Page 6 - Books & People, Fall 2017
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Collections
Collections
Private press editions are but one
example of the many kinds of materials Barbara Bieck, Special Collections Librarian @nysoclib
that comprise the Society Library’s
Special Collections. Behind closed @nysocietylibrarychildren
doors (and in our online catalog) one
can find all sorts of varied subjects, @nysocietylibraryya
collections, and ephemera given to—
or collected by—the Library over
the centuries.
Newspapers, Pamphlets, and
Broadsides: The Society Library has
been collecting these ephemeral
materials since the late 18th century,
documenting the important events of
those times, and leading to an impres-
sive collection today. Highlights from
our collection include copies of New
York City’s first weekly newspaper,
William Bradford’s New York Gazette,
and John Peter Zenger’s New York Full red brocade binding for Herbert’s The
Weekly Journal. We also hold a large Temple: Sacred Poems & Private Ejaculations,
collection of 18th-century political published by Nonesuch Press. The Temple
pamphlets, and have fully cataloged title page, with offset from verso frontispiece.
our broadsides collection. Part of the joy of working with Special Collections is coming across interesting
and intriguing items whenever I work in the rare stacks. The above item caught
Manuscripts Collection: The manu- my eye while shelving the other day, and I couldn’t resist picking it off the shelf
script collection is comprised largely and thumbing through. The full red brocade binding is a stunning exemplar of
of the papers of the Goodhue, Harison, the detail put into private press endeavors from the early 20th century.
and Bowne families, and primarily
consists of letters and personal and This printing of The Temple: Sacred Poems & Private Ejaculations by George
family archival collections. Included Herbert was published by Nonesuch Press in London, 1927. Founded in 1923
in these collections are letters from by Francis Meynell, Nonesuch Press joins the ranks of the private press move-
early American political figures such as ment, begun around the turn of the 20th century, focusing on the art and craft of
Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and book production. Private presses generally published editions in short print runs
Thomas Jefferson. on small presses rather than the large machines used by commercial printers to
produce thousands of copies per print run. These private presses produced
Archives: The Library’s institutional exquisite works, with fine materials such as handmade papers, hand-set type,
archives were recently fully processed. hand bookbinding, etc. These details meant that private press books were usually
A finding aid is available online via our priced beyond the reach of an average book buyer. Seeing this cost difference,
City Readers portal. Our records go the owner of Nonesuch Press sought to bring private press books into a more
back to the NYSL’s founding in 1754 commercial market. Nonesuch Press set itself apart from other private presses
and continue through the present. by using a small hand press to design its books, then having the printing and
You will find information about Library binding of its books completed by commercial printers.
catalogs, shareholder records, building
and circulation records, correspon- The Temple is just one of the many examples of private press items in the Society
dence, minutes, and more. Library’s Special Collections. The Temple is also an item from the Sharaff-Sze
Collection, a gift of nearly 800 books from the estates of Irene Sharaff and her
For more information about Special partner Mai-Mai Sze. You can explore the other items in this collection by
Collections, visit our website or contact visiting the Library’s online catalog and searching for “Sharaff-Sze Collection
Barbara Bieck, bbieck@nysoclib.org. (New York Society Library)” in the author field.
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