Collection Description and Development Policy Statement: Special Collections
I. General Description of the Special Collections and Its Users
The Special Collections include single items and small groups of related items
which cannot be placed in areas directly accessible to the public because they:
- are subject to theft because of their monetary value in their present condition
- are subject to theft and vandalism because of their content (materials illustrated
with photographs or realistic depictions of nudes, materials on sexual topics,
for example)
- are subject to vandalism because of their format (portfolios of loose plates
that cannot be commercially bound, for example)
- are subject to damage or are difficult to shelve because of their construction
(pop-up books, miniature books, for example) or condition (brittle books,
for example)
- have important associational value to the library or the institute but are
inappropriate for addition to the RIT Archives (for example, the Ezra Hale
collection of bird books, a collection of ceramic dogs donated by Mrs. John
Hartfelder)
The subject emphasis of the Special Collections is focussed upon, but not
strictly limited to, fine and applied arts and photography. As such, the Special
Collections supplement the circulating, reference, reserve, and periodicals
collections in supporting the studio-oriented undergraduate and masters-level
graduate programs (student research, faculty teaching needs) of all departments
of the School of Art and Design, the School for American Crafts, and the School
of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Students and faculty members involved in
disciplines related to the visual arts, particularly those in the School of
Printing Management and Sciences, also draw upon the resources of the Special
Collections for research and teaching needs.
The Special Collections share staff and are housed with the RIT Archives on
the third floor of the RIT Library building in an area that has been designed
to serve as a preservation facility. It is climate controlled and equipped with
security and special fire suppression systems. Materials in this area are paged
for patrons- it is a closed stack area and the reading room is constantly monitored
by the staff. Use of the materials to enhance instruction provided by either
the library staff or teaching faculty is strongly encouraged and the library's
classroom, the Bibliographic Laboratory, is adjacent to the Archives and Special
Collections and shares climate control and fire suppression systems with the
facilities. When the condition of materials permits, they may be displayed in
the library's galleries and may be loaned for exhibition in other locations
if properly packed and shipped, displayed in a secure area, and insured for
their full value by the borrower.
Access to items in the Special Collections is provided through records in
the library catalog, through special finding aids developed by the Archives
and Special Collections staff, and through personal assistance from the Archives
and Special Collections staff.
The Special Collections does not have separate acquisitions or maintenance
budgets. Additions to the Special Collections are supported by line budget and
special fund allocations assigned to specific disciplines and through donations.
Funds for basic maintenance are provided from the Archives and Special Collections
supply budget and through grants from external agencies.
II. Description of the Programs Served by the Special Collections
Although the Special Collections includes materials supporting all undergraduate
and graduate programs of School of Art and Design, the School for American Crafts,
and the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, strongest areas of the collection
(as will be described in detail below) are the traditional "commercial"
arts-graphic design, illustration, and illustration photography. Thus, the programs
best served by the Special Collections are:
School of Art and Design
- Graphic Design (AAS, BFA, MFA, MST)
- Illustration (AAS, BFA)
- Packaging (BS)
School of Photographic Arts and Sciences
- Professional Photographic Illustration (AAS, BFA)
- Imaging Arts (MFA)
III. Individual Collections: History, Description, Collection Development
Criteria
Specific areas of collecting interest, the individual Special Collections,
are described in this section. The collections are listed in order of importance.
Subject, language, publication date, treatment of subject matter, and publication
format are specific to each collection and are addressed in each section below.
The Archives and Special Collections also serves as a secure location for other
library materials that are too valuable or too vulnerable to theft or vandalism
to be housed in more public areas of the building (as described in Section I).
These materials are not collected systematically and are usually assigned a
RARE locator. Because the space and staff resources of the Archives and Special
Collections are limited, and materials housed in this area are not as readily
accessible to patrons as those housed in other areas of the building, the RARE
locator should be considered only when other controlled collections (REF, RESD,
PER) will not provide enough security.
