Guide to the Madeleine Stern and Leona Rostenberg Papers, 1864-2005
Title:
Madeleine Stern and Leona Rostenberg Papers
OCLC/RLIN No. (Unique ID):
746089475
Dates:
1864-2005
Bulk Dates:
1945-2005
Extent:
47 boxes; 50 linear feet
Abstract:
Business records and personal papers of antiquarian bookselling partners Madeleine Stern and Leona Rostenberg.
Access Restrictions:
Collection is open for research use. Copyright restrictions may apply; please contact repository for requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce the materials.
Preferred Citation:
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Madeleine Stern and Leona Rostenberg, 1864-2005 (bulk 1945-2005), The Grolier Club of New York.
About the Finding Aid:
This finding aid was prepared by Meghan Constantinou in Microsoft Word at the Grolier Club in 2011 and edited by Allison Hughes in December 2017.
Provenance:
This collection was a gift of Estate of Madeleine B. Stern, Oct. 2007.
Appraisal Information:
Duplicate catalogs were approved for deaccessioning by the Grolier Club Library Deaccessioning Committee December 14. 2017.
Biographical/Historical Note:
Madeleine Bettina Stern, born in New York City on July 1, 1912, and Leona Rostenberg, born in New York on December 28, 1908, first met in 1929 while teaching Hebrew School at Manhattan's Temple Emanu-El. At the time, Stern was a freshman at Barnard College, and Rostenberg was completing her undergraduate studies at New York University. Four years later, after Stern received her Master's Degree in medieval English literature from Columbia University, the two women met again and began a lifelong friendship and companionship. In 1939, the rejection of Rostenberg's Ph.D. thesis (a decision that would be overturned decades later) led her to accept a position with the rare book dealer, Herbert Reichner. With personal and financial support from Stern, Rostenberg announced the opening of her own rare book business five years later in the fall of 1944. Within a few months, Stern left a tenure-track teaching job to join her friend as partner in the firm.
Over the next several decades, Rostenberg and Stern would firmly establish their reputation in the antiquarian book business. Amid running the business out of Rostenberg's family home at 152 East 179th Street in the Bronx (later moving to Manhattan's upper east side) and taking annual European book buying trips, both women continued to pursue their individual scholarly interests. The pair's work on Louisa May Alcott, highlighted by their discovery of Alcott's pseudonymous sensational novels in the early 1940s, propelled Stern to continue research on nineteenth-century American women. Meanwhile, Rostenberg helped establish the first New York Antiquarian Book Fair in 1960 on behalf of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), an organization to which she would be elected president in 1972. In addition, the women published several joint memoirs of their life in the trade together, such as Old and Rare: Thirty Years in the Book Business (New York: A. Schram, 1974), Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and their Shared Passion (New York: Doubleday, 1997) and Bookends: Two Women, One Enduring Friendship (New York, Free Press, 2001). Sixty years after the founding of Leona Rostenberg Rare Books, Rostenberg died in New York on March 18, 2005. Her eternal friend and partner, Madeleine Stern, followed two years later on August 18, 2007.
Scope and Content Note:
Business records include bibliographical and financial records. In addition to an incomplete set of catalogs, there is an alphabetical file of descriptions of items sold with purchase information. Professional papers include material about, in some cases, manuscripts of essays, talks and lectures, both joint and individual. There is extensive material about the play by Rita Kohn and the "dramatico-musical" by Katharine Houghton et al. Personal papers include correspondence, diaries, diplomas and certificates, passports and photographs. Correspondence includes a series of letters written by Leona Rostenberg during her residence in Strasbourg in 1936 and detailed letters written by both women to their respective families during the book purchasing trips abroad between 1947 and 1957. Also includes clippings, offprints, and audiocassettes.
Access Points:
Names
Rostenberg, Leona.
Stern, Madeleine B., 1912-2007.
Leona Rostenberg (Firm)
Rostenberg family.
Stern family.
Kohn, Rita T.
Houghton, Katharine.
Subjects
Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888.
Antiquarian booksellers. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Women booksellers. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Genres
Account books. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Audiocassettes. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Booksellers catalogs. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Business records. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Certificates. New York (State). New York.
Clippings. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Diplomas. New York (State). New York.
Diaries. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Ledgers. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Photographs. 20th century.
