Guide to the John Borsdamm Papers

Daniel Hartwig
Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Stanford, California
October 2010
Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.

Note

This encoded finding aid is compliant with Stanford EAD Best Practice Guidelines, Version 1.0.


Overview

Call Number: SC0510
Creator: Borsdamm, John.
Title: John Borsdamm papers
Dates: 1930-1972
Physical Description: 1.5 Linear feet
Summary: These papers pertain to Borsdamm's career as bookbinder and consist primarily of letters received, with some biographical materials, clippings, ephemera, and two photographs of Borsdamm. The bound volume, "Letters of appreciation to John Borsdamm on the occassion of his retirement from Stanford University Press, June 1, 1950," includes letters from J. E. Wallace Sterling, Herbert Hoover, Jessie Knight Jordan, Pedro deLemos (Pedro J. Lemos), William F. Durand, Carol Green Wilson, David S. Jacobson, Ray Lyman Wilbur, and Borsdamm's colleagues at the Press. Of note are letters from Julius A. Quelle and Jessie Dunten Whittern recounting the history of the Press. The papers also include the original design of a phoenix by Nathan Van Patten that was used on the binding Borsdamm did for THE LETTERS OF D. H. LAWRENCE.
Language(s): The materials are in English.
Repository: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6064
Email: specialcollections@stanford.edu
Phone: (650) 725-1022
URL: http://library.stanford.edu/spc

Administrative Information

Information about Access

Gift of Felicia Hassell Pearce, 1996.

Ownership & Copyright

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94304-6064. Consent is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Cite As

John Borsdamm Papers (SC0510). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Biographical/Historical Sketch

John Borsdamm, bookbinder, joined the Stanford University Press in 1915. He was born in Germany and served an apprendiceship as bookbinder in Leipzig before coming to the United States. His work was exhibited at the Golden Gate Exposition in 1939 and elsewhere. While at the Press, he designed the "Borsdamm Binding," an economical method of binding papers and magazines for library use. He retired in 1960.

Description of the Collection

These papers pertain to Borsdamm's career as bookbinder and consist primarily of letters received, with some biographical materials, clippings, ephemera, and two photographs of Borsdamm. The bound volume, "Letters of appreciation to John Borsdamm on the occassion of his retirement from Stanford University Press, June 1, 1950," includes letters from J. E. Wallace Sterling, Herbert Hoover, Jessie Knight Jordan, Pedro deLemos (Pedro J. Lemos), William F. Durand, Carol Green Wilson, David S. Jacobson, Ray Lyman Wilbur, and Borsdamm's colleagues at the Press. Of note are letters from Julius A. Quelle and Jessie Dunten Whittern recounting the history of the Press. The papers also include the original design of a phoenix by Nathan Van Patten that was used on the binding Borsdamm did for THE LETTERS OF D. H. LAWRENCE.

Access Terms

Borsdamm, John.
Durand, William Frederick, 1859-1958
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Jacobson, David S.
Jordan, Jessie Knight, 1867?-1952
Lemos, Pedro J. (Pedro Joseph), 1882-1945
Quelle, Julius A.
Stanford University. Press.
Van Patten, Nathan, 1887-1956.
Whittern, Jessie Dunten.
Wilson, Carol Green, 1892-
Bookbinding.


 

Papers

Box 1, Folder 1

Biographical clippings and notices

Box 1, Folder 2

Book Week Exhibition (S.U. Libraries), 1934 - program and clippings

Box 1, Folder 3

Borsdamm, Mrs. Gertrude - letter received 1972

Box 1, Folder 4

Galvin, John A. T. - letter to Borsdamm, 1964, and clippings on Galvin, 1965

Box 1, Folder 5

Hoover, Herbert - letters to Borsdamm, 1938-1949

Box 1, Folder 6

Leather samples, stamped

Box 1, Folder 7

Miscellaneous items - clippings and ephemera

Box 1, Folder 8

Non-Stanford correspondence, 1943-1960

Box 1, Folder 9

Photographs (2)

Box 1, Folder 10

Stanford correspondence, 1930-1952

Box 1, Folder 11

Suttenfield, George - letters received re commemorative book of letters for Borsdamm, 1950

Box 1, Folder 12

Wilbur, Ray Lyman - letters to Borsdamm, 1936-1947

Box 2, Folder 1

[Nathan Van Patten], phoenix design for D. H. Lawrence binding

Box 2, Folder 2

Bound volume: Letters of appreciation to John Borsdamm on the occasion of his retirement from Stanford University Press, June 1, 1950