Manuscripts
Department of Special Collections
Washington University Libraries
Washington University in St. Louis

Finding-Aid for the Isadore Mendle Papers (WTU00082)

Finding aid prepared by:
Special Collections Staff

Summary Information

Title: Isador Mendle Collection on the History of Printing
Creator: Mendle, Isidore
Extent: ca. 600 items
Call number: WTU00082
Language: English
Repository: Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO 63130

Access and Use:

Access Restrictions:

Open.

Use Restrictions:

Users of the collections must sign and submit to the Washington UniversityDepartment of Special Collections a hard copy of the Rules for the use of manuscript collection materials.

Users of the collections who wish to use items from this collection, inwhole or in part, in any form of publication (as defined in the form) mustsign and submit to the Washington University Department of Special Collectionsa hard copy of the Notification of intent publish manuscript collection materials form.

All publication restricted to those who have permission of the copyrightholder.

Copyright to large portions of the collection held by various estates. Portions of the collectionin the public domain.

Processing Information:

Processed by Washington University Department Special Collections Staff August 1986EADencoded finding-aid complete December, 2001

Preferred Citation:

Preferred CitationIsador Mendle Collection on the History of Printing, Washington Universityin St. Louis

Biography

The Isador Mendle Collection on the History of Printing was establishedin the fall of 1968, when Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Mendle made a gift to WashingtonUniversity to establish a collection in memory of Mr. Mendle's father, Isador Mendle. Isador Mendle (1882-1935) was a leader in the development of the printingindustry and new printing techniques in St. Louis, and founded the MendlePress, Inc. Part of the Mendle gift was used to create a new room for theSpecial Collections Department for housing and service on the Mendle Collection.The other portion of the gift was used to build up a collection of books andrelated materials on the history of printing. Because of Isador Mendle's interestin new printing techniques, it was decided that the collection would focuson developments in printing since the Industrial Revolution, with a specialconcentration on the last 100 years. The Mendle Collection also includes selectivecoverage for the years up to the middle 1800's. This register describes themanuscripts and related materials which complement the more than 1,500 volumesin the Isador Mendle book collection.

Collection Scope and Content Note

Scope and Contents Note

The Mendle Collection has seven main groupings. The first of these is thecollection of James Moran Papers. Moran, a British author and historian ofprinting, wrote several books relating to printing, including a biographyof British scholar and typographer Stanley Morison. Moran's papers consistprimarily of material toward his books. The Ellic Howe Papers are anotherimportant part of the collection. These consist of Howe's (a British printer)notes on the history of the printing trade, including many interesting documents,and copies of lectures given by Howe. Correspondence makes up the bulk ofthe John G. Wilson materials. Wilson was a British book dealer, and his correspondenceprovides an inside view of the book trade. Two fine presses are also representedin the collection; the Alcuin Press and Gogmagog Press materials show bookproduction in its various stages. An album of designs by artist and historianof French bookbinding Leon Gruel shows another fascinating aspect of bookproduction. Finally, there are 10 groups of correspondence to and from variouspeople in the book or printing trades; these letters, because of their variety,present a well-rounded view of the trades they discuss.

