Jay T. Last Collection of Maritime Prints and Ephemera: Finding Aid

Series I. Maritime Prints and Ephemera (small size) 1704-1939 (bulk 1840-1890)

Physical Description: approximately 1,090 items in 11 binders and 1 flat-top box

Scope and Content

This series contains approximately 1,090 small-size printed items that pertain to travel, shipping, and other maritime-related activities and businesses in the United States from 1704 to 1939. The materials consist of advertising and promotional ephemera, illustrations, and business records relevant to steamship companies, sailing vessels, shipping entities, passenger lines, and related businesses and publications. The vast majority of these items are bills of lading and steamship passes, but the collection also has trade cards, timetables, booklets, directory ads, menus, passenger lists, postcards, handbills, and printed billheads and letterheads with manuscript text.

Items smaller than 8 x 10 inches are housed in binders, while items that are between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size are individually sleeved and arranged in folders in one box.

Arrangement

Small-size items are arranged by company, with the exception of bills of lading. Bills of lading are organized geographically by state followed by city of departure, and then ordered chronologically within each city grouping.

Binder 1

Bills of Lading, AL-MD by state (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 85 items

Binder 2

Bills of Lading, MA-NJ by state (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 80 items

Binder 3

Bills of Lading, NY, 1760-1859 (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 85 items

Binder 4

Bills of Lading, NY, 1860-1899 (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 60 items

Binder 5

Bills of Lading, NC-PA by state (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 85 items

Binder 6

Bills of Lading, RI-VA by state & Wash. D.C. (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 75 items

Binder 7

Steamboat Lines, U.S. & Canada, A-Z by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 125 items

Binder 8

Steamboat Lines, Transoceanic, A-N by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 105 items

Binder 9

Steamboat Lines, Transoceanic, O-Z by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 60 items

Binder 10

Steamboat Passes, A-L by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 155 items

Binder 11

Steamboat Passes, M-Z by company (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Physical Description: approximately 165 items

Box 1

Maritime Prints and Ephemera (between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size)

Physical Description: approximately 15 items

Series II. Maritime Prints and Ephemera (large size) 1825-approximately 1942 (bulk 1840-1890)

Physical Description: 57 items

Scope and Content

This series contains 57 large-size printed items pertaining to travel, shipping, and other maritime-related activities and businesses in the United States from 1825 to approximately 1942, with the majority of items dating from 1840 to 1890. The series is comprised mainly of lithographed advertising prints produced for steamship companies, including both domestic and transoceanic passenger and commercial services.

Genres represented include advertising prints, certificates, broadsides, and documentary prints. The series contains color-printed, hand-colored, and uncolored images that range in size from approximately 11 x 14 inches to 30 x 40 inches.

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_MAR_001387

The packet-boat Shenandoah, Capt. S. Compson, will hereafter leave Montezuma for Geneva daily ... Sept. 12, 1845. 12 September 1845

Collection Contents