Finding Aid for the Roy Vernon Sowers Collection, 1940-1996
Processed by Jamie Henricks.
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
University of California, Los Angeles
2520 Cimarron Street
Los Angeles, CA 90018
Phone: (323) 731-8529
Fax: (323) 731-8617
Email: rfenning@humnet.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/clarklib/
©2009
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Roy Vernon Sowers Collection,
Date (inclusive): 1940-1996
Collection number: MS.1997.006
Creator: Burford-Mason,
Roger
Extent:
1 box (.25 linear feet)
Repository:
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library.
Los Angeles, California 90018
Abstract: This collection is the research material
collected by Roger Burford-Mason for his book, Roy Vernon Sowers : a
life in rare books (1997).
Physical location: Clark Library
Language of materials: Collection materials in English
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the William Andrews Clark Memorial
Library, UCLA. All requests for permission to publish or quote from
manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Clark Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the William Andrews
Clark Memorial Library, UCLA as the owner of the physical items and is
not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder,
which must also be obtained.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Roy Vernon Sowers Collection, MS.1997.006,
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los
Angeles.
Acquisition Information
Purchase, 1997.
Biography
Roy Vernon Sowers was born in Brantford, Ontario on August 7th, 1897.
He spent most of his youth in the nearby town of London, Ontario, where
he had a variety of odd jobs. Sowers attended the University of Toronto
and graduated in 1921 before attending St. John's College at Oxford.
Limited finances caused him to leave Oxford and travel to Germany before
returning to Ontario.
He later moved to Pasadena, California and worked for Mrs. Willard,
an antiquarian book dealer who lived in one of the area's Frank Lloyd
Wright homes. Sowers eventually moved on to work at the Huntington
Library in San Marino, California. He later moved to San Francisco after
marrying, but divorced his first wife and built a home in the mountains
near Santa Cruz, California. Sowers was familiar with the owners of the
Grabhorn Press and set up one of the first exhibitions about their
press. He operated a rare book and fine print business out of his
personal library until the late 1960s before his death in 1970.
Scope and Content
This collection is the research material collected by Roger
Burford-Mason for his book Roy Vernon Sowers : a life in rare books
(Toronto : Subway Books, 1997). It contains biographical material and
requests for information about Sowers by Burford-Mason. The
correspondence includes letters and interviews of individuals who knew
Sowers, including his daughter and son.
The collection is arranged in thematic order.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Sowers, Roy Vernon,
1897-
Antiquarian
booksellers--California--20th century
Antiquarian
booksellers--Canada--20th century
Container List
Box 1, Folder 1
Book Club of California -- Quarterly Newsletter
1953,
1964,
1969
Box 1, Folder 2
Photocopies of Prospectuses
Scope and Content Note
Includes covers of catalogs, a short biography of Sowers, and
invitations to various events held by Sowers.
Box 1, Folder 3
Typed Memoir of Roy Vernon Sowers
early 1940s
Box 1, Folder 4
Photocopy of "An Excerpt from the Book Catalogues of Roy
Vernon Sowers"
1980
Box 1, Folder 5
Correspondence
1996
Scope and Content Note
Includes a letter and memoir by Sowers' daughter, Lucia Frances
Bridge Sowers Hyde, and other correspondence sent to Burford-Mason
including a typed interview of Anthony Sowers (a son of Sowers).
Box 1, Folder 6
Biographical material about Sowers
Scope and Content Note
Includes photocopies of material from multiple sources.
Box 1, Folder 7
Correspondence
1996
Note
Includes letters asking about Sowers' mentors and place of
death.
Box 1, Folder 8
Copy of Sowers collection finding aid from Stanford
University
ca. 1996
Box 1, Folder 9
Letter and two pamphlets
1996
Scope and Content Note
Includes a letter from Glen Dawson to Bruce Whiteman about Sowers.
Also includes a brochure from the Huntington Library and a publications
list from Dawson's Book Shop from 1905 to 1972.
Box 1, Folder 11
OCLC Printouts
Scope and Content Note
Includes a list of books about the Huntington Library and the
Pasadena area.
Box 1, Folder 12
Correspondence
1996
Scope and Content Note
Includes letters to and from Burford-Mason inquiring about holdings
at various libraries for books and information about Sowers, his wife,
and other people related to Sowers.
Box 1, Folder 13
Correspondence and photocopies of catalogs
ca. 1996
Scope and Content Note
Includes photocopies of catalogs of Sowers' books, and correspondence
from Burford-Mason to and from individuals inquiring for information
about Sowers.