William Loring Andrews: Scrapbooks and Associated Materials
Relating to the Book Arts, 1866-1920
RLIN ID No.
NYGG87-A2
Title
William Loring Andrews Scrapbooks and associated material relating to the book arts, 1866-1920.
Extent
4 linear ft.; 3 boxes; 8 scrapbooks (36 cm.); 12 engravings; 1 printing plate
Historical/Biographical Note
Book collector, amateur publisher, writer, and a founding member of the Grolier Club (1884) and the Society of Iconophiles. Author of over twenty books about prints, book collecting and the book arts, Andrews became a director of the Continental Assurance Company in 1875 chaired its Committee on Accounts. He wrote a history of the company that covered the period from 1853 to 1905.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence and clippings of articles by Andrews and others concerning his interests in rare books and his publishing activities. Correspondents include individuals, libraries, his publishers at Dodd, Mead and Company, and the journals The Bookman and Modern Art. Also included are: three books written or compiled by him, as well as book announcements and advertisements for his own books and those of others; Library of Congress copyright certificates for his books; and miscellaneous meeting announcements and invitations. Also, ALS and signed carte de visite from French artist J.G. Vibert and cartes de visite from three other 19th century French artists. Two resolutions on his death, hand-lettered and bound, are included: one from the Continental Assurance Company and the other from the Society of Iconophiles. A copy of Fitz-Greene Halleck’s Poems (1847), bound in red morocco with Andrews’ bookplate, is of special interest, as Andrews gave personal support to Halleck during his later years. A collection of twelve re-strikes from the original copper plates for engravings of the twelve apostles by artist Hans Sebald Beham, given to Andrews by John P. Woodbury of Boston, completes the collection.
Names
Andrews, William Loring, 1837-1920.
Beham, Hans Sebald, 1500-1550.
Halleck, Fitz-Greene, 1795-1867. Poems. 1847.
Vibert, J. G. (Jehan Georges), 1840-1902.
Woodbury, John, former owner.
Dodd, Mead & Company.
Society of Iconophiles.
Continental Assurance Company.
Bookman (New York, N.Y.)
Modern Art (periodical)
Subjects
Publishers and publishing. New York (State). New York. 19th century.
Publishers and publishing. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Booksellers and bookselling. New York (State). New York.
Genres
Photographs.
Scrapbooks.
Ephemera.
Clippings.
Printing plates.
Occupation (as reflected in collection)
Authors. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Book collectors. New York (State). New York. 19th century.
Book collectors. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Location
Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, N.Y. 10022-1098.
Container List
Box 1
I. Scrapbooks and Notebooks
[Note: WLA created series that he called “scrapbooks” and “notebooks.” The types of material in these series are very similar and consist mainly of correspondence (pasted down), clippings, and copies of WLA’s articles on the book arts. The material is not arranged in strict chronological order, e.g. “Notebooks” vols. 1, 2 and 3 are in Box 2, and vol. 4, lacking a clamshell box, is housed in Box 3.]
“Scrapbooks” (4 v., 32 cm and smaller)
1. 1891 February-1895 December.
2. 1897-1901.
3. 1896 (through October).
4. 1901-1912.
Box 2
“Notebooks” (4 v., 32 cm.)
1. 1866-1886. Bulk is correspondence for 1886 with some from 1866. Includes pasted down engraving probably taken from 19th century literary works. Also profile of Martha Washington sketched from an observation of her shadow on a wall.
2. 1866-1867, 1886.
3. 1874-1879. Includes letters (in French) from artist J.G. Vibert replying to WLA’s request for his autograph and his autographed carte de visite as well as cartes de visite from a few other contemporary French artists. .
4. 1897-1898. Correspondence, engravings and clippings. Includes letters from H.P. Johnston of the College of the City of New York (City College) in regard to the “City History Club” organized by ladies, to “interest classes of boys in the tenement districts in our City’s history” through lectures with lantern slides. Correspondence regards Johnston’s need to make slides from the “Bradford Maps,” which WLA issued in the early 1890s (in Box 3).
II. Resolutions on death of William Loring Andrews
Continental Insurance Company. Resolution on the death of William Loring Andrews. New York, 1920. Handlettered on vellum with some initial letters in gold; bound in black morocco. 5 leaves. Society of Iconophiles. Resolution on the Death of William Loring Andrews. Engrossed 1920. 3 leaves. Bound in leather (in Box 3)
III. Catalogs/Registers
Yale University. Catalog 1893-1894. Yale awarded WLA an honorary M. A. at its June 1893 commencement. WLA gave a fund in memory of his son, Loring Andrews (class of 1883) for the purchase of text books to be made available to those students who could not afford to buy them. Tipped into catalog are some letters from officials at Yale regarding cataloging of these books.
IV. Other Books
Fitz-Green Halleck. Poems. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1847. 280 p. ; 36 cm. Engraved frontispiece (portrait of the author) and titlepage, sheet of colored portraits of the author inserted after last page of text. Bound in red morocco; top edge gilt.
Box 3
V. Books Written or Compiled by William Loring Andrews
William Loring Andrews. An Essay on the Portraiture of the American Revolutionary War. New York: Printed by Gilliss Brothers for the author and sold by Dodd Mead. 100 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
William Loring Andrews, compiler. A Prospect of the Colledges (sic) of Cambridge in New England. Engraved by William Burgis in 1726. New York: Dood, Mead and company, 1897. 38 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. The Nichols copy. One page ALS from WLA to George Livingston Nichols inserted.
William Loring Andrews. Bibliography of books issued in limited editions by William Loring Andrews during the years 1885 to 1908 inclusive. Third ed. [typescript]. New York: Privately printed, 1911. 6, 9 p. ; 28 cm.
VI. Engravings
Hans Sebald Beham (1500-1550). Restrikes (impressions from original copper plates) of the twelve apostles (No. 3 of ten impressions). Given to WLA by John F. Woodbury of Boston, Christmas 1904. 12 engravings. 3 x 5 cm. (image area).
(Updated 7/22/2012)