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introduction | access and use

american poetry | history | printing and graphic arts | other collections

introduction:

The Broadsides Collection, in the John Hay Library, houses broadsides (single-sheet imprints), posters, bookplates, prints, postcards, and photographs. From a nucleus of 8,000 pieces in 1928, holdings have increased to over 40,000 items.

Largely ephemeral by nature, broadsides are collected by only a few major libraries and historical societies in the United States. Originally issued primarily by governmental, religious, and political bodies, broadsides were later used for advertisements, programs, notices, ballad verses, elegies, and comments on contemporary events. More recently, they have become popular as exemplars of fine printing.

Broadsides are an important resource for many disciplines, since they exemplify the popular culture of their day and contribute to a knowledge of the periods in which they were produced. They are particularly valuable as sources for the study of American history, literature, culture, music, theater, and graphic and book arts.

access and use:

There are nearly 25,000 records for broadsides in the Broadsides Collection represented in Josiah, the Brown University Online Catalog. The majority of the online records represent poetry and poetry related broadsides, and are part of the Harris Collect ion of American Poetry and Plays Others are records for fine printing, and American and Rhode Island historical broadsides.

There are catalog cards in the Broadsides section of the John Hay Library Card Catalog for the remaining broadsides not yet accessible online. Access point provided in the card catalog are: author or title, as well as some added names and subject headings. Requests for assistance in the use of and questions concerning the Broadsides Collection and its resources may be directed to its staff.

american poetry:

The Harris Collect ion Broadsides form a comprehensive collection of American poetry published in broadside format from colonial times to the present. It offers materials valuable from the standpoint of literary and social history, covering a broad spectrum of American life. Poetry of every description includes 18th and 19th century ephemeral verse describing newsworthy events, poetic effusions of sentimentality and patriotism, and contemporary limited editions, handsomely printed and illustrated. From the 20th century "Beat" and "Concrete" poetry can be found, as well as examples of the works of black poets from the Harlem Renaissance to the present. Among the poets represented in the Harris Broadsides are Amiri Baraka, Robert Creeley, Paul Laurence Dunbar, William Everson, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsburg, Langston Hughes, Robinson Jeffers, Galway Kinnell, Robert Penn Warren, and Walt Whitman. Women's poetry in sizeable numbers illustrate the work of Gwendolyn Brooks, Emily Dickinson, Joyce Carol Oates, Adrienne Rich, Lydia Sigourney, Diane Wakoski, and others.

Within the collection are three noteworthy components:

Carriers' Addresses are single-sheet poems published by newspapers and distributed by the carrier or newsboy on New Year's Day, a custom lasting from 1720 until the early 20th century. The poems, often anonymous, describe the events of the year, locally, regionally, and nationally, and request a gratuity for the faithful carrier. Illustrated with wood-engravings and decorative borders, they are unique historically and typographically. Digital images of many of the Library's carrier's addresses exist on the web site of the Center for Digital Initiatives. There is also an online exhibition of carrier's addresses, entitled Carrier's Addresses in Nineteenth Century America.

Slip Ballads, also called song sheets, were issued in profusion from 1830 through 1870. These single, often illustrated sheets, contain lyrics intended to be sung to familiar tunes. Very popular during the Civil War, the slip ballads illustrate the popular response to political, military, social, and economic events.

Rewards of Merit are small, illustrated certificates given to deserving school children in the 1800's. They are interesting for the insights they provide into educational methods and attitudes of the time.

history:

In the Lincoln Collection Broadsides are a variety of material from 1848 to the present, illustrating many phases of Abraham Lincoln's career. Political announcements, campaign literature, newspaper extras, proclamations, and ephemera of every description abound.

The Poster Collection contains over 800 items, focusing mainly on American war posters from World War I and II. Other collections include some labor posters, book-related items, and posters designed to be displayed on buses.

printing and graphic arts:

The Koopman, General, and Harris segments of Broadsides contain many items illustrative of fine printing and graphics, such as specimen leaves, invitations, and announcements issued by private presses booksellers, and book clubs, both here and abroad.

The Sonia Lustig Bookplate Collection includes over 5,500 bookplates of interest to book lovers and those studying heraldry, symbolism, and design.

Broadsides also has a large sampling of greeting cards for many occasions which present a look at various graphic styles and sentiments. The Print Collection includes fine examples of illustrations by John DePol, Edward Gorey, and others. The Postcard Collection includes a number of scenic and poetic postcards.

other collections:

The John Carter Brown Library also has a sizeable collection of 18th century broadsides complementing its specialty, European Americana.