Arrangement Note:
This collection is organized into the following series:
Series I: Bibliographical records of antiquarian bookselling business
Series II: Financial records of antiquarian bookselling business
Series III: Joint works and professional activities of Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine B. Stern
Series IV: Works and professional activities of Leona Rostenberg
Series V: Works and professional activities of Madeleine B. Stern
Series VI: Personal and family papers of Leona Rostenberg
Series VII: Personal and family papers of Madeleine B. Stern
Series VIII: Photographs and Memorabilia
Series IX: Printed Material
Container List:
Series I: Bibliographical records of antiquarian bookselling business
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
1
|
1-17
|
Descriptions
of books sold: A.A.F. – Bulifon
|
[1944-2005]
|
|
2
|
1-16
|
Descriptions
of books sold: Bull – Dirvenois
|
[1944-2005]
|
|
3
|
1-17
|
Descriptions
of books sold: Disceptatio – Gronenbergius
|
[1944-2005]
|
|
4
|
1-17
|
Descriptions
of books sold: Grose – Lovange
|
[1944-2005]
|
|
5
|
1-15
|
Descriptions
of books sold: Louis – Palaprat
|
[1944-2005]
|
|
6
|
1-16
|
Descriptions
of books sold: Palatino – Roussel
|
[1944-2005]
|
|
7
|
1-16
|
Descriptions
of books sold: Rousset – Varusoltis
|
[1944-2005]
|
|
8
|
1-8
|
Descriptions
of books sold: Vasari – Zypaeus
|
[1944-2005] |
|
8
|
9-12
|
*Additional descriptions of books sold: Abbadie – Zaorowsky |
[1944-2005] |
|
8
|
13
|
Business stationary
|
[1944-2005] |
|
8
|
14-16
|
*Descriptions of collections sold: Brigham Young University
|
[1974]-1985 |
|
8
|
17-18
|
*Descriptions of collections sold: University of Delaware
|
1972-1976 |
|
9
|
1
|
*Descriptions of collections sold: Folger
|
1974 |
|
9
|
2-4
|
*Descriptions of collections sold: Medici collection |
undated |
|
9
|
5
|
*Descriptions of collections sold: M. Weiner
|
1980-1981 |
|
9
|
6-7 |
*Descriptions of collections sold: Yale University
|
1972, undated |
|
9
|
8 |
*Descriptions of collections sold: other |
undated |
|
9
|
9-19
|
*Descriptions of pamphlet collections sold
|
[1944-2005] |
|
10
|
1-11
|
*Descriptions of pamphlet collections sold |
[1944-2005] |
|
10
|
12
|
*Correspondence: pamphlet collections sold
|
1972-1998 |
|
10
|
13-14
|
*Lists: pamphlet collections sold
|
undated |
|
11
|
|
Inventories
|
1949-2004
|
|
11
|
|
Customer Files
|
undated
|
|
12
|
|
Stock Books
|
1943-1981
|
|
12
|
|
Records of Books Purchased on European Trips
|
1948-1986
|
|
31
|
|
Bookplates
|
undated
|
|
31
|
|
Bibliographic Card Files
|
undated
|
|
32
|
|
Bibliographic Card Files
|
undated
|
Series II: Financial records of antiquarian bookselling business
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
13
|
Customer Invoices
|
1974-1989
|
|
14
|
Customer Invoices
|
1990-2005
|
|
14
|
Special Interest Purchase Orders
|
1995-2004
|
|
15
|
Day Books, Cash Books, Etc.
