Finding Aid to the Roger Levenson and the Tamalpais Press
Archive,
1955-1994
Processed by Jeffrey Thompson.
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: Roger Levenson and the Tamalpais Press
Archive,
Date (inclusive): 1955-1994
Collection number: Press coll. Tamalpais
Creator:
Levenson, Roger 1914-
Extent: 12 boxes (6.5 linear
feet)
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
Los Angeles, California 90095-1490
Abstract: Papers of Tamalpais Press and its founder Roger
Levenson, dating from 1955-1994, including correspondence, job files, proofs
and related ephemera.
Physical Location: This collection is stored at the Southern Regional Library Facility. Please contact Clark Library staff at least 2 weeks
in advance if you would like to view the materials in this collection.
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 Librarian. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library 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], Roger Levenson and the Tamalpais Press
Archive, Press coll. Tamalpais, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library,
University of California, Los Angeles.
Acquisition Information
The Tamalpais Press/Roger Levenson Archive was purchased from Sidney
Berger, an associate of Roger Levenson's. Some materials were collected
independentlyby the Clark Library as a part of their collection of California
fine press materials..
Biographical Note
The Tamalpais Press, founded by Roger Levenson, was a fine printing
press located in Berkeley, California that was in operation from circa 1955
until 1976. Printing was done on an 1857 Albion handpress as well as a
seventeenth century press (both of which were donated to the Bancroft Library
at the University of California, Berkeley). The Tamalpais Press printed a wide
range of materials from books to event posters and programs to business cards
and invitations. The books printed by the press focused mostly on California
history subjects.
Roger Levenson was born in Bangor, Maine on 10 October 1914 and learned
printing while an undergraduate at the University of Maine. After serving in
Hawaii during World War II, Roger settled in the San Francisco Bay Area where
he spent the rest of his life. He founded and operated the Tamalpais Press from
circa 1955 until 1976 when he retired. In addition to running the Tamalpais
Press, Roger was a teacher and lecturer, most notably at the University of
California, Berekeley where he taught a course for twelve years on "The History
of the Book." He died of cancer on 29 May 1994.
Scope and Content
This collection contains materials associated with the Tamalpais Press,
including proofs for books, printed matter, and correspondence to and from the
owner of the press, Roger Levenson, covering the years 1953 until 1994.
The collection is organized into the following series:
- Series 1. Proofs, 1955/1994
- Series 2. Correspondence, 1960-1984
- Series 2. Roger Levenson Files, 1956/1964
- Series 3. Roger Levenson Files, 1955/1964
- Series 4. Miscellany, Circa 1955/1994
- Series 5. The Clark Library Collection, Circa 1955/1976
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Printers--California--20th
century
Tamalpais Press
Series 1.
Proofs
1955/1994
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for books printed by the press.
Box 1, Folder 1-7
Charles A. Murdock Proofs
Published in 1970/72
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for the book "Charles A. Murdock, Printer and
Citizen of San Francisco: An Appraisal," by George L. Harding
Box 2, Folder 1
Shumate : Visit to Rincon Hill . . .
Published in 1963
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for the publication "A Visit to Rincon Hill and
South Park," by Albert Shumate
Box 2, Folder 2
Hittell : El Triunfo . . . P6375
No date on materials
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for the book "El Triunfo de la Cruz: The First
Ship Built in the Californias," by Theodore H. Hittell.
Box 2, Folder 3
Hart : Fine Printing in Calif. P60112
Published in 1960
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for the book "Fine Printing in California," by
James D. Hart.
Box 2, Folder 4
Hammond : Who Saw the Elephant? 1964 P6477
Published in 1964
Scope and Content Note
Contains the proofs for the children's book "Who Saw the
Elephant?" by George P. Hammond.
Box 2, Folder 5
Lilienthal : A Wm Morris Press Goes West P6187
Published in 1961
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for "A William Morris Press Goes West," by
Theodore M. Lilienthal.
Box 2, Folder 6
Grimshaw's Narrative, 1964 P6517 (P6485)
1964
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for "Grimshaw's Narrative," by William Robinson
Grimshaw
Box 2, Folder 7
Shaffer : Fray Maturino Gilberti . . . (A6367, P6314
&C., &C.
Published in 1962
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for "Fray Maturino Gilberti and His Books," by
Ellen Shaffer.
Box 2, Folder 8
Ottley : A Few Favorite California Books, 1964
A6449
1964
Scope and Content Note
Contains a newspaper articel about "A Few Favorite California
Books," by Allan R. Ottley. See Proofs Series, Box 3, Folder 1 for proofs of
this title.
Box 2, Folder 9
A Directory of California Wine Growers and Wine Makers in
1860
Published in 1967
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for "A Directory of Wine Growers and Wine Makers
in 1860," by Ernest P. Peninou and Sidney S. Greenleaf
Box 2, Folder 10
Yosemite in 1896 P62253
Published in 1962
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for the reprint of "Yosemite in 1896."
Box 3, Folder 1
Ottley : A Few Favorite California Books
Scope and Content Note
Contains proofs for the publication "A Few Favorite California
Books" by Allan R. Ottley.
Box 3, Folder 2-5
Edward G. Kemble/Kemble Occasional Proofs
Box 4, Folder 1
Charles A. Murdock Proofs [Oversize]
Box 4, Folder 2
Charles A. Murdock Proofs [Oversize]
Box 4, Folder 3
Charles A. Murdock Proofs [Oversize]
Box 4, Folder 4
Charles A. Murdock [Oversize]
Box 4, Folder 5
Charles A. Murdock Proofs [Oversize]
Box 4, Folder 6
Kemble Occasional [Oversize]
Series 2.
