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[Identification of item], Parnassus Press records, BANC MSS 71/198 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog
Donated by Herman Schein and Ruth Robbins Schein, 1971-1991.
No additions are expected.
Processed by Mario H. Ramirez in 2013.
Founded in 1957 in Berkeley, California by Herman Schein and Ruth Robbins Schein, the Parnassus Press specialized in high
quality illustrated children’s books that featured such well known authors as Ursula K. Le Guin and Theodora Krober. Known
for their imaginative drawings and culturally diverse themes, the Parnassus Press was also distinct in publishing bilingual
texts in Spanish, French and Italian that explored folk tales from countries such as Martinique, Italy and Mexico. Among their
titles are included
Wizard of the Earthsea,
Ishi: Last of His Tribe,
Bravo Marco!,
Ramón Makes a Trade,
To Catch a Mongoose,
A Penny and a Periwinkle and
The Emperor and the Drummer Boy. Their collaboration with the illustrator Nicholas Sidjakov,
Baboushka and the Three Kings, won the Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American children’s picture book from the American Library Association in
1961. Several of their titles were also written and/or illustrated by Ruth Robbins who herself was a skilled artist and author.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the press began publishing fiction geared towards adults. These titles include
The Frisco Kid,
American’s Far West and
How I Became Howard Johnson. Notably, they collaborated on an anthology on Pan-Africanism with the journal
The Black Scholar. A beacon of publishing and children’s literature on the West Coast, the complete catalog of the Parnassus Press were sold
to Houghton Mifflin in 1979.
The Parnassus Press records contain manuscripts, financial records, correspondence, author profiles, illustrations, administrative
files, artwork, sample production materials, photographs and notebooks. Highlights of the collection include extensive information
on the daily operations of the press, its communications and contracts with authors, illustrators and printers, as well as
draft manuscripts and mock-ups of its many publications. Included as well are numerous examples of original artwork, book
exhibits, and materials that document the publishing process during the mid-twentieth century.
Series 1:
Administrative,
undated,
1953-1983
carton 1, folder 1
Adult Book Publishing, Form Contracts,
undated,
1960-1978
carton 1, folder 2
Adult Book Publishing, Miscellaneous,
1970-1972
carton 1, folder 3
Adult Book Publishing, Publicity,
1969-1971
carton 1, folder 4-33
Advertising,
undated,
1953-1978
carton 1, folder 34
Affliliated Lithographers, Inc.,
1957,
1959,
1963
carton 1, folder 35
Agents, General,
1956-1958,
1964,
1970
carton 1, folder 36, carton 2, folder 1
Binders, Various Companies,
1957-1968
carton 2, folder 2
Binders, H. Wolff Manufacturing Company, Inc.,
1955-1967
carton 2, folder 3
Binding Estimates,
1955-1968
carton 2, folder 4-5
Blurbs for Books,
undated,
1957-1963
carton 2, folder 8-11
Book Reviews and Reviewers, General,
1955-1973
carton 2, folder 12
Books on Exhibit,
1962-1963
carton 2, folder 13-21, oversize-box 28, folder 2
Catalog,
undated,
1957-1979
carton 2, folder 22
Contracts, Cancelled,
1957-1962,
1970-1971
carton 2, folder 23-24
Copyrights,
undated,
1956-1976
carton 3, folder 1-10
Correspondence,
1955-1976
carton 3, folder 11-18, carton 4, folder 1-21
Distribution,
undated,
1953-1977
carton 4, folder 22-23, carton 5, folder 1-2
Editors,
undated,
1956-1979
carton 5, folder 3-7, oversize-box 17, folder 1-2, oversize-box 25, folder 4-5
carton 5, folder 8-18
Financial,
undated,
1956-1978
carton 5, folder 19
Foreign Language Programs,
undated,