Contents List

		Title
box-folder   1-4/1-38		Series I. James Moran Papers. [series]:    Scope: Consists of material toward Moran's publications on the history of printing,including his biography of Stanley Morison; also reviews, offprints, and clippings.Moran (1917-1978) was a British historian of printing.
box-folder   1/1		Printing Presses: Historyand Development From the Fifteenth Century to Modern Times [history]by James Moran, Faber and Faber Limited, London, 1972.    Scope: Consists of Ts setting copy and several proofs toward the book.
box-folder   1/1		Ts setting copy, marked for the printer. (1 item, 298 pp.)
box-folder   1/2		Galley proof, corrected. (1 item, 80 galleys)
box-folder   1/3		Uncorrected page proof. (1 item, 250 pp.)
box-folder   1/4		Proofs of plates. (1 item, 49 pp.)
box-folder   2/5-10		2. The Double Crown Club. Materialtoward The Double Crown Club: A History of Fifty Years, by James Moran.    Scope: The Double Crown Club was a dining club formed in London in 1924 by OliverSimon and Hubert Foss (printers); it was made up of typographers and othersrelated to the printing trade. Consists of correspondence, a Ts draft, galleys,specimen pages, proofs, and lists.
box-folder   2/5		[1974] Correspondence from R.A. Ashley, theWesterham Press Limited, Kent, to James Moran, from Feb to May 1974, concerningthe book's production. (3 items, 3pp.)
box-folder   2/5		[1974] Ts setting copy, marked on by the printer. (1 item, 109 pp.)
box-folder   2/7		[1974] Galley proof. (1 item, 31 galleys)
box-folder   2/8		[1974] Paste-up of specimen pages. (1 item, 5pp.)
box-folder   2/9		[1974] Page proof, corrected. (1 item, 54 pp.)
box-folder   2/10		[1974] Autograph list of individuals and institutionsto receive copies of the book. (1 item, 4pp.)
box-folder   3/11-20		3. Stanley Morison: His Typographical Achievement, Lund Humphries Publishers, 1971. Material towards Moran's biography of Stanley Morison    Scope: Morison (1889-1967), a British typographer and scholar, served as typographicadviser to Cambridge University Press in 1925 and to The Times in 1930. Material consists of research materials, drafts, correspondence,galleys, and booklet.
box-folder   3/11		Research materials: documents concerning Morison, and typefaceinformation. (12 items)
box-folder   3/12.		Correspondence to James Moran (from Morison's acquaintances) relatingto Morison. Correspondence covers 1967 to 1970. (76 items)
box-folder   3/13-16, 18		Four Ts and one Ts(carbon) drafts of the book. (5 items)
box-folder   3/17		Galley proof of the book. (1 item, 24 galleys)
box-folder   3/19		Galleys for the book, and notes on the book's production. (1 item)
box-folder   3/20		Autograph draft (partial) in notebook. (1 item, 32 pp.)
box-folder   4/21-38		4. Reviews and articles. Various reviews and articles by JamesMoran.
box-folder   4/21-35		Reviews and articles by Moran. Each title is foldered separatelyand alphabetically, and may consist of Ts, galleys, proofs, or tear sheets.Written from 1960 to 1973 (several are undated). (16 items)
		Miscellany.
box-folder   4/36.		Clippings (21 items)    Scope: Contains clippings of reviews of Moran's books.
		Series II. Ellic Howe Papers. [series]:    Scope: Consists of research notes compiled by Howe, a British printer, on thehistory of the printing trade; also drafts of lectures by Howe.
box-folder   4/37-48		1. Material relating to Walter Lewis.    Scope: Consists of Howe's notes on Lewis, a British printer appointed University Printer at Cambridge in 1923, and a close collaborator of Stanley Morison.
box-folder   4/37		Consists of 1 Ts and 2 autograph notes made by Howe from interviewswith Lewis. (3 items)
box-folder   4/38-48		2. Works by Howe.    Scope: A clipping, drafts of Howe's work, and a list.
box-folder   4/38		1943: Dec 25, Times Literary Supplement review of The Trade, editedby Howe. (1 item)
box-folder   4/39-46		Autograph and Ts drafts of lectures by Howe. (8 items)
box-folder   4/47.		Price list for bookbinding (Ts). [fragment of book]. (1 item, 8 pp.)
box-folder   4/48.		Notes on Composing Machines, by Howe.Ts, bound in boards. (1 item, 38 pp.)
box-folder   5/49-61		3. Source materials on the history of printing.    Scope: Ts and autograph notes and information on the history of the printing trade.
box-folder   5/49.		Ts and autograph notes; miscellaneous correspondence from 1937to 1939 and n.d., from Arthur Rogers (British book dealer), from [Howe] tothe Editor of The New York Herald Tribune Books, andfrom M.J. MacManus (book dealer), all relating to bookbinding; clippings andphotos dealing with bookbinding. (25 items)