Correspondence
1960-1984
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence to and from Roger Levenson to various friends and
colleagues. The majority of correspondence consists of letters and postcards
written by Levenson to Edwin Carpenter of the Huntington Library, dating
1960-1984, though there are also copies of some letters written to Levenson
from Carpenter during this same period. There is also some correspondence with
Roby Wentz and Sid Berger.
Arrangement
This series is arranged in chronological order by correspondent.
Box 5, Folder 1-2
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1960
Box 5, Folder 3-4
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1961
Box 5, Folder 5-6
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1962
Box 5, Folder 7-8
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1963
Box 5, Folder 9-10
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1964
Scope and Content Note
Includes one item written by Carpenter to RL.
Box 5, Folder 11-12
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1965
Scope and Content Note
Includes several items written by Carpenter to RL.
Box 5, Folder 13
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1966
Scope and Content Note
Includes several items written by Carpenter to RL.
Box 6, Folder 1
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1967
Box 6, Folder 2
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1968
Box 6, Folder 3
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1969
Box 6, Folder 4
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1970
Box 6, Folder 5
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1971
Box 6, Folder 6
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1972
Box 6, Folder 7
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1973
Box 6, Folder 8
Correspondence to Edwin Carpenter
1974
Box 7, Folder 1
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1975
Box 7, Folder 2
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1976
Box 7, Folder 3
Correspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1977
Box 7, Folder 4
Corrspondence to/from Edwin Carpenter
1978/1984
Box 7, Folder 5
Correspondence to/from Roby Wentz
1956/1978
Box 7, Folder 6
Correspondence to/from Roby Wentz
Box 7, Folder 7
Letter to Edwin Carpenter from Tom [last name?]; letter
from Edwin Carpenter to Roy [last name?]
Box 7, Folder 8
Correspondence to Sid Berger from Roger
Levenson
1990
Box 7, Folder 9
Correspondence from Mrs. Marsha Evans [includes Roger
Levenson obituary]
Series 3.
Roger Levenson Files
1955/1964
Scope and Content Note
Each file contains items printed by the Tamalpais Press during the
year indicated on the file.
Series 4.
Miscellany
Circa 1955/1994
Scope and Content Note
Contains material printed by the Tamalpais Press including
pamphlets, posters, invitations, announcements, business cards, programs,
etc.
Box 8, Folder 4
Rolls Royce Owners Club - Northern California
No date given
Box 8, Folder 5
California College of the Arts
circa 1955/56
Box 8, Folder 6
Tamalpais Press Job Docket Form
Box 8, Folder 8
Invitations for a meeting of the Tamalpais
Press
Box 8, Folder 9
Business Cards, Bookplates
Box 8, Folder 11
Camino, Cable, and Northern Railroad
Box 8, Folder 12
University of California, Berkeley
Box 8, Folder 13
California Historical Society
Box 9, Folder 1
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
Box 9, Folder 2
Christmas Exhibition 1959 - UC Berkeley
Library
Box 9, Folder 3
Joaquin Miller - Poet of the Sierra
Box 9, Folder 4
North Bay Food and Wine Society
Box 9, Folder 6
Antelope and Western Railroad
Box 9, Folder 7
Benjamin Franklin - Republican Printer
Box 9, Folder 8
Sacramento Book Collector's Club
Box 9, Folder 9
Berkeley Wine and Food Society
Box 9, Folder 11
Miscellaneous printing including materials for "A Visit to
Rincon Hill," and the Roxburghe Club
Box 9, Folder 12
Alta California Bookstore Catalogs
Box 9, Folder 17
FIne Printing in California - James Hart
Box 9, Folder 19
Shadrach E. Stevens Speculations
Box Map Drawer, Folder 22
Posters printed by the Tamalpais Press [This folder of
oversized items is filed in the map drawer]
Box 10, Folder 1
Dr. Morse's History and other pamphlets
Box 10, Folder 2
Posters and other printed material
Box 10, Folder 3
Directory of California Wine Growers, Berkeley City Club
Synchronized Swimmers, and other printed material
Box 10, Folder 4
Roxburghe Club and other printed material
Box 10, Folder 6
Photograph - Identity Unknown
Box 10, Folder 7
Christmas and other cards
Box 10, Folder 8
Pamphlet "Three Hundred Million Books : The Building of a
Special Collection," and other printed materials
Box 10, Folder 10
Various pamphlets and posters
Box 11, Folder 1
Roxburghe Club, small book "Gee Whiz," other printed
material
Box 11, Folder 3
Business Cards - Landsdowne Society and California
Historical Society
Box 11, Folder 4
Business Cards, Bookplates
Box 11, Folder 5
Pamphlets, including Dan Hoffner and Benjamin
Franklin
Box 11, Folder 6-7
Miscellaneous printed material including railroad
materials, Sacramento Book Collector's Club Newsletter, food and wine
societies, Roxburghe Club and Dan Hoffner.
Box 11, Folder 8
Miscellaneous printed material including Albert Elkus,
music programs, religious invitations
Box 11, Folder 9
Newspaper article on Roger Levenson
Series 5.
The Clark Library Collection
Circa 1955/1976
Scope and Content Note
Contains materials printed by the Tamalpais Press collected by the
Clark Library over the years.
Box 12
Miscellany
Scope and Content Note
Contains a variety of items including pamphlets, brochures,
programs, posters, business cards, invitations, etc.