1959-1972
carton 5, folder 20-23, carton 6, folder 1-10
Historical,
undated,
1955-1982
carton 6, folder 11
Illustration, General,
1955-1975
carton 6, folder 27
Inventory of Booksheets,
1957-1977
carton 6, folder 28-30, carton 7, folder 1-3
carton 7, folder 4
Letterhead, invoices, etc.,
undated,
1970
carton 7, folder 5
Library Binding,
1958-1967
carton 7, folder 6
Mailing Information,
1957-1964
carton 7, folder 12
Orginial Sketches, Parnassus Logo,
1956-1957
carton 7, folder 14-15
Personnel Applications,
1957-1964
carton 7, folder 17-18
Production,
undated,
1953-1978
carton 7, folder 19
Promotion,
undated,
1957-1962
carton 7, folder 21-23, oversize-box 23, folder 1
Publicity,
undated,
1956-1962
carton 7, folder 24, carton 8, folder 1-3
Quotations and Bids,
1957-1964
carton 8, folder 5
Review Copy Mailing List,
1957-1961
carton 8, folder 17
Sales Commissions,
1959-1964
carton 8, folder 18-20
Sales Representatives,
1955-1971
carton 8, folder 21
Schein-Parnassus Press vs. Kamstra,
1970-1977
carton 9, folder 1
School Administrators,
1955-1963
carton 9, folder 2
Specialists by Subject,
1956-1966
carton 9, folder 5-20
Subsidiary Rights,
undated,
1961-1983
carton 9, folder 21-24, carton 10, folder 1
Textbooks,
undated,
1956-1972
carton 10, folder 2
W.S. Konecky Associates,
1957-1959
carton 10, folder 3
Zellerbach Paper Company,
1960-1962
Series 2:
Publications,
undated,
1930-1986
Subseries 1:
Children's Literature,
undated,
1955-1986
carton 10, folder 4-13, oversize-box 29, folder 5
All in Good Time,
1973-1976
carton 10, folder 14-15
August the Fourth,
undated,
1974-1976
carton 10, folder 16-23, carton 11, folder 1-8, oversize-box 1, folder 1-3, oversize-folder 15
Baboushka and the Three Kings,
undated,
1959-1983
carton 11, folder 9-12, oversize-box 24, folder 2, oversize-folder 13
The Beautiful Christmas Tree,
undated,
1970-1982
carton 11, folder 13-15, oversize-box 2, folder 1-2, oversize-box 21, folder 3-4
The Best of Friends,
undated,
1963-1976
carton 11, folder 16-17
The Bicycle Man,
undated,
1981-1983
carton 11, folder 18, carton 12, folder 1-2, oversize-box 2, folder 3, oversize-folder 13
Black Wolf of Savage River,
1959-1967
carton 12, folder 3-4
Boy Without a Name,
1974-1976
carton 12, folder 5-10, oversize-box 3, folder 1-4, oversize-folder 16
Bravo Marco!,
undated,
1962-1978
carton 12, folder 11-13, oversize-box 24, folder 3, oversize-folder 10
carton 12, folder 14-16, oversize-box 5, folder 1, oversize-box 18, folder 1, oversize-folder 14
The Bunny Who Found Easter,
undated,
1958-1978
carton 12, folder 17-20, oversize-folder 3
Castaways on Long Ago,
undated,
1973-1975
carton 12, folder 21, carton 13, folder 1-8, oversize-box 4, folder 1-3, oversize-folder 4, 7
The Emperor and the Drummer Boy,
undated,
1957-1975
carton 13, folder 9-10, oversize-box 29, folder 2, oversize-box 30, folder 1-3
The Fisherman and the Bird,
undated,
1979-1986
carton 13, folder 11-13, oversize-box 5, folder 2-3, oversize-box 6A, folder 1-2, oversize-folder 16
Fisherman's Luck,
undated,
1966-1968
carton 13, folder 14-17, oversize-box 6A, folder 3-4, oversize-folder 15
The Friendly Beasts,
1957-1976
carton 13, folder 18-20, carton 14, folder 1-2, oversize-box 6B, folder 2, oversize-folder 14
A Garland for Gandhi,
undated,
1968-1974
carton 14, folder 3-6, oversize-box 15, folder 1, oversize-box 29, folder 3, oversize-folder 8, 14
A Green Christmas,
undated,
1967-1978
carton 14, folder 7-13, oversize-box 7, folder 1-2, oversize-box 6B, folder 1
Harlequin and Mother Goose (or The Magic Stick),
undated,
1958-1973
carton 14, folder 14, oversize-box 20, folder 2
How the First Rainbow Was Made,
undated,
1979-1981
carton 14, folder 15-17, oversize-box 8, folder 1-3, oversize-folder 16
The Hullabaloo ABC,
undated,
1959-1978
carton 14, folder 18-20, oversize-folder 11-12
