Humanities Art Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of approximately 450 original art prints that were purchased for research and reference use for the study of art and humanities at San José State University. The collection represents major types of printmaking, including relief (wood cut and wood engraving), intaglio (engraving and etching), lithography and screen printing. It also includes other methods of reproduction such as stone rubbings.
Much in the way that the collection attempts to comprehensively represent various techniques used to mechanically reproduce art, it also attempts to give a representative selection of different print genres (fine art prints, botanical illustrations, and satirical cartoons) and artistic styles (abstract art, expressionism, pop art, realism, and surrealism). The majority of the prints are hand-signed and numbered.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1502-2017
- Creation: Majority of material found in 1750-1980
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to the San Jose State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of San Jose State University Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections and Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files from or derived from these collections is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Historical Note
The artworks in this collection were bought for the Humanities Reading Room (also called the Art Reading Room) for reference use in the Wahlquist Library. From November 6-17, 1978, a small selection of prints was displayed in an exhibit at Gallery One, located in the Department of Art at San Carlos and Ninth Streets. The bulk of the Japanese woodblock prints were separated for the exhibit and were subsequently processed as a stand-alone collection. When the Clark Library opened in 1982, both collections were transferred to the San José Special Collections and Archives Department, which also moved to a larger facility in the Wahlquist Library at the time.
Items acquired before the mid-1970s had been previously cataloged for their use as part of the SJSU main library collections, but the records have been lost. Many have library stamps and metadata about the art genre (etching, lithograph, etc.), national origin, title, author and date that were written on the frames, which were used in the creation of the finding aid.
Extent
1 Box (1 over-sized box (.25 linear feet))
17 flat file drawers (17 flat file drawers (51 linear feet))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection consists of approximately 450 original prints that were purchased for research and reference for the study of art and humanities at San José State University.
Arrangement
The collection is physically arranged by folder size, then alphabetically by creator. The finding aid has been organized in four series by geographical origin: I. Asia, II. Europe, III. North and South America, IV. Unknown Origin. Series are subdivided by nationality. Files are alphabetized by creator.
Separated Materials
Japanese Woodblock Prints and Brush Paintings Collection, MSS-2010-07-01
Processing Information
Collection processed by Monica Keane, January 2020
- Title
- Guide to the Humanities Art Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Monica Keane
- Date
- January 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the SJSU Special Collections & Archives Repository
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
(408) 808-2062
(408) 808-2063 (Fax)
special.collections@sjsu.edu