box-folder   5/50.		Collected Ts excerpts on typesetting and printing, from 1865 to1880. (1 item)
box-folder   5/51-57.		London Electrotypers' Minutes, 1897: Mar 15; unidentifiedexcerpts about books and printing; excerpts from The Gorgon on printing, 1818: Oct-Dec; An Appeal to the Legislature on... the Office of King's Printer, by SamuelBrooke, printer, London, 1830, and Second Appeal, 1832; excerpts from directories of printers, 1823-1834; pricelists of type and stock, 1797 and n.d.; type specimens.All photoreproduced. (24 items)
box-folder   5/58.		Typography, a journal published from Autumn 1936 to Summer 1939.Consists of prospectus and announcement, specially bound for Howe in two volumes,with loose copy laid in. (2 items)
box-folder   5/59.		Ts article, Indexes and Indexing, by Thomas R. Martin, with signedpreface by E. Freind. Drawings and article, Tacketting Account Books, laidin. (1 item)
box-folder   5/60.		Ts and autograph notes for unfinished history of printing. Includesextracts from W. Boutall, Globe Chapel Minutes, and other sources. Also includesNotes on Some English Types, 1630-1730, attributed toHowe. In green ringbinder notebook, filed on top of boxes. (1 item)
box-folder   5/61.		Type specimens [photocopy]. Laid in brown oversized portfolio,filed on top of boxes. (8 items)
box-folder   6/		Series III. John G. Wilson correspondence. [series]:    Scope: Consists of letters from various individuals to Wilson, a British bookdealer and manager of Bumpus Book Dealers, concerning business; also clippingsand other miscellany relating to the book trade.
box-folder   6/62-74		1. General correspondence.    Scope: Consists of letters to Wilson, a British book dealer, in his capacity asmanager of Bumpus Book Dealers.
box-folder   6/62-72.		Correspondence to Wilson from March 1911 to February 1929. (355 items)
		2. Letters laid in books.    Scope: Consists of one letter by Wilson and one letter to him originally laidin books.
box-folder   6/73.		Two letters: ALS by Wilson to George Bernard Shaw, laid in SirHall Caine's The White Prophet; the other a TLSto Wilson from the Monotype Corp., laid in A Selectionof Types from the Country Press. (2 items)
		3. Miscellany.    Scope: Consists of materials relating to the book trade and literature.
box-folder   6/74.		Contains clippings concerning the book trade and literary events,one printed engraving, sales slip, business card, tear sheet from essay onSwinburne, with sketched announcement of same on verso. (8 items)
box-folder   7/75		Series IV. Alcuin Press. [series]:    Scope: Material relating to The Alcuin Press (founded in May 1928 in ChippingCampden, Gloucestershire, as a fine, commercial press.)
box-folder   7/75.		(59 items)    Scope: Consists of type specimens; proofs of illustrations; announcements of publications;various folded book signatures, some illuminated and some on vellum.
box-folder   8/76-85		Series V. Gogmagog Press. [series]:    Scope: The Gogmagog Press, London, was a fine press privately run by Morris Cox.During the 1960's Cox produced his work in numbered and signed limited editions.This series consists of materials toward various Gogmagog Press publications,all written by Cox.
		1. Material toward Mummers Fool, 1965.    Scope: Consists of drafts, proofs, and other material toward MummersFool, by Cox.
box-folder   8/76-81.		Contain Ts drafts, sample intaglio covers, bound dummy, loose proofpages, linoleum print block, and a copy of the finished book. (21 items)
		2. Material toward The Warrior and the Maiden, 1967.    Scope: Consists of various materials toward The Warriorand the Maiden, by Morris Cox.
box-folder   8/82-84.		Consists of a dummy, linoleum blocks used for illustrations, anda copy of the finished book. (12 items)
		3. Miscellany.    Scope: Consists of miscellaneous Gogmagog Press materials.
box-folder   8/85.		Consists of proof copies of Gogmagog Press publications 14 Triads, 1967, by Cox, A Mediaeval Dream Book, 1963, and Spring, 1966, byCox; also additional intaglio proof sheets for Spring. (5 items)
box-folder   9/86		Series VI. Leon Gruel, bookbinder. [series]:    Scope: Consists of an album by Gruel.
box-folder   9/86.		(1 item)    Scope: Contains album of original designs for bindings. Sketches and watercolorsby Gruel (artist and historian of French bookbinding), bound into half-moroccoand cloth sides.
box-folder   10/87-96		Series VII. Correspondence. [series]:    Scope: Consists of 10 separate groups of correspondence, mainly to or from peopleinvolved in the book or printing trades.