Imagination Greene,
undated,
1960-1978
carton 15, folder 1-15, carton 16, folder 1-4, oversize-box 9, folder 1-2, oversize-folder 3-4, 14
Ishi: Last of His Tribe,
undated,
1956-1978
carton 16, folder 5-7
Johnny Castleseed,
undated,
1984-1986
carton 16, folder 8-20, oversize-folder 14
The King Who Rides a Tiger,
undated,
1964-1968
carton 17, folder 1-4, oversize-box 10, folder 1-3, oversize-folder 14
The Little Sailor's Big Pet,
undated,
1958-1974
carton 17, folder 6-11, oversize-box 11, folder 1, oversize-box 25, folder 2-3, oversize-folder 14
Magic Animals of Japan,
undated,
1967-1977
carton 17, folder 12-15, oversize-folder 9
carton 17, folder 16, oversize-box 20, folder 1, folder 1, folder 1, oversize-box 25, folder 1, oversize-box 29, folder 1, folder 1, oversize-box 25, oversize-box 24, folder 1
carton 17, folder 17-20, oversize-box 12, folder 2-4, folder 1-2, oversize-box 11
A Penny and a Periwinkle,
undated,
1960-1977
carton 17, folder 21-22, carton 18, folder 1-5, oversize-box 14, folder 4, oversize-box 16, folder 4, oversize-folder 13
Ramón Makes a Trade,
undated,
1959-1975
carton 18, folder 6-8, oversize-folder 6
Reasons and Raisins,
undated,
1971-1974
carton 18, folder 9-10
The Roquefort Gang,
undated,
1980-1982
carton 18, folder 11-14, oversize-box 14, folder 1-3, oversize-folder 14
carton 18, folder 15, oversize-box 29, folder 4
The Secret Cross of Lorraine,
undated,
1979-1981
carton 18, folder 16-19, oversize-box 13, folder 1-2
The Seven Sayings of Mr. Jefferson,
1957-1958
carton 18, folder 20-22, oversize-box 19
A Single Speckled Egg,
undated,
1974-1978
carton 18, folder 23
The Smartest Person in the World,
undated,
1978-1979
carton 19, folder 1-5, oversize-box 21, folder 2, oversize-folder 5
Staffan,
undated,
1966-1973
carton 19, folder 6-15, oversize-box 16, folder 1-2, oversize-folder 1
Stories California Indians Told,
undated,
1955-1976
carton 19, folder 16-17
Story for a Black Night,
undated,
1979-1983
carton 19, folder 18-22, oversize-box 26, folder 2, oversize-folder 2
Taliesin and King Arthur,
undated,
1969-1977
carton 19, folder 23-24, carton 20, folder 1, oversize-box 28, folder 3
carton 20, folder 2-4, oversize-box 21, folder 1
Theodore's Rival,
1971-1978
carton 20, folder 5-14
Time at the Top,
undated,
1962-1975
carton 20, folder 15-21, oversize-box 15, folder 2, oversize-folder 14
To Catch a Mongoose,
undated,
1962-1967
carton 20, folder 22-25, carton 21, folder 1, oversize-folder 8
Treasures of the Medranos,
circa 1957
carton 21, folder 2
The Truth About the Moon,
1981
carton 21, folder 3-5, carton 21, folder 3-6, oversize-box 18, folder 2, oversize-box 27, folder 1-2
Who Owns the Moon?,
undated,
1971-1978
carton 21, folder 7-13, oversize-box 15, folder 3, oversize-box 16, folder 3
Wild Animals of the Far West,
undated,
1957-1974
carton 21, folder 14-21, carton 22, folder 1-5, oversize-box 26, folder 1, oversize-folder 14
A Wizard of Earthsea,
undated,
1969-1983
carton 22, folder 16-19, oversize-box 22, folder 1-2, oversize-box 23, folder 2
Subseries 2:
Adult Literature,
undated,
1930-1975
carton 22, folder 20-26, carton 23, folder 1-11, oversize-box 28, folder 1, oversize-box 31, folder 1-13
America's Far West,
undated,
1930-1966
carton 23, folder 16
Guerrilla Theatre U.S.A.,
1971
carton 23, folder 17-20, carton 24, folder 1
How I Became Howard Johnson,
undated,
1971-1972
carton 24, folder 2
Lost and Found Lamp,
1965
carton 24, folder 3
Pan-Africanism Anthology, Black Scholar,
undated,
1970-1975
carton 24, folder 4-7
Radical Theatre U.S.A.,
undated,
1968-1971
carton 24, folder 8-9
The Secret Cross of Lorraine,
undated
carton 24, folder 10
Seven Romanian Poets,
1971
carton 24, folder 12-13
Twenty-Five Year of the Endless War,
undated,
1970
carton 24, folder 14