|
1946-2004
|
|
15
|
Checkbook Stubs
|
1998-2003
|
|
16
|
Federal Income Tax Worksheets
|
1994-2004
|
Series III: Joint works and professional activities of Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine B. Stern
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
17
|
Contracts, Royalty Statements, and Permissions
|
1964-2002
|
|
17
|
Joint Books and Publications
|
1975-1996
|
|
18
|
Joint Books and Publications
|
1997-2004
|
|
18
|
Joint Lectures and Talks
|
1973-1998
|
|
19
|
AABA Publications
|
1953-1998
|
|
19
|
Dramatizations about Rostenberg & Stern
|
1995-2000
|
|
20
|
Miscellaneous Correspondence
|
1965-2004
|
|
20
|
Articles about Rostenberg & Stern
|
1967-2002
|
|
20
|
Desiderata Lists
|
1995-1998
|
|
20
|
Audiocassettes
|
1975-2001
|
Series IV: Works and Professional Activities of Leona Rostenberg
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
21
|
Books, Articles, and Lectures
|
1952-1996
|
|
21
|
Other Professional Activities and Correspondence
|
circa 1940-2005
|
Series V: Works and Professional Activities of Madeleine B. Stern
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
22
|
Bound Set of MBS Periodical Articles
|
1935-1987
|
|
23
|
Bound and unbound MBS Periodical Articles
|
1945-2003
|
|
24
|
Books, Articles, and Lectures
|
1963-2003
|
|
25
|
Book Reviews by MBS
|
1972-1986
|
|
25
|
Miscellaneous: Correspondence and Other
|
1967-2005
|
Series VI: Personal and Family Papers of Leona Rostenberg
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
26
|
Family Papers
|
1884-1990
|
|
26
|
Personal Correspondence
|
1921-1955
|
|
27
|
Personal Correspondence
|
1947-1956
|
|
27
|
Diaries
|
1922-1953
|
|
28
|
Academic History
|
1922-1998
|
|
28
|
Miscellaneous
|
1958-1988
|
|
28
|
Death
|
2005
|
Series VII: Personal and Family Papers of Madeleine B. Stern
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
29
|
Family Papers
|
1864-2002
|
|
29
|
Personal Correspondence
|
1925-1957
|
|
30
|
Diaries
|
1925-1957
|
|
30
|
Academic History
|
1926-1997
|
|
30
|
Miscellaneous
|
1928-2005
|
Series VIII: Awards and Memorabilia
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
32
|
American Printing History Association Award to Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern
|
1983
|
|
32
|
NYU Alumni Association Achievement Award to Leona Rostenberg
|
1998
|
|
32
|
Leona Rostenberg ABAA President Glass Memento
|
1974
|
|
34
|
Posters and Memorabilia
|
undated
|
|
35
|
Posters and Memorabilia
|
undated
|
Series VIII: Photographs and Scrapbooks
Note: All photographs in need of preservation treatment.
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
33
|
|
England and Switzerland Album
|
1947-1948
|
|
33
|
|
Scotland and Austria
|
1954
|
|
33
|
|
Brussels and Switzerland
|
1957
|
|
47
|
|
Leona Rostenberg Rare Books Scrapbook I
|
1936-1983
|
|
47
|
|
Leona Rostenberg Rare Books Scrapbook II
|
1974-1987
|
|
47
|
|
Untitled Scrapbook
|
1954-2000
|
|
36
|
1
|
Mack Family Photo Album
|
undated
|
|
37
|
1
|
