Continued from Part 1:
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| Nat Schmulowitz, [1930s- 1940s], Book Arts & Special Collections |
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| SCOWAH bookplate, Book Arts & Special Collections |
In 1947, on April Fool’s Day, Library Commissioner, Nat
Schmulowitz donated ninety-three volumes, including an edition of the Hundred
Merry Tales, to the library. Today, the Schmulowitz Collection of Wit & Humor otherwise known as SCOWAH, is the largest public collection of wit and
humor in the world, with more than 22,000 volumes, periodicals, and
audio-visual materials.
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| John Stevens, Calligraphic Alphabet, 1984, Book Arts & Special Collections |
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| Harrison bookplate, Book Arts & Special Collections |
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| Richard Harrison, 1909-1990, Book Arts & Special Collections |
In 1963, the Harrison Collection of calligraphy was created
through the efforts of City Librarian William Holman and calligrapher and book designer Theo Jung who encouraged Richard Harrison to donate his calligraphy
collection to the library. Harrison continued to support the collection
throughout his lifetime and today the Harrison Collection is an internationally
renowned collection of contemporary calligraphy. Students and calligraphers
have recently come from as far away as Japan and Italy to study original
calligraphic pieces in the collection.
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Rare Books & Special Collections Department, Old Main Library, circa 1964,
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library |
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| Rare Books & Special Collections Department, sign, San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library |
Then, in 1964, we find Marjorie Stern, President of the
Friends of the Library, inviting the public to view the formally dedicated Rare
Books & Special Collections Department at the Old Main Library. This is from the brochure titled In Appreciation:
With the formal dedication of this department on October 1,
1964, the San Francisco Public Library enters a new era… we look forward to the
growth of a Rare Books & Special Collections Department that will truly be
a testament to the culture, education, and discrimination of San Francisco.
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| Robert and Jane Grabhorn, [n.d.] Book Arts & Special Collection |
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| Invitation to dedication of the Grabhorn collection, Ephemera collection, Book Arts & Special Collection |
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| Grabhorn bookplate, Book Arts & Special Collection |
It is not surprising that a year later in 1965, City
Librarian Holman and the Friends of the Library were able to facilitate the
purchase of the Robert Grabhorn Collection on the History of Printing and the Development of the Book, a collection that added even greater depth and
prestige to the library’s collections.
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| Images from Fox Collection exhibition, 2012-13, Book Arts & Special Collection |
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| George Marshall Fox, circa 1950, courtesy of George K. Fox |
In 1978 the George M. Fox Collection of Early Children's Books was donated to the library. It dovetailed perfectly with the Grabhorn
printing collection.
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| Rare Book Room, New Main Library, circa 1996, Book Arts & Special Collection |
And of course, the opening of the New Main Library in 1996 brought us into an entirely new phase with the continued growth and development
of the San Francisco History Center and Book Arts & Special Collections
Center. Together we provide and make available a major resource of rare and
special materials, including local history and the City Archives, for all of
our patrons across the city, throughout the library system and beyond.
Looking back at the evolution of our department makes us all
appreciate the dedicated efforts of everyone involved in its beginnings. And we
all feel lucky to be part of the department as it enters its 50th
year.
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