Un-American Express,
1971-1972
Series 3:
Authors,
undated,
1954-1987
carton 24, folder 15-17, carton 25, carton 26, folder 1-13, folder 1-6
Correspondence,
1978-1987
carton 26, folder 7-9
Aldridge, Josephine H.,
1960-1987
carton 26, folder 11
Byrd, Ernestine N.,
1956-1972
carton 26, folder 13
Cleary, Beverly,
undated,
1959,
1966,
1969,
1973
carton 26, folder 14
Clifford, Sandy,
1978-1984
carton 26, folder 15-16
Coates, Belle,
undated,
1979-1982
carton 26, folder 17
Codrescu, Andrei,
1971-1973
carton 26, folder 18
Davis, Ronald G.,
1968-1975
carton 26, folder 19
DeJong, David Cornel,
1957-1969
carton 26, folder 20
Fisher, Anne B.,
1956-1966
carton 26, folder 21
Garthwaite, Marion,
1954,
1959,
1967
carton 26, folder 24
Hart, Jeanne McGahey,
1956-1964
carton 27, folder 2
Hewitt, Elizabeth A.,
1956-1969
carton 27, folder 3
Hitchcock, Patricia,
1965-1971
carton 27, folder 4
Jacob, Helen,
undated,
1956-1973
carton 27, folder 5
Kamstra, Jerry,
1970-1973
carton 27, folder 8
Kilian, Crawford,
1967-1974
carton 27, folder 9-14
Kroeber, Theodora,
1957-1981
carton 27, folder 15
Lawson, Annette,
1979-1981,
1986
carton 27, folder 16-17
Le Guin, Ursula K.,
1969-1979
carton 27, folder 18
Levitin, Sonia,
1971-1984
carton 27, folder 19-20
Locke, Robert,
1972,
1980-1984
carton 27, folder 21
Metcalf, Neal,
undated,
1971-1972
carton 27, folder 22
Morgan, Dale L.,
1960-1963
carton 27, folder 23
Ormondroyd, Edward,
undated,
1965-1984
carton 28, folder 1
Painter, Charlotte,
1971-1973
carton 28, folder 2
Parkinson, Tom,
undated,
1971-1972
carton 28, folder 3
Pratt, Elsa and Davis,
1967-1968
carton 28, folder 4
Priolo, Pauline,
1960-1971
carton 28, folder 5
Ritchie, Barbara,
1960-1971
carton 28, folder 6
Say, Allen,
undated,
1979-1980,
1985
carton 28, folder 7
Sparks, John E.,
1970,
1972
carton 28, folder 8
Stoutenberg, Adrien,
1956-1961
carton 28, folder 9
Thewlis, Diana,
1984,
1986
carton 28, folder 10
Treganza, Adan E.,
1959-1960
carton 28, folder 12
Ziner, Feenie,
1957-1966,
1970
carton 28, folder 13
Zolotow, Charlotte,
1956-1971
Series 4:
Subject Files,
undated,
1944-1989
carton 28, folder 14
10th Anniversary Party, American Library Association Convention, Clift Hotel, San Francisco,
1967
carton 28, folder 15-19
American Book Publishers Council, Inc.,
1960-1974
carton 28, folder 21
Baboushka and Friendly Beasts Record,
undated,
1958-1962
carton 28, folder 22
Caldecott Medal, Baboushka and The Three Kings,
1961,
1963
carton 28, folder 23
California State Department of Education,
1955-1966
carton 28, folder 24
Certificates,
undated,
1955-1962
carton 28, folder 25, carton 29, folder 1-3
Children's Book Council,
1958-1982
carton 29, folder 4-17
Houghton Mifflin Company,
undated,
1957-1989
carton 29, folder 18
Library Service Company, Inc.,
1962-1964
carton 29, folder 19
Literary Awards and Contests,
1957-1967
carton 29, folder 20
Music Composition, Sanks, Mary Clement,
1957-1979
carton 29, folder 21
NCTE Convention, Children's Book Council, Pre-Conference, Las Vegas,
1971
carton 29, folder 22, carton 30, folder 1-2
Personal Projects, Schein, Herman,
undated,
1944-1985
carton 30, folder 3-6
Presentations,
undated,
1962-1971
carton 30, folder 7
Publishers, General,
undated,
1956-1959
carton 30, folder 13
Standard Oil Company,
undated,
1958-1959
carton 30, folder 14
"A View From Parnassus," Top of the News, American Library Association,
1967
oversize-box 32, item 1-6
BFA Educational Media, Audiocassette and Film Strip,
undated,
Scope and Content Note
Includes sets for
Broderick and
Theodore.
cardfile-box 1, item 1-10
oversize-box 32, item 7-8
oversize-box 32, item 9-11
Reel-to-Reel Audio Tapes,
undated,
Scope and Content Note
Includes two tapes on
The Emperor and the Drummer Boy, and one on
Baboushka and the Three Kings. Ruth Robbins reads on all tapes.
