Jay T. Last collection of artist posters

The Jay T. Last collection of artist posters contains over 370 printed works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The bulk of the materials date from 1890 to 1900 and advertise American literary books and periodicals. Bicycles, household goods, and other products are also advertised.

Materials are fully inventoried, and all printers, artists, and publishers are indexed by name. Notable illustrators represented in the collection include Will Bradley, Maynard Dixon, J. J. Gould, Edward Penfield, Ethel Reed, and Louis Rhead. The collection includes over 100 posters collected by illustrator Curtis Wager-Smith (1870-1950), some with inscriptions to her from the artist.

Subjects addressed within the collection include art styles, book and literary journal publication, advertising, and the intersections between them, especially during the last decade of the 19th century. The images encompass the popularization of Art Nouveau in the United States, as well as the advertising strategies employed by various industries in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As graphic materials, the items offer evidence of visual culture and printmaking techniques and trends, as well as information about the artists, engravers, lithographers, printers, and publishers involved in the creative process.