9.23.2013

50: being 10 more than 40/ Fifty little pieces of ephemera brought home from California, now what?


Part one of a series entitled Fifty In, where in simple terms I share the ABC's of discovering what's on my desk and what to do with it.

[Dairying][California]
Hoyt, C.F., Some Important Factors in the Production of Good Milk and Cream, Circular No. 2. Department of Agriculture, State of California. Sacramento, 1920. 16pp in printed wrappers.



This unassuming  little government circular was written by the Supervisor of Dairy Inspection, Division of Animal Industry. That much I know from what's in my hands, but what next? Step one: Who has it? A search on Worldcat (a meta search of most worldwide institutional library holdings) and we find UC Berkeley and Cal State (Sacramento State) each having a copy. That's not excessive in the least, which leaves me optimistic that there are other potential collections that might be interested in adding this to their lot.

Where to next? A favorite launch pad for inspiration, articles, videos and research: ABAA.org. Under the tab "Find Members" we can use a handy drop down field to do an ABAA search by speciality, which in an of itself is an education. Here I find a field for California dealers  and Ephemera dealers, but those are vast fields, so it's time to fine tunea bit and consider how to additionally  categorize this pamphlet: Dairy Industry? Milk trade, check. Also, perhaps Culinary Ephemera? Now light bulbs go off,  a colleague or two comes to mind, and here's where databases end and experience and personal interaction comes to play.

My thoughts race: Cream > Scones > Samantha Hoyt Lindgren's cookies> Rabelais Books!. Their visual treat of a booth and homespun cookies never miss making an impression (the fun synchronicity of this pamphlet author's last name isn't lost on me either) and here lies something far more important than the 123 of search functions and drop down fields: get out there.

Where? Bring yourself to it: Book fairs, paper shows, local and regional Biblio societies and organizations, seminars and lectures. Bring it to yourself: dealer catalogs, auction catalogs, trade magazines, online newsletters and yes, blogs. Subscribe, join, fly, drive, consume, search, sit at the table and join the conversation. Find that table, any table within the book, ephemera or collectible community and nestle into a spot, be welcomed, be brave, be alert and be kind. Speaking of tables, it's lunchtime - cookies and milk, anyone?


For a fabulous ABC's of it all:
ABAA dealer Ken Karmiole talks physical books

For reading and cookies:
www.rabelaisbooks.com

9.22.2013

50
fifty: being ten more than forty

An ongoing series that will, from start to finish, detail the process, discovery and placement of fifty unique and previously unexplored items of ephemera. Last week in California, we acquired a fun little pile of paper. I randomly chose fifty or so pieces and construed a plan to review, research and find homes for them - documenting the process and sharing the outcome for each.

The journey starts this week, here's three images followed by the list of the Fifty.



  • Almanac for Thirty Niners, San Francisco. 
  • Federal Writers Project. 1938.
  • Fabulous Finocchio’s, San Francisco. c 1960’s
  • Jack & Mary’s Jello Recipe Book, 1937.
  • Rigby’s Reliable Candy Teacher, c 1920s.
  • Concord and Lexington, Photographic Views: Historic, LIterary and Military. 1925.
  • (6) Yosemite Photographic Cards, Singer Sewing Machine Promo
  • ‘The Tip Top’, College Elementary School Primary Dept, Santa Barbara, with student. Eloise Fillmore’s petty cash banking deposits for orders such as costume, ice cream.. (c. 1928)
  • Some Important Factors in the Production of Good Milk and Cream. Dept of Ag, State of California. 1920.
  • ‘Courtesy’, The Senator Theatre, Sacramento.
  • Everything for Basket Making, Louis Stoughton Drake, Inc. Boston. 1899.
  • Burbank’s 1918 (Burbank’s Experimental Farms) Fruits, Flowers and Various Economic Plants. Santa Rosa.
  • Morse’s Bulbs. Fall 1926. CC. Morse & Co., Seed Growers. San Francisco.
  • Catalog and Culture, 1936. Vetterle & Reinelt, Hybridizing Gardens.
  • N.E.A.  Illustrated Ribbon, Reception at Sacramento 1892.
  • A Christmas Chime of Mission Bells. Toyon and Yerba Buena. San Francisco.
  • Sperry, Baxter. Mexican Land Grants, Sacramento County. San Juan de los Moquelumnes. The Laurel Hill Press.
  • Recollections of Old Times in California or California Life in 1843 by William Henry Thomes. Friends of the Bancroft Library.
  • Operations of Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., University of Melbourne (Chemical Engineering and Mining Review), 1950.
  • The C.O.C. 1893-1928. A History by Harry S. Swarch, San Francisco. 1929.
  • Kaweah Remembered, Story of the Kaweah Colony. William Tweed. 1986.
  • Some Experiments of Luther Burbank by President David Starr Jordan (Leland Stanford Junior University, reprinted from Popular Science Monthly, 1905)
  • Official Handbook of Field Archery, 1949 Edition, with three typewritten letters between Exec. Board and National Field Archery Association, etc.
  • No.8 Catalog. Modern Equipment for Beauty Salons, Donnelly Manufacturing Co. Ravena, Ohio. Sample chips of leatherette color choices, etc. 1932.
  • Beautiful California, Souvenir Folder. Chromolithographed postcards.
  • Victorian Menu, Germany. 1900.
  • Wass-hael Program, list of Pipers, Musicians, etc. 1914.
  • Duxbak Corp., Utica, New York. Hunting Fishing Outing. E.W. Edwards & Sons, Syracuse, NY.
  • The Friday Club of Fresno., 1935-6 program of events.
  • J. & P. Coats Leaflets. Crochet Patters for Six Cord Crochet Cotton and Six Strand Floss. Spool Cotton Co., New York. 1910-1920
  • Booklet of Don’ts. Allen Commandery Special. Pilgrimage to San Francisco, 1904.
  • Mounted Victorian Era photograph.
  • Trade card, R.L. Parker Drugs, Stationery, Notions. Four charming owls.
  • Dainty Economies, Custocreme Leaflet.
  • Dainty Things for Luncheon, Northwestern Yeast Co., Chicago.
  • Paris et Versailles Vues, Levy. 1880. Lithograph.
  • Victorian Era Photographs, Yosemite.
  • The New Deen Loom, Catalogue and Price List, 1908. Harlan, Iowa.
  • Instructions for Using Lamb’s Family Knitting Machine. 1868. Chicopee Falls, MA.
  • Eureka No. 1 Fly Shuttle Iron Loom. 1908. The Eureka Weaver’s Supply Works, Springfield, OH.
  • Historic Trees of California. A Keepsake in Thirteen Parts, Book Club of California. 2003.
  • VIctorian Trade Card, New England Grocery, Holiday Fruits and Confectionary.
  • Burlington Route Time Tables (Ft Worth-Denver City) 1942.
  • Burlington Route: “From Wagon Wheel to Stainless Steel”, c 1940
  • Southern Pacific: Maps and Description, Sunset Route (New Orleans-LA) 50s
  • Route of the Rockets, Rock Island Timetables, 1943.
  • Missouri Pacific Railroad Co., Route of the Eagles. Itin, cash fare reciept booklets. 1964.
  • Ansel Adams Pictorial Portfolio: Purple Mountains Majesty, American Savings and Loan Assoc.
  • Hope’s Cottage Window Poster, blue draftsman style.
  • Illustrated Catalogue and Price List, Copper Weather Vanes and Finials. J.W. Fiske. Park Place, NY. 1875.
  • The Album of Dublin and Wicklow Views, c 1900.