H. Richard Archer and the Hippogryph Press Collection, 1928-1978

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Summary

Creators:
Archer, H. Richard, (Horace Richard)
Abstract:
This collection contains correspondence, ephemera, photographs and other materials collected by H. Richard Archer, former bibliographer at the Clark Library, from his years at UCLA until his last position at Williams College. Many items were printed by his personal press, the Hippogryph Press.
Extent:
5.3 Linear Feet 11 boxes
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], H. Richard Archer and the Hippogryph Press Collection, Press coll. Archives Archer, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains correspondence, printed ephemera, newspaper clippings, photographs, manuscripts, and other materials written and collected by H. Richard Archer, a former bibliographer at the Clark Library, from his years at UCLA and the Clark to his last years as Custodian and rare books librarian of the Chapin Library at Williams College. Correspondents include many from the Southern California printing community, such as William Cheney, Grant Dahlstrom, Muir Dawson, Saul Marks, Ward Ritchie, and Jacob Zeitlin, as well from the library world, including Lawrence Clark Powell, Bob Vosper, Tyrus Harmsen, Neal Harlow, and Edwin Carpenter. Many items were printed by his personal press, the Hippogryph Press.

The collection was arranged previously by another individual, and rearranged slightly in July 2009. Series are organized thematically, and then further sorted chronologically when possible.

The collection is organized into the following series:

  • Series 1. Correspondence, 1943-1978
  • Series 2. Hippogryph Press and Printed Ephemera, 1951-1969
  • Series 3. Personal and Professional Life, 1928-1977

Biographical / historical:

Horace Richard Archer (generally known as H. Richard Archer) was born September 13, 1911 in New Mexico. He graduated from Monrovia High School (1928), went on to get a library degree from Berkeley (1941), and finally received a PhD from the Graduate Library School at the University of Chicago (1954). In 1936, he married Margaret Hanko.

He began the Hippogryph Press as his own personal printing experiment after being given the equipment in 1951 by members of the Rounce & Coffin club. He was employed at the William Andrews Clark Library as a bibliographer, and was friends with Lawrence Clark Powell. Archer later moved on to become the Custodian and Director of the Rare Book Collection at Williams College, in the Chapin Library. He died in Massachusetts on January 19, 1978 and was survived by his wife Margot, who died October 22, 2004.

Acquisition information:
Portions of this collection originated in accession MS.1981.001, a 1981 purchase. Other portions of the collection were a gift of Margot Archer in 1984 or were collected over time by the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library.
Processing information:

Portions of this collection were processed and described in a paper-based finding aid in the 1980s. In July 2009, the entire collection was fully processed and this finding aid was written by Jamie Henricks. Additional materials transferred from the Clark Library's William Cheney Papers to this collection in January 2024 by Rebecca Fenning Marschall.

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.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The Clark Library owns the property rights to its collections but does not hold the copyright to these materials and therefore cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Researchers are responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they may wish to use, investigating the owner of the copyright, and obtaining permission for their intended publication or other use. In all cases, you must cite the Clark Library as the source with the following credit line: The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], H. Richard Archer and the Hippogryph Press Collection, Press coll. Archives Archer, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
2520 Cimarron Street
Los Angeles, CA 90018, US
Contact:
(310) 794-5155
clark@humnet.ucla.edu
Website