A. Archival Collections
A series of collections of archival materials documenting the lives and
careers of historically important American graphic designers active from the
1930s through the 1950s is maintained in the Special Collections. Even within
this narrow scope, the acquisition of new collections is extremely selective,
as the space and staffing implications of these materials can be considerable.
Materials may be added to the archival collections only after consultation
with the Head of Collection Development and Reference Services, the RIT Archivist,
the Director of Libraries, and representatives of the Graphic Design Department.
Archival collections are developed primarily through donations and exchange
of duplicate materials with other institutions or commercial dealers.
The archival collections have no content, format, or media limitations and
include business records, personal papers, original art works (sketches, renderings,
presentation drawings, samples, models and prototypes), documentation of completed
projects (printed samples, publications about), and personal effects which
are holographic, printed, photographic, audio, electronic, and three-dimensional.
Unlike traditional library materials, archival collections are unique-they
are not duplicated in any other library, museum, or personal collection. As
such, the library is solely responsible for maintaining and providing access
to these materials to RIT students and faculty and also to scholars and researchers
from outside the institution. This may be accomplished by personally assisting
users on- and off-site, by developing printed finding aids and other access
systems (such as the Graphic Design Archive videodisc) for in-house use and
distribution outside the institute, and, when feasible, by filling requests
to reproduce materials from the collections for external publications. To
facilitate this, donors should be strongly encouraged to transfer ownership
of all copyrights and reproduction rights to their materials when they are
donated to the library.
The collections are in varying states of organization ranging from fully
inventoried to roughly sorted. Finding aids have been prepared for some of
the collections as noted below. It is suggested that collection-level descriptions
be prepared for each collection and added to the library catalog. Visual materials
in several collections has been recorded on videodisc and are accessible through
the Graphic Design Archive.
- Hans J. Barschel Collection
The Hans J. Barschel Collection was donated to RIT Library from 1991
to 1993 by Barschel, (1912- ), a designer, illustrator, and former RIT professor
of graphic design. The collection includes original artwork, printed samples,
photographs, personal and business records, and artifacts documenting Barschel's
life and work dating from 1926 to the present. Materials are housed in 4
document boxes, 11 portfolio boxes. The collection also includes oversize
materials-posters and framed artworks. The collection is completely inventoried,
but a finding aid has not yet been prepared. A select group of items is
included on the Graphic Design Archive videodisc. The collection was processed
by Barbara Polowy from 1991 to 1993.
- Lester Beall Collection
The Lester Beall Collection was donated to RIT in 1984 by his children,
Joanna Beall Westermann and Lester Beall Jr. and transferred to the Special
Collections in February 1991. The collection provides exhaustive documentation
of the life and work of Beall (1903-1969), a seminal figure in the history
of American graphic design. It encompasses 77 document boxes, 32 oversize
boxes, and 15 notebooks containing business correspondence and project documentation
(proposals, drafts, sketches, memos, artwork, printed samples, photographic
documentation), biographical materials, personal papers, and personal artwork.
The collection also includes 47 posters designed by Beall, 8 of which are
framed and installed in the library's Bibliographic Laboratory. The collection
was processed and a detailed description and finding guide were prepared
by Sandra Markham from 1986 to 1989. Almost all visual materials in the
collection have been recorded on videodisc and are accessible through the
Graphic Design Archive.
- Alexey Brodovitch Collection
Unlike other archival collections, the Alexey Brodovitch Collection has
been developed from the gifts of several donors: the Documents of American
Design (1992), Harvey Lloyd (1992-1993), and Dotty Attie (1993). It is also
the only collection still being actively developed, as new materials continue
to be solicited from these and other donors. The collection includes 36
tape recordings of Brodovitch (1898-1971) teaching, a series of video tapes
of interviews and programs about Brodovitch, slides and photographs of his
work, copies of serial and monographic publications he designed, portraits
of Brodovitch, the production files from Andy Grundberg's Brodovitch (New
York: Abrams, 1989), and negatives and photographic prints from several
books he designed. The collection has been inventoried, but a finding aid
has not yet been prepared. Brodovitch's publications are extensively documented
on the Graphic Design Archive videodisc.