Sweden Album
|
1925
|
|
37
|
2
|
Europe Album
|
1934
|
|
37
|
3
|
Kennebunkport Album
|
1935
|
|
37
|
4
|
Peregrinations of 1936 in a 1930 Chrysler Album
|
1936
|
|
37
|
5
|
Europe Album
|
1937
|
|
37
|
6
|
Riverbank Album
|
1938
|
|
37
|
7
|
Sunnybank Album
|
1940
|
|
37
|
8
|
Lake Mahopec, Concord, Mass, Star Lake Album
|
1943-1945
|
|
37
|
9
|
Sunnybank Ogunquit Album
|
1944
|
|
37
|
10
|
Out West Album
|
1946
|
|
37
|
11
|
England Album
|
1949
|
|
37
|
12
|
The Grand Canyon Album
|
1950
|
|
38
|
1
|
England Album
|
1951
|
|
38
|
2
|
Europe Album
|
1952
|
|
38
|
3
|
Europe Album
|
1953
|
|
38
|
4
|
S.S. Noordam Album
|
1955
|
|
38
|
5
|
Miscellaneous Album Pages
|
1928
|
|
38
|
6
|
Mack Family Home
|
undated
|
|
38
|
7
|
Dr. Adolph Rostenberg
|
1950
|
|
38
|
8
|
Miscellaneous Artwork
|
undated
|
|
38
|
9-14
|
Miscellaneous Family Photos
|
undated
|
|
39
|
1
|
Negatives
|
undated
|
|
39
|
2-3
|
Black and White Photos
|
undated
|
|
39
|
4
|
Black and White Photos
|
1915-1973
|
|
39
|
5
|
Color Photos
|
undated
|
|
39
|
6
|
Color Photos
|
1964-1999
|
|
39
|
7
|
Discards
|
undated
|
|
39
|
8
|
Duplicates
|
undated
|
|
39
|
9
|
Original Photos to Scan
|
undated
|
|
39
|
10-11
|
Miscellaneous Photos
|
undated
|
|
39
|
12
|
Postwar Bookbuying Trips
|
1947-1954
|
|
39
|
13
|
East Hampton
|
1968-1999
|
|
39
|
14
|
Rugs and Tapestries
|
1991
|
|
39
|
15
|
Bookends Photographs
|
undated
|
|
39
|
16
|
Leona’s Birthday Album
|
1993
|
|
39
|
17
|
Old Books, Rare Friends Book Signing
|
1997
|
|
39
|
18
|
Leona and Madeline Portrait
|
2002
|
|
39
|
19-20
|
Non-Photographic Artwork
|
undated
|
Series IX: Printed Material
Subseries 1. Catalogs and Lists
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
40
|
1
|
Bound Catalogs 19, 21 and 22
|
undated
|
|
40
|
2
|
Bound Catalogs 23-25
|
undated
|
|
40
|
3
|
Bound Catalog 26
|
undated
|
|
40
|
4
|
Bound Catalog 27
|
undated
|
|
40
|
5
|
Bound Catalog 28
|
undated
|
|
40
|
6
|
Bound Catalog 29
|
undated
|
|
40
|
7
|
Bound Catalog 30
|
undated
|
|
40
|
8
|
Bound Catalog 31
|
undated
|
|
40
|
9
|
Bound Catalog 32
|
undated
|
|
40
|
10
|
Bound Catalog 33
|
undated
|
|
40
|
11
|
Bound Catalogs 34, 37, and 39
|
undated
|
|
40
|
12
|
Bound Catalog 35
|
undated
|
|
40
|
13
|
Bound Catalog 36
|
undated
|
|
40
|
14
|
Bound Catalog 38
|
undated
|
|
40
|
15
|
Bound Catalog 40
|
undated
|
|
40
|
16
|
Bound Catalog 55
|
undated
|
|
40
|
17
|
Bound Catalog 62
|
undated
|
|
40
|
18
|
Bound Catalogs 1-2, Lists I-VI
|
undated
|
|
40
|
19
|
Bound Lists VII-XIII
|
undated
|
|
40
|
20
|
Bound Lists XIX-XVIII
|
undated
|
|
41
|
1
|
Leona Rostenberg Book Notes, 1500-1700
|
undated
|
|
41
|
2
|
Catalog 1
|
1946
|
|
41
|
3
|
Catalog 2
|
1947
|
|
41
|
4
|
Catalog 19
|
undated
|
|
41
|
5
|
Catalog 22
|
undated
|
|
41
|
6
|
Catalog 23
|
undated
|
|
41
|
7
|
Catalog 25
|
1957
|
|
41
|
8
|
Catalog 26
|
undated
|
|
41
|
9
|
Catalog 27
|
undated
|
|
41
|
10
|
Catalog 28
|
undated
|
|
41
|
11
|
Catalog 29
|
undated
|
|
41
|
12
|
Catalog 30
|
1961
|
|
41
