Visual Materials

Series I. Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera (small size)

Description: This series contains mainly trade cards, album card sets, election or rally tickets, and small-format portrait prints. Also included are some campaign and event ribbons, cigar box labels, and cigarette cards.
Type: Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1829-1952
Call number: priJLC_POL
Creator: Last, Jay T(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Gift of Jay T. Last, 2005.
Restrictions: Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera (between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size)

Visual Materials

The Jay T. Last collection of politics and social issues prints and ephemera contains approximately 400 printed items from the United States from the 1800s to the 1950s, with the bulk of the items dating from 1850 to 1910. Most of these items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included. The collection includes commemorative portraits of United States presidents, political cartoons and caricatures, portraits of political candidates, album card sets, trade cards, election or rally tickets, and ribbons. The collection highlights both well-known and less recognized American political figures and activists of the 19th and early 20th centuries along with social causes and issues often linked to political activities, most notably the temperance movement. The images provide a rich visual resource for studying the history of American governance of citizens including national, state, and local laws, issues, elections, and causes, as well as a perspective on portraiture, caricatures, and political cartoons of the 19th and early 20th centuries. As graphic materials, the prints and ephemera offer evidence of developing techniques and trends in printmaking, and of the artists, engravers, lithographers, printers, and publishers involved in the creative process.

priJLC_POL

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Series II. Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera (large size)

Visual Materials

This series contains mainly portrait prints, political cartoons, and political campaign promotional prints. Also included are certificates and illustrated materials promoting temperance, as well as a ballot from the election of 1912.

priJLC_POL

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Jay T. Last Collection of Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera

Visual Materials

The Jay T. Last Collection of Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera contains approximately 400 printed items related to politics and social issues in the United States from the 1800s to the 1950s, with the bulk of the items dating from 1850 to 1910. Most of these items are lithographs, but engravings and woodcuts are also included. Materials are arranged in two series: small-size items (11 x 14 inches or less) and large-size items (more than 11 x 14 inches). Small-size items are described broadly at the series level; large-size items and select small-size items are fully inventoried with printers, artists, and publishers indexed by name. The collection includes over 130 large-size items comprised mainly of lithographed commemorative portraits of United States presidents, political cartoons and caricatures, views of civic buildings and correctional facilities, and portraits of political candidates. Small-size items number approximately 270 and contain a variety of materials, including small-format portraits, album card sets, trade cards, election or rally tickets, and ribbons. The collection highlights both well-known and less recognized American political figures and activists of the 19th and early 20th centuries along with social causes and issues often linked to political activities, most notably the temperance movement. The images provide a rich visual resource for studying the history of American governance of citizens including national, state, and local laws, issues, elections, and causes, as well as a perspective on portraiture, caricatures, and political cartoons of the 19th and early 20th centuries. As graphic materials, the prints and ephemera offer evidence of developing techniques and trends in printmaking, and of the artists, engravers, lithographers, printers, and publishers involved in the creative process.

priJLC_POL

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Series I. Education Prints and Ephemera (small size)

Visual Materials

This series contains mainly copy and writing books (composition books), arithmetic and ciphering books, tuition bills, programs and tickets to graduations and other school events, certificates, trade cards, student identification cards, postcards, ribbons, and printed billheads and letterheads (with and without manuscript text). Of note is an 1847 certificate signed by Peter Cooper, American industrialist, inventor, and philanthropist who designed and built the first American steam locomotive, and founded Cooper Union (Binder 1), and plates from Dean's Analytical Guide, to the Art of Penmanship (Box 1).

priJLC_EDU

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Other Politicians and Misc. Ephemera (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Visual Materials

priJLC_POL

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Series I. Circus Prints and Ephemera (small size)

Visual Materials

This series contains over 500 printed items, 11 x 14 inches or smaller, that pertain to circuses in the United States from approximately 1850 to 1991, with the bulk of items dating from 1880 to 1960. Items consist of advertising and promotion ephemera that promote circuses or were used as business documents by circuses. Item types include trade cards, programs and souvenir books, route cards, envelopes, tickets, songsters, and printed billheads and letterheads. While some of the stationery is filled out in manuscript with miscellaneous correspondence or invoices, the series does include a substantial amount of blank letterhead.

priJLC_ENT_Circus

Series I. Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera (small size)

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Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera (between 8 x 10 inches and 11 x 14 inches in size)

Series II. Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera (large size)

Jay T. Last Collection of Politics and Social Issues Prints and Ephemera

Series I. Education Prints and Ephemera (small size)

Other Politicians and Misc. Ephemera (8 x 10 inches or smaller in size)

Series I. Circus Prints and Ephemera (small size)