- Will Burtin Collection
The Will Burtin Collection was donated to the Special Collections in June
1991 by Burtin's daughter, Carol Burtin Fripp and his stepson, Thomas Golden.
The collection of approximately 78 cubic feet of material provides comprehensive
documentation of Burtin's (1908-1972) life and work and is comparable to
the Beall collection in scope and size. It includes business and professional
correspondence, financial records, project files and documentation (sketches,
mechanicals, models, printed samples, photographs), personal papers. Parts
of the collection are very roughly sorted. It was surveyed and described
by Sandra Markham in May 1992. Much of the visual material in the collection
has been recorded on videodisc and is accessible through the Graphic Design
Archive.
- George Giusti Collection
The George Giusti (1908-1990) collection was donated to the Special collections
by the designer's wife, Margot Joachimsthal Reiche Giusti, in October 1993.
It includes composites, mechanical art, 17 sketchbooks, 42 sculptures, other
original artwork, and printed samples (tearsheets, sample issues of publications)
documenting Giusti's career as a graphic designer and illustrator. The collection
of sculpture was appraised and inventoried by Walt Reed (Illustration House,
96 Spring Street, New York, New York 10012) on February 22, 1991. The graphic
works were appraised, described, and partially inventoried by Kenneth M.
Nesheim (45 High Meadow Road, Hamden, Connecticut 06417) on August 10,1993.
The printed inventories will serve as temporary finding aids to the collection
until it is processed, rehoused, and cataloged. 17 pieces of free-standing
and relief sculpture from the gift were installed in the library's third
floor (southeast) lounge area in November 1993. Twenty-one small free-standing
works are on display in the exhibition case by the Archives and Special
Collections entrance.
- William Golden Collection
The William Golden Collection was donated to the Special Collections in
June 1991 by his son, Thomas Golden. It includes approximately 20 cubic
feet of material documenting the life of Golden (1911-1959) and his work
as creative director of advertising and sales promotion for CBS. It includes
personal correspondence and other papers, audio recordings, films, a travelling
exhibition of laminated printed samples of his work for CBS, and production
files for The Visual Craft of William Golden, edited and designed by Cipe
Pineles after his death. The collection is roughly sorted. It was surveyed
and described by Sandra Markham in May 1992.
- Alvin Lustig Collection
The Alvin Lustig Collection was donated to RIT in 1986 by his widow, Elaine
Lustig Cohen. It has 679 items (7 document boxes, 1 oversize box) dating
from 1925 to 1955, including periodical articles, sketches, photographs,
books, printed samples, and other ephemera documenting the work of Lustig
(1915-1955), a prominent American graphic designer, architect, and educator.
The collection was processed and inventoried by Sandra Markham in 1989.
- Joyce Morrow Collection
The Joyce Morrow Collection includes approximately one hundred items (two
document boxes )dating from 1930 to 1973. It includes material documenting
the activities of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, which Mrs. Morrow
served as executive director, and keepsakes, cards, and photographs created
by prominent American designers. Of special interest is group of periodical
articles, sketches, books, and photographs related to Dr. M.F. Agha (1896-1978),
the pioneering art director associated with Conde Nast publications. The
collection was donated to RIT by Joyce Morrow and processed and inventoried
by Sandra Markham in 1989.
