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Amateur Newspapers collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: CSC-0001

Scope and Contents

The Amateur Newspapers collection is a representative collection of this type of publication with strengths for the period from the mid-1870s to the mid-1880s. The collection contains slightly over 1,300 issues representing over 500 titles. For many of the titles there is only an issue or two, but for a few there are as many as ten or more issues. Thirty five states and two Canadian provinces, Nova Scotia and Ontario, are represented in the collection. A few amateur booklets and a small amount of paper ephemera came with the collection. This material has been foldered at the end of the collection (in box 5).

A database for the collection was created in 2004-2005 and a spreadsheet of this database is available in two forms: alphabetical by title, and geographical by location. For each issue, title, place of publication, volume and issue number, date, editor or publisher, height rounded up to the nearest centimeter, and a code representing its provenance is given.

Note: See "Additional Finding Aids" for the spreadsheet list of newspapers and issues.

Dates

  • Creation: 1868-1886

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Historical Information on Amateur Newspapers

Amateur newspapers are those published by non-professionals, often young people, with interests in printing, publishing and/or journalism. Though they continue to appear to this day, the great period of their prominence was the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Extent

2.09 Linear Feet (5 manuscript boxes)

Language

English

Overview

Collection of 1,300 issues representing over 500 titles of amateur newspapers published in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by title.

Physical Location

Cary stacks, Row 16

Other Finding Aids

In addition to this finding aid, an inventory is available below. For more information, please contact the Cary Graphic Arts Collection.

Amateur newspaper collection

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The amateur newspaper collection was accessioned in four separate acquisitions. This is reflected in the collection database: each title's issue is represented by a code letter signifying its provenance. The collection formed by R. W. Burnett of Cuba, NY, who published an amateur newspaper in the late 1870s (B) was acquired by Cary before 1979. In the early 1990s, two other collections were acquired, one from the Abacus Bookshop in Rochester (A) and the other from Debra Williams of Rochester (W). Lastly, a few titles were transferred from the departmental vertical file (V) and added to the collection.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Karl Kabelac, date undetermined. Revised by Amelia Hugill-Fontanel in June 2005 and September 2010.

Finding aid encoded by Amy Vilz, February 2012.

Revisions and additions to multilevel description made by Ella von Holtum in April 2020.

Title
Amateur Newspapers collection
Status
Ready To Publish
Subtitle
Cary Graphic Arts Collection
Author
Amy Vilz
Date
20 February 2012
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection Repository

Contact:
Rochester NY 14623 US
(585) 475-2408