|
13
|
Catalog 31
|
1962
|
|
41
|
14
|
Catalog 32
|
1963
|
|
41
|
15
|
Catalog 34
|
undated
|
|
41
|
16
|
Catalog 38
|
undated
|
|
41
|
17
|
Catalog 39
|
undated
|
|
41
|
18
|
Catalog 40
|
undated
|
|
41
|
19
|
Catalog 45
|
undated
|
|
41
|
20
|
Catalog 46
|
undated
|
|
41
|
21
|
Catalog 47
|
undated
|
|
41
|
22
|
Catalog 48
|
1969
|
|
41
|
23
|
Catalog 49
|
undated
|
|
41
|
24
|
Catalog 50
|
undated
|
|
41
|
25
|
Catalog 55
|
undated
|
|
41
|
26
|
Catalog 56
|
undated
|
|
41
|
27
|
Catalog 57
|
undated
|
|
41
|
28
|
Catalog 58
|
undated
|
|
41
|
29
|
Catalog 61
|
1973
|
|
41
|
30
|
Catalog 62
|
circa 1974
|
|
41
|
31
|
Catalog 63
|
1974
|
|
41
|
32
|
Catalog 65
|
undated
|
|
41
|
33
|
Catalog 67
|
1975
|
|
41
|
34
|
Catalog 70
|
1976
|
|
41
|
35
|
Catalog 71
|
undated
|
|
41
|
36
|
Catalog 72
|
undated
|
|
41
|
37
|
Catalog 73
|
circa 1977
|
|
41
|
38
|
Catalog 75
|
1977
|
|
41
|
39
|
Catalog 76
|
circa 1978
|
|
41
|
40
|
Catalog 78
|
1978
|
|
41
|
41
|
Catalog 79
|
1978
|
|
41
|
42
|
Catalog 80
|
1979
|
|
41
|
43
|
Catalog 81
|
1980
|
|
41
|
44
|
Catalog 82
|
1980
|
|
41
|
45
|
Catalog 83
|
1980
|
|
41
|
46
|
Catalog 84
|
1981
|
|
41
|
47
|
Catalog 85
|
1981
|
|
41
|
48
|
Catalog 86
|
1981
|
|
41
|
49
|
Catalog 87
|
1981
|
|
41
|
50
|
Catalog 88
|
1982
|
|
41
|
51
|
Catalog 89
|
1982
|
|
41
|
52
|
Catalog 90
|
1982
|
|
41
|
53
|
Catalog 91
|
1983
|
|
41
|
54
|
Catalog 92
|
1983
|
|
41
|
55
|
Catalog 93
|
1983
|
|
41
|
56
|
Catalog 94
|
1984
|
|
41
|
57
|
Catalog 95
|
1984
|
|
41
|
58
|
Catalog 96
|
1985
|
|
41
|
59
|
Catalog 97
|
1985
|
|
41
|
60
|
Catalog 100
|
1986
|
|
41
|
61
|
Catalog 103
|
undated
|
|
41
|
62
|
Catalog 104
|
1987
|
|
41
|
63
|
Catalog 111
|
1988
|
|
41
|
64
|
Catalog 117
|
1989
|
|
41
|
65
|
Catalog 118
|
undated
|
|
41
|
66
|
Catalog 119
|
circa 1989
|
|
41
|
67
|
Catalog 120
|
undated
|
|
41
|
68
|
Catalog 122
|
1990
|
|
42
|
1
|
Catalog 129
|
1991
|
|
42
|
2
|
Catalog 136
|
1992
|
|
42
|
3
|
Catalog 140
|
1993
|
|
42
|
4
|
Catalog 143
|
undated
|
|
42
|
5
|
Catalog 144
|
undated
|
|
42
|
6
|
Catalog 150
|
1995
|
|
42
|
7
|
Catalog 155
|
1996
|
|
42
|
9
|
Catalog 160
|
1997
|
|
42
|
10
|
Catalog 163
|
1998
|
|
42
|
11
|
Catalog 168
|
1999
|
|
42
|
12
|
Catalog 173
|
2000
|
|
42
|
13
|
Catalog 176
|
undated
|
|
42
|
14
|
Catalog 177
|
undated
|
|
42
|
15
|
Catalog 185
|
undated
|
|
42
|
16
|
Catalog 188
|
undated
|
|
42
|
17
|
“1776” catalog
|
1976
|
|
42
|
18
|
Lists I-XXIII
|
undated
|
|
42
|
19
|
Lists 51-110
|
undated
|
|
42
|
20
|
Lists 112-139
|
undated
|
|
42
|
21
|
Lists 141-159
|
undated
|
|
42
|
22
|
Lists 160-186
|
undated
|
|
42
|
23
|
Lists (Not Numbered)
|
undated
|
|
42
|
24
|
Lists (Not Numbered)
|
undated
|
Subseries 2. Books
Note: These books have not been processed. To be cataloged and appraised; duplicates and out of scope material to be deaccessioned.
|
Box
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
43
|
Books
|
undated
|
|
44
|
Books
|
undated
|
|
45
|
Books
|
undated
|
|
46
|
Books
|
undated
|