- Cipe Pineles Collection
The Cipe Pineles Collection was donated to the Special Collections in June
1991 by Pineles's son, Thomas Golden, and her stepdaughter, Carol Burtin
Fripp. The collection of approximately 45 cubic feet of material provides
extensive documentation of the life and work of Pineles (1910-1991), the
first woman to become a prominent figure in American design. It includes
business and professional correspondence, financial records, project files
and documentation (sketches, mechanical art, printed samples, photographs),
documentation of her teaching activities and samples of work from her students,
personal papers and correspondence, and personal effects. The collection
was surveyed and described by Sandra Markham in May 1992. It is in the process
of being cataloged and rehoused by Katharine Ritter. Completion of this
work and creation of a printed finding aid are anticipated by June 1994.
- Ladislav Sutnar Collection
The Ladislav Sutnar Collection numbers approximately 50 items dating from
1940 to 1970 documenting the work of Sutnar (1897-1976), a pioneer of information
design. The collection includes printed samples of Sutnar's periodical covers,
advertisements, and catalogs, displays, and posters. The materials in the
collection were part of a travelling exhibition developed by the Cincinnati
Art Museum and funded by the Champion Paper Company. The exhibition display
panels were donated to RIT by the Champion Paper Company in 1968 and transferred
to the Special Collections in July 1991. A brief inventory of the collection
is available, but a full finding list has not been prepared.
B. Periodicals
A selective collection of consumer periodicals central to the history of
twentieth-century American design and photography is maintained as part of
the Special Collections. These titles are recognized by historians for their
notable art direction, photography, and/or illustration and complement materials
in the archival collections described in Section III.A. The periodicals collection
includes long runs of the follow - ing key titles: Fortune, Harper's Bazaar,
Life, Look, and Vogue. The focus of development for this collec - tion is
to complete the substantial existing runs of these titles rather than to add
new titles. Shorter runs (1 to 5 years) provide additional material on designers
represented in the archival collections described in Section III.A (Junior
Bazaar, Portfolio, Charm, Mademoiselle, for example) or document the work
of other notable twentieth century American designers (Avant Garde, Eros,
Audience, and Aspen, for example).
Because these periodicals are considered primary source materials for the
study of design and photography, their physical condition is important. Thus,
materials in this collection may duplicate items in the Periodicals Collection
(held in hard copy or microform). Only items in excellent to good condition
with few markings and intact covers are added to the collection. Unbound issues
are preferred but loosely bound volumes are acceptable if not trimmed too
severely .
Additions to the collection are acquired through purchase or donation. Full
records for the periodicals are included in the library catalog. They are
assigned the RARE locator and Library of Congress classification numbers based
on their content.
C. Poster Collection
The collection of advertising and promotional posters is international in
scope with publication dates ranging from the late nineteenth century through
the 1970s. Because most of the posters were acquired from a series of unrelated
gifts, the collection as a whole lacks coherence. Despite its patchwork nature,
the collection serves as a valuable primary source for the study of twentieth
century design and illustration and includes examples of the work of many
notable modern artists, illustrators, and designers. It should be noted the
Beall, Barschel, and Burtin archival collections described in Section III.A
also include poster holdings. Areas of strength are described below.
The collection is developed through donations, exchange or sale of duplicate
items, and only rarely through purchases.
Short records for approximately half the collection (900 posters) are included
in the library catalog. Posters are assigned the locator RARE POSTER. They
do not receive Library of Congress classification numbers, rather they are
numbered sequentially as they are processed.
- Travel
Approximately 550 posters promoting travel in the United States, western
and eastern Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa were received as part
of a poster collection donated to RIT Library by Rundel Library in 1974.
Most of the posters were published by government travel and tourism bureaus
and transportation companies from the 1930s through the 1950s. The collection
includes posters for world's fairs, international expositions, the Olympics,
and other special events. Examples of the work of many important illustrators
and designers are included in the collection, including Jean Carlu, Ludwig
Hohlwein, John Held, Jr., and E. McKnight Kauffer. Brief records for the
posters are included in the library catalog.
- World War I
Approximately 100 posters and placards encouraging public support for the
war effort and the liberty loan, war savings stamps, and related programs,
were received as part of a poster collection donated to RIT Library
by Rundel Library in 1974. Most of the posters were published for the United
States government, though a few British examples are included in the collection.