		1. John Thomas Lee correspondence.    Scope: Consists of correspondence to John Thomas Lee, American bookplate collector.
box-folder   10/87.		Contains letters from 1916 to 1932 to John Thomas Lee from variousindividuals, on the subjects of books and bookplate collecting. Enclosed isphoto of J.M. Andreiny (bookplate collector). (10 items)
		2. Joseph Winfred Spenceley correspondence.    Scope: Consists of correspondence by J.W. Spenceley, American bookplate engraver.
box-folder   10/88.		Contains letters from 1897 to 1907 from Joseph Winfred Spenceleyto a Miss Firman and J.C. Burnheim, on subject of bookplate collecting. (2 items)
		3. Paul Bennett correspondence.    Scope: Consists of correspondence to Paul Bennett, American type designer.
box-folder   10/89.		Contains letters from 1959 to 1963 from Carl Volmer Nordlunde (Danishprinter) to Paul Bennett, and 3 carbons of letters from Bennett to Nordlunde,concerning the history of printing and typography. (10 items)
		4. Clare Ryan Talbot correspondence.    Scope: Consists of letter by Clare Ryan Talbot, American bookplate collector,and materials relating to her work.
box-folder   10/90.		Consists of letter, ca. 1933, by Talbot. Also included are advertising fliers for her book, In Quest of the Perfect Bookplate, exhibition catalogues for her collection, and loose pages from Ruth Thompson Saunder's The Book of Artists' Own Bookplates . (7 items)
		5. Stanley Morison correspondence.    Scope: Consists of letters by Stanley Morison, British type designer (1889-1967).
box-folder   10/91.		Contains letters from 1959 to 1962, from Stanley Morison to JamesMoran, historian of printing, and Morison's biographer. (6 items)
		6. John Nash correspondence.    Scope: Consists of letters by John Nash, a British engraver who was one of a groupknown as the Curwen Press artists.
box-folder   10/92.		Contains 2 letters of 1949 from John Nash, a wood engraver, andMrs. Paul (Margaret) Nash, widow of John's brother (another engraver), toT. Balston, concerning an exhibit of the brother's work. Enclosed in one letteris an auto list of books illustrated with wood engravings by John Nash. (4 items)
		7. S. H. Steinberg correspondence.    Scope: Contains letters to and from S. H. Steinberg, British historian of printing.
box-folder   10/93.		Contains correspondence of 1960 to 1964 between Steinberg and variousindividuals. Bulk of items are written in German. (8 items)
		8. Edward DeWitt Taylor correspondence.    Scope: Consists of letters to and from Edward DeWitt Taylor, American printerof Taylor and Taylor Printers, San Fransisco.
box-folder   10/94.		Contains correspondence from 1940 between Taylor and Eugene P.Pattberg, historian of printing, concerning Pattberg's book, Types,Borders, and Miscellany. (3 items)
		9. Ellic Howe correspondence.    Scope: Consists of letters by Ellic Howe, British printer.
box-folder   10/95.		Consists of 1943: Jan 31 letter from Howe to S.H. Steinberg, Britishhistorian of printing, containing personal news and mentioning Stanley Morison. (1 item)
		10. Miscellaneous correspondence.    Scope: Consists of miscellaneous correspondence concerning printing and relatedsubjects.
box-folder   10/96.		Contains letters from 1859 to 1946 by various individuals, concerningprinting, typography, calligraphy, etc. Includes ALS, 2p., from Stanley Morisonto DeForest Sackett of the Society of typographic arts, and ALS 2p., by FrancisMeynell of the Nonesuch Press to Henry Lewis Bullen. (10 items)
box-folder   10/97-99		Series VIII. Miscellany. [series]:    Scope: Consists of a folder of clippings and a folder of various items, mainlycorrespondence, laid in books purchased with Mendle funds.
		1. Clippings.    Scope: Consists of clippings from London newspapers.
box-folder   10/97.		Contains clippings from various London newspapers, from the 1920'sto the 1960's, of articles about the history of Fleet St., the newspaper printingdistrict of London. Also includes a 1928 post card relating to the "AntientSociety of Cogers", and a printed, color reproduction of a paintingof Fleet St., 1886. (16 items)
		2. Items laid in books.    Scope: Consists primarily of correspondence laid in Mendle purchase books housedin the Mendle book collection.
box-folder   10/98.		Contains extensive correspondence from 1957 to 1965, between PaulBennett (type designer), and Fritz Eichenberg (woodcut artist), during thelatter's tenure at Pratt Institute. (18 items)
box-folder   10/99		3. Ottmar Mergenthaler medal    Scope: Consists a Ottmar Mergenthaler medal.