Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Visual Materials
Visual Materials
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Visual Materials
One pattern book entitled Designs for Piercing, Chasing and Etching, published by William Dixon Incorporated, Newark, New Jersey, copyright 1937. This book is a looseleaf portfolio of 31 numbered plates, containing "more than two hundred motifs" and a single sheet with prefatory text. There are several plates of images per "series"; the series are entitled: Ornaments, Animals, Birds, Designs, Borders and Initials. A small, vertically-oriented rectangular floral design is centered on the front cover. The back cover, as well as the insides of the covers, are blank.
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Visual Materials
One drawing book entitled White's School Series of Industrial Drawing, Free Hand, by H.P. Smith, published by Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., New York and Chicago, copyright 1878. "Engravings by John Karst" appears on the lower right-hand corner of the front cover. This book consists of 16 pages with 15 lessons (lesson 15 is wanting). Each lesson is accompanied by blank space or partial-model for copying by the owner. Some of the items for copying include vases, plants and flowers, Egyptian and Greek ornaments and designs, and pattern designs. The front cover is illustrated with a decorative border and an image of a decorated vase. The inside back cover lists geometric terms and their definitions, as well as quotations from Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones. The outside back cover is a publisher's advertisement for "White's School Series of Industrial Drawing and Progressive Art Studies." This book is vertically oriented; the spine is along the long side of the book at the top, and is to be opened and used by lifting the cover up, instead of to the right, as usual. Some of the images have been copied in pencil by a previous owner. "Annie S. Todd" is written in ms. at the top of the front cover.
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Rare Books
Brass and copper desk lamp with decorative etched copper inset in shade. Place of manufacture unknown. Lamp was in the Arensbergs' home with the painting "Lamp" by Juan Gris (1916) hanging above it. Huntington Library catalog record for lamp, 653728.
602120
Visual Materials
Eleven art instruction books entitled The Landon Course of Cartooning, published by The Landon School, Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1920-1930. This series is a correspondence course in drawing cartoons; each of the eleven separate lessons consists of circa 10 pages of textual instruction, with references to illustrated plates to use as guidelines. The lesson titles on each of the volumes are as follows (these booklets have been numbered, in ms., by a previous owner): Pen and Ink Lines (1); The Head (2); Expression (3); Hands & Feet (4); Comic Figures (5); Action (6); Women (7); Shading (8); Shadows (9); Division Four- Lesson No. 10 Shadows, Lesson No. 11 Kids, Lesson No. 12 Perspective (no number in ms.). Within the first booklet "Pen and Ink Lines" are general instructions, information about collecting a morgue, materials needed for pen and ink work, pen and ink lines Lesson No. 1, and instructions for mailing. The contents of each of the subsequent booklets are general guidelines and suggestions for the topic at hand, with references to sample images on separate plates. These are followed by guidelines for practice work, with specific instructions and assignments for the student to draw and submit by mail for evaluation. On the final page each booklet are mailing instructions. Some of the assignments within the entire series are: "Draw a two-thirds view of a thin-faced college professor scowling, to express SEVERITY. Put glasses on his nose" (from Expression); "Use Fig. D of Group 1 on Plate 3 as a guide and draw a sailor dancing a jig" (from Action); "Draw a fat cook with an apron tied around her waist, ready to bang someone with a shovel" (from Women); and "Make a group of three boys, sideview, playing with a cart. One boy is pulling, another is sitting in the cart, and the third is pushing behind. Get lots of action in this drawing" (from Kids). Nearly half of the individual booklets have their accompanying sample plates of illustrations laid in. The illustrations and comments within this series are very telling of the time in which they were issued: racist and derogatory illustrations and opinions abound. These booklets are vertically oriented, with the spine along the top. Pages are to be lifted from the bottom to the top; not from right to left as usual. The title for the series is at the top of each cover, and a single image is positioned above the booklet title in the lower right-hand corner. Some of the booklets have the title but no additional illustration on the cover. Most of the booklets contain original artwork (the exercises given in each booklet) by Mabel Spofford, with comments and additions from a Landon School instructor. Envelope 13, "Division Four"; Lessons 10-12, also contains an envelope from The Landon School, addressed to Mabel Spofford and postmarked March 5, 1928, which contains 2 sheets of Miss Spofford's original artwork, with comments from a Landon instructor. "1925 Edition" is printed on the front cover of the eleventh booklet "Kids".
Visual Materials
One drawing book entitled Bartholomew's National System of Industrial Drawing, Light, Shade & Shadow, New Edition, No. 17, by William N. Bartholomew, published by Potter, Ainsworth & Co., Boston, New York and Chicago, 1884. This 20-page book is illustrated with 39 lithograph illustrations. The first 2 pages contain an outline of this book and various rules that apply to drawing with light, shade and shadow. On the last page are several notes and tips pertaining to lights, shade, and shadow. The pages in between are devoted to the actual drawing exercises. Some of these include: a treescape, a bucket, ornamental designs in relief, floral designs, and various outdoor scenes. Each exercise, one per page, is comprised of textual instruction, an image or images, and ample space for drawing. None of the exercises have been completed. The front cover is decorated with a simple but decorative frame around the text, with an Egyptian aten below the edition statement, and the publisher's statement is below that. The book number is printed in both the upper left and right-hand corners. The insides of the front and back covers are blank. On the back cover is a publisher's advertisement for various "Popular Educational Series". ".50" (price) is written in ms., in pencil, in the upper left-hand corner of the front cover.
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Visual Materials
One penmanship book entitled On The Technique of Manuscript Writing, by Marjorie Wise, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta and San Francisco, 1924. On the first page is a series statement: "Series on CHildhood Education, edited by Patty Smith Hill." As stated in the Introduction, this book teaches "English manuscript writing." It begins with 24 pages of introductory and prefatory material, and continues with 54 pages of instructions, lessons, examples and exercises. Opposite each lesson are lined pages on which to practice the lesson. Some of the lessons included are: "Essential forms- the alphabet"; "The beginning of ink work"; "Choice and individuality"; "Spacing" and "Judging the work." None of the lessons have been filled in. Laid in at the front is a publisher's promotional flyer.
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