The work of several important illustrators is represented in the collection,
for example, Howard Chandler Christy, James Montgomery Flagg, and Haskell
Coffin. Brief records for the posters are included in the library catalog.
- World War II
Approximately 60 posters issued by the governments of the United States,
several western European countries, and China to encourage public support
for the war effort were received as part of a poster collection donated
to RIT Library by Rundel Library in 1974. Works by several important
illustrators are included in the collection, among them Norman Rockwell
and Ben Shahn. Brief records for the posters are included in the library
catalog.
- European Product Advertising Posters
Thirteen posters advertising products such as coffee, olive oil, and liquor
were acquired in 1985 in an exchange with Michael Corsi Posters (Rochester,
N.Y.) for duplicate materials in the Rundel Library gift described in Sections
III.D.1, III.D.2, and III.D.3 and from a donation from the Paul Standard
Collection in 1991. The posters date from the 1900s through the 1930s and
include examples of the work of major European designers and illustrators,
among them A.M. Cassandre and Leonetto Cappiello. They are uncataloged.
- Polish Posters
A collection of approximately 600 Polish posters dating from the 1960s was
donated to RIT by Joanne Szabla, RIT professor of art history, in 1988.
The posters were transferred to the Special Collections in July 1991. They
were produced to promote cultural and entertainment events (films, theater,
museum exhibitions, opera, circus), health, tourism, and political causes.
The collection includes numerous examples of the work of noted Polish illustrators
and designers, including Waldemar Swierzy, Maciej Urbaniec, Henryk Tomaszewski,
and Roman Cieslewicz. The posters are uncataloged.
- Jacqueline S. Casey Posters
A collection of 99 posters designed by Jacqueline S. Casey for events and
activities at MIT from 1963 to 1972 was donated to the library in 1992 by
the MIT Museum at the requested of Ms. Casey. A brief inventory of the collection
was prepared by the donor and fuller descriptions and color reproductions
of the works are available in Posters: Jacqueline S. Casey, Thirty Years
of Design at MIT (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Museum, 1992). The posters are uncataloged.
- Rock Concert Posters
A collection of 58 screen printed posters dating from the 1960s was purchased
from Robert Sobieszek in 1974. The posters advertise concerts, most staged
at the Filmore Auditorium and the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. The
collection includes examples by Stanley Mouse, Wes Wilson, Alton Kelley,
and other noted psychedelic illustrators and designers. Records for the
works are included in the library catalog.
D. Artists' Books and Related Multiples
A selection of representative examples of contemporary (post-1960), inexpensive,
artists' books and related multiples are acquired and maintained as a study
collection. Collecting emphasis is on recent publications. There are no subject,
language, or format restrictions for artists' books and related multiples.
The collection includes examples of a variety of reproduction processes, subjects
(political, documentary, conceptual), and physical presentations (materials,
bindings).
Special areas of collecting interest are works that use photographic imagery
or integrate actual photographs into the work, books with unusual bindings
(styles or materials), books that use handmade paper, books that incorporate
three dimensional or movable elements, books or multiples by significant contemporary
artists, and books or multiples by RIT students, faculty, and alumni.
Records for all artists' books and multiples are included in the library
catalog. Artists' books are assigned the RARE locator, are classed at N7433.4,
shelved together (except for oversize items), and are assigned the LC subject
heading "Artists' Books."
E. Photographic Prints, Reproductions of Photographs
A small selection of original photographic prints, gravures, and facsimile-level
reproductions is maintained as study collection. There are no date or nationality
restrictions on the works in the collection. Examples of a wide variety of
photographic processes and formats are included in the collection. Among the
most notable holdings of the collection are Yosemite Valley, a portfolio of
16 original prints by Ansel Adams (San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1960) and 50
original prints by Barbara Morgan.
