Benjamin Hoag papers
Finding aid created by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology staff using RecordEXPRESS
UC Berkeley. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
2024
3101 Valley Life Sciences Bldg, #3160
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, California 94720-3160
(510) 642-3567
mvzarchives@berkeley.EDU
http://mvz.berkeley.edu/
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
The collection is open for research.
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.
[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.