Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
The return of the prodigal
Image not available
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Image not available
Visual Materials
The Jay T. Last collection of religion prints and ephemera contains approximately 60 printed items related to beliefs and practices usually involving devotional and ritual observances concerning God, creation of the universe, spirituality, and the moral conduct of human affairs. The materials were made and used in the United States from approximately 1828 to 1921, with the bulk of the content dating from 1850 to 1900. Certificates pertaining to biblical societies and other theological organizations are represented, as are items relating to baptism and other formal or ceremonial religious rites and initiations. Images of sacred scenes, verses, and parables; portraits of saints or spiritual leaders; and views of houses of worship are also found here. Especially noteworthy are eight woodcut and hand-colored Pennsylvania-German certificates of birth and baptism dating from 1837-1853 (priJLC_002917-002923 and priJLC_004970), mostly printed and/or handwritten in German. They relate to illuminated Fraktur drawings popular in Pennsylvania-German culture during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The collection supports various fields of research related to religion and Christianity in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This includes regional baptism records, places and patterns of worship, and Christian iconography. The images also provide a rich visual resource for studying American interpretations of Bible stories and figures common during this period. As graphic materials, the collection highlights developing techniques and trends in printmaking while documenting the artists, engravers, lithographers, printers, and publishers involved in the creative process.
priJLC_REL_004979