Jay T. Last Collection of Personal Care 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
© 2018
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Overview of the Collection
Title: Jay T. Last Collection of Personal Care Prints and Ephemera
Dates (inclusive): approximately 1832-approximately 1931
Bulk dates: 1860-1900
Collection Number: priJLC_PC
Collector:
Last, Jay T.
Extent:
approximately 865 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 Personal Care Prints and Ephemera contains approximately 865 printed items related to grooming
and personal care in the United States from approximately 1832 to 1931,
with the bulk of the content dating from 1860 to 1900. Most items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included.
The collection deals with products and services relating to grooming, cleansing, and preserving one’s hair,
scalp, skin, or teeth to promote individual hygiene or to beautify one’s appearance.
Language: English.
Note:
Finding aid last updated on March 22, 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 Personal Care 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 Personal Care 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 Personal Care Prints and Ephemera contains approximately 865 printed items related to grooming
and personal care in the United States from approximately 1832 to 1931,
with the bulk of the content dating from 1860 to 1900. Most items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included.
The collection deals with products and services relating to grooming, cleansing, and preserving one’s hair,
scalp, skin, or teeth to promote individual hygiene or to beautify one’s appearance. Materials focus on consumer goods or
acts of assistance that do not require medical direction to purchase or use. Such products include cosmetics, hair oils, perfumes,
razors, shaving creams, shampoos, skin lotions, talcum powder, toothpaste, tooth powder, brushes, combs, hair pins, and wigs.
Such services include barbers, hairdressers, wigmakers, and styling salons. 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.
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 14 large-size items comprised
mainly of advertising prints and leaflets. Small-size items number approximately 850 and contain a variety
of materials, including trade cards, stationery, calendars, leaflets, and printed billheads and letterheads (with and without
manuscript text).
Alternative Form of Materials Available
Related materials in the Huntington Library
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following two series:
- Series I. Personal Care Prints and Ephemera (small size)
- Series II. Personal Care Prints and Ephemera (large size)
Indexing Terms
Genres
Billheads.
Business cards.
Chromolithographs.
Ephemera.
Ephemera -- United States -- 19th
century.
Ephemera -- United States -- 20th
century.
Engravings.
Handbills.
Intaglio prints.
Leaflets (printed works).
Letterheads.
Lithographs.
Price lists.
Printed ephemera.
Promotional materials.
Relief prints.
Stationery.
Trade cards.
Subjects
Advertising -- Perfumes industry.
Advertising -- Toilet preparations.
Beauty, Personal -- Pictorial works.
Butterflies -- Pictorial works.
Cosmetics -- Pictorial works.
Flowers -- Pictorial works.
Hair -- Pictorial works.
Men -- 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.
F. Heppenheimer & Co.
P.S. Duval & Son
Kellogg & Comstock
Dearborn, Nathaniel, 1786-1852
Donaldson Brothers (Firm)
Herline & Co.
Sarony, Major & Knapp Lith.
Traubel, M. H. (Morris H.), 1820-1897
Aiken, Mark M.
Reen, Charles
Series I. Personal Care Prints and Ephemera (small size)
approximately 1845-approximately 1931
Physical Description:
approximately 850 items in 6 binders and 1 flat-top box
Arrangement
Items smaller than 8 x 10 inches are housed in six binders.
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
Cosmetics, A-H by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)
Physical Description: approximately 180 items
Binder 2
Cosmetics, I-Z by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)
Physical Description: approximately 160 items
Binder 3
Dental Products, A-Z by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)
Physical Description: approximately 50 items
Binder 4
Perfumes, A-G by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)
Physical Description: approximately 140 items
Binder 5
Perfumes, H-M by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)
Physical Description: approximately 155 items
Binder 6
Perfumes, N-Z by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)
Physical Description: approximately 150 items
Box 1
Personal Care (between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size)
Physical Description: approximately 15 items
Note
Select items in this box have been fully cataloged and are listed below.
priJLC_PC_004327
Court Street hair cutting and curling room. approximately 1849-1850
Printers: Dearborn, Nathaniel, 1786-1852
priJLC_PC_004329
Hoyt's German cologne. ©1883
Printers: Donaldson Brothers (Firm)
Series II. Personal Care Prints and Ephemera (large size)
approximately 1832-approximately 1903
Physical Description:
14 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_PC_001966
Fritzsche, Schimmel & Co's celebrated fruit essences. 1867-1874
Printers: F. Heppenheimer & Co.
priJLC_PC_003583
Francois Gregoire & Co. enamel of America. ©1866
Printers: P.S. Duval & Son
priJLC_PC_003584
Hall's hair renewer. approximately 1875-1890
priJLC_PC_003585
Hubbard & Kellogg's hair lustral. approximately 1848-1850
Printers: Kellogg & Comstock
priJLC_PC_003586
J. H. White & Co., manufacturers of school bags, razor strops and bibs, North East, MD. approximately 1850-1900
priJLC_PC_003587
Extract of white lilac : Low Son & Haydon London. approximately 1860-1885
priJLC_PC_003588
Japanese handkerchief, perfumed with Austen's forest flower cologne. approximately 1867-1888
priJLC_PC_003589
A. Hawley & Co. Perfumers and chemists. approximately 1866-1872
priJLC_PC_003590
Mrs. S.A. Allen's world's hair restorer. approximately 1857-1863
Printers: Sarony, Major & Knapp Lith.
priJLC_PC_003591
Glenn's celebrated perfumery and toilet soaps. approximately 1853-1872
Printers: Traubel, M. H. (Morris H.), 1820-1897
priJLC_PC_003592
Hoyt's German cologne is the best. 1886
priJLC_PC_003593
Satin skin powder : satin skin cream. ©1903
priJLC_PC_004992
Ward's vegetable hair oil... approximately 1832
priJLC_PC_004993
Perfumery gold medal R & G.A. Wright manufacturers of the celebrated gold medal perfumery... approximately 1856
