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Catalog Record:
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.
The papers of Lessing J. Rosenwald were given to the Library of Congress by the Rosenwald estate between 1980 and 1983. The material was received by the Rare Book and Special Collections Division and the majority was transferred to the Manuscript Division where it was processed as the Lessing J. Rosenwald Papers. Some Rosenwald material was kept by the Rare Book and Special Collection Division and added to the Division's curatorial files. This archive of the collection was maintained by the Rare Book and Special Collection Division and described in 2010.
The archive of the Rosenwald Collection at the Rare Book and Special Collections Division was arranged and described in 2010.
See also the
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Lessing J. Rosenwald and the Rare Book and Special Collection Division is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
The archive of the Rosenwald Collection is open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection Archive, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The archive of the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection documents the custodianship of this important collection of rare books by the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress. In 1943, Rosenwald donated his print and rare book collections to the National Gallery of Art and the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Having built a repository, Alverthorpe Gallery, at his estate in Jenkintown, Rosenwald retained physical custody of the collections during his lifetime, periodically transferring selections to Washington for exhibition, and ultimately giving 2,600 rare books and 5,000 reference books to the Library. After his death in 1979, Rosenwald's books were physically transferred to the Library of Congress and housed in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
Some material in the records originated with Rosenwald's own files at Alverthorpe, but the bulk of the material originated at the Library of Congress. The records were maintained by a number of different curators and administrators. Significant figures include Kathleen T. (Hunt) Mang, who served on Rosenwald's staff at Alverthorpe in the 1970s and later became the Curator of the Rosenwald Collection at the Library of Congress. Peter VanWingen replaced Mang as Rosenwald Curator in 1992. Chiefs of the Rare Book Division during this period include Frederick R. Goff (from 1945 to 1972) and William Matheson (from 1972 to 1987). At Alverthorpe, Rosenwald's print curators included Elizabeth Mongan (from 1937 to 1963) and Ruth Fine (from 1972 to 1980), both of whom later worked at the National Gallery of Art.
The Correspondence series contains letters concerning the collection between various administrators and curators, including Frederick R. Goff, Elizabeth Mongan, Kathleen T. Mang, and Rosenwald himself.
The Subject File contains
administrative and legal information about the collection,
including indentures and details about the 1980 transfer from Alverthorpe to the
Library of Congress. It also contains records of various projects undertaken by the
Library of Congress, including exhibitions of the collection, the construction
of the Rosenwald memorial room, and the publication of the 1991 book,
The Speeches and Writings File contains articles and speeches written by Rosenwald.
The Miscellany series contains press clippings and publications, miscellaneous ephemera, and speeches and writings by others. The writings by others section consists mainly of offprints and scholarly articles sent to Rosenwald, many inscribed with notes from the authors.
The Printed Ephemera series contains material produced by various printers, publishers, artists, booksellers, libraries, and bibliographic societies. Many of the items are mailings sent out by private presses such as the Gehenna Press and the Nonesuch Press. The series includes many book prospectuses, some of which are directly linked to items in the Rosenwald Collection.
The Oversize series contains material removed from other series and folders due to its size.
This collection is arranged in 6 series:
Letters received and copies of letters sent, memoranda, and miscellaneous enclosures.
Arranged alphabetically by primary correspondent's name.
Correspondence, miscellaneous enclosures, memoranda, administrative papers, bibliographies, printed matter, notes, working papers, articles, newspaper clippings, and financial and legal documents.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Photocopies of handwritten and typewritten drafts, printed copies, and miscellany relating to articles and speeches by Rosenwald.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material and therein by title.
Articles, newspaper clippings, programs, catalogs, cards, awards, certificates, honorary degrees, and speeches and writings by others.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Prospectuses, catalogs, leaflets, booklets, cards, posters, keepsakes, programs, newsletters, and newspaper clippings.
Arranged alphabetically by name of person or organization.
Arranged and described according to type of material or the series, containers, and folders from which the items were removed.