 1817-

M’Kown, J. (John), 1780?-1836.

Major & Knapp Engraving, Manufacturing & Lithographic Co.

Maverick, Andrew, 1782-1826.

Mendel, Edward, 1827-1884.

Messenger Office (Brattleboro, Vt.)

Middleton, Strobridge & Co.

Moss Engraving Company.

New York Printing Company.

P.S. Duval & Co.

Photo Engraving Co.

Pollock, Thomas (Engraver)

Prang & Mayer.

Prentiss, John, 1778-1873.

Quesenburg, Wm.

Redfield, Justus Starr, 1810-1888.

Reding's Press.

Sage, Sons & Co.

Salem Observer Press.

Sears, Roebuck and Company.

Senefelder Lith. Co.

Siebert, Martin W., 1810 or 1811-

Singerly, B. (Benjamin)

Smith, Samuel Stevens, 1809-1875.

Snyder, Black & Sturn.

Star Print.

Telegraph Print.

Tenney, Samuel Newell, 1802-1867.

Torrey, James D.

Varney, Samuel Jameson, 1814-1859.

W. Schuchman Lith.

Wade, William, active 1844-1852.

Western Lith. Co. (Des Moines, Iowa)

Whitehorne, G. A.

Williams, W.

Winham, F. A.

Winter, Egidius C.

Series I. Education Prints and Ephemera (small size) 1788-approximately 1930 (bulk 1850-1900)

Physical Description: approximately 2,150 items in 9 binders and 22 boxes

Scope and Content

This series contains mainly copy and writing books (composition books), arithmetic and ciphering books, tuition bills, programs and tickets to graduations and other school events, certificates, trade cards, student identification cards, postcards, ribbons, and printed billheads and letterheads (with and without manuscript text). Of note is an 1847 certificate signed by Peter Cooper, American industrialist, inventor, and philanthropist who designed and built the first American steam locomotive, and founded Cooper Union (Binder 1), and plates from Dean's Analytical Guide, to the Art of Penmanship (Box 1).

Related materials in the Huntington Library

Arrangement

Items smaller than 8 x 10 inches are housed in binders.

Items that are between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size are arranged in boxes. 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

General ephemera, 1790-1839 (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 125 items

Binder 2

General ephemera, 1840-1855 (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 110 items

Binder 3

General ephemera, 1856-1867 (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 140 items

Binder 4

General ephemera, 1868-1880 (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 120 items

Binder 8

General ephemera, 1881-1915 and undated (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 120 items

Binder 5

Rewards of merit, black & white and hand-colored (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 285 items

Binder 6

Rewards of merit, color printed, sets (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 345 items

Binder 7

Rewards of merit, color printed, singles (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 195 items

Binder 9

School supplies, services & equipment (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 70 items

Box 1

General prints and ephemera (between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size)

Physical Description: approximately 90 items

Note

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

priJLC_EDU_001341 Miami Commercial College : Dayton, Ohio. Established in 1860. approximately 1881