The collection is developed through purchase, usually of portfolios issued
in small editions, but also of single prints, from publishers, dealers, and
auctions, and through donations. Special funds, particularly the C.B. Neblette
Memorial Fund, are favored for purchases. Works by photographers associated
with RIT as students, teachers, or visitors are given special consideration
for addition to the collection.
Records for some works are included in the library catalog. Portfolios are
assigned the RARE locator and a subject classification number. Single prints
are assigned the RARE PHOTO locator and are numbered sequentially as they
are processed. A descriptive list of the collection is also available.
F. Livres d'artistes
The small collection of livres d'artistes was established with a
gift from the Martin S. Ackerman Foundation in 1982 and is maintained as a
study collection. Purchase of new titles is limited, as works are very costly,
but occasional purchases from special funds and joint purchases with the Melbert
B. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection are made to develop the collection. Development
through donations is encouraged.
There are no subject, language, date, or format restrictions. Contemporary
works in English are favored, however. The collection includes examples of
a variety of reproduction processes, subjects, and physical presentations.
Works are fully cataloged and assigned the RARE locator and Library of Congress
call numbers based on their content-they are not shelved together in the stacks.
IV. Cooperative Collection Development
No contractual cooperative collection development agreements for Special Collections
have been made between RIT Library and any other institution. The ready
availability of some types of materials in local collections has shaped the
collection development goals of the Special Collections, however.
A. RIT Archives
Several of areas of the RIT Archives holdings complement the design and
photography collections of the Special Collections. Foremost among these are:
- Photo Purchase Prizes
The library maintains a collection of photographs and photographically-based
works by RIT students. Additions to the collection are selected every year
from the annual Student Honor Show sponsored by the School of Photographic
Arts and Sciences. Established in 1981, the collection now numbers 125 items.
A record for the collection is included in the library catalog and a descriptive
list of all items in the collection is available.
- Elmer Messner Collection
The Elmer Messner Collection has approximately 1,500 original drawings for
political cartoons by Messner published in the newspapers of Rochester,
New York, and other cities in the United States between 1934 and 1977. Messner
was a graduate of RIT and taught drawing at the institute for over 20 years.
The collection also includes about 30 cartoons by other noted political
cartoonists, many of which are inscribed to Messner. The collection was
donated to the RIT Archives in 1978 by Grace Messner, the artist's widow.
An inventory of the collection was prepared by Gladys Taylor.
- John Scott Clubb Collection
The John Scott Clubb Collection has approximately 4,000 original drawings
for political cartoons published in the newspapers of Rochester, New York,
from 1905 to 1934. An inventory of the collection was prepared by Gladys
Taylor.
B. Melbert B. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection
The Cary Collection complements the Special Collections with extensive holdings
of published materials related to graphic design and illustration including
posters, magazine covers, type face catalogs, type samples, and trade catalogs.
Archival collections, such as the Paul Standard Collection, document the work
of notable twentieth century designers as well as the development of the graphic
arts industry. The Cary Collection also includes contemporary fine press books
and livres d'artistes which complement the Special Collections holdings of
artists' books and livres d'artistes. Occasional joint purchases of costly
primary and secondary source materials are made between the Special Collections
and the Cary Collection.
C. International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House
Almost all materials in the extensive and broadly defined collection of
photographic prints and photographically illustrated books maintained at the
Eastman House Print Collection and Menschel Library are available to any RIT
student or faculty member with legitimate research needs. Thus, the Special
Collection of photographic prints is limited to a study collection intended
primarily for instructional rather than research use.
D. Visual Studies Workshop
An extensive collection of contemporary artists' books and smaller collections
of photographic portfolios and albums are available to RIT students and faculty
at the Visual Studies Workshop Research Center. Because of the strength and
broad scope of the Visual Studies Workshop collections, RIT Library's
artists' book collection is selective and limited to a study collection intended
primarily for instructional rather than research use.
[Third Draft, December 20, 1993]
Maintained by Sheila Smokey
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