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004. Updike Collection on the History of Printing

 Collecting Area
Identifier: 004
Providence Public Library’s collection of books on printing was begun in 1910 with the purchase of over a thousand duplicate books from the St. Bride Library in London. The purchase was made at the suggestion of Mr. Daniel Berkeley Updike of Boston, and he contributed generously to the fund drive that enabled the Library to make the purchase. Mr. Updike, who died in 1941, was the proprietor of the Merrymount Press and the author of the classic work Printing Types: Their History, Forms, and Use, first published in 1922. He bequeathed his personal collection of books on printing to the Library, and later several other gifts and purchases strengthened the collection. Today the collection contains over 7,500 volumes, 600 letters and other manuscripts, hundreds of prints (mostly portraits of printers, typefounders, booksellers and publishers), much printed ephemera and some artifacts including three printing presses, a wooden type case, a set of punches and two sets of matrices for the Montallegro and Merrymount types which Mr. Updike commissioned for his own use. The collection is particularly strong in early type specimen books. They date from the 16th century, and about 400 of them were printed before the 20th century. The collection is also strong in Mr. Updike’s own Merrymount Press, in books designed by Bruce Rogers, and in books printed by Giambattista Bodoni. Current collecting is focused on typography of Asia, India and Eastern Europe. Learn more about the collection on the library website.

Found in 15 Collections and/or Records:

Collection of Portraits of Printers and Book Sellers

 File — 004-03-01
Identifier: 004-03-01
Scope and Contents

The collection includes portraits of over 400 printed images of printers, booksellers and other members of the book trades. The entire collection has been digitized and descriptions of each item are available on www.provlibdigital.org.

Dates: 1700 - 1899
Found in: Providence Public Library / Collection of Portraits of Printers and Book Sellers

Paul Rand design book for The Limited and the TLC Group

 Collection — Box Multi-collection Box: [Barcode: 31116022115270]
Identifier: 004-04-05
Scope and Contents

The materials are collected in a three-ringed binder and include sketches, correspondence, colored photocopies.

Dates: circa 1988
Found in: Providence Public Library / Paul Rand design book for The Limited and the TLC Group

Updike Collection on the History of Printing - Books

 Collection
Identifier: 004-01-01
Dates: 1450 - 2022
Found in: Providence Public Library / Updike Collection on the History of Printing - Books

Collection of Updike Printing Ephemera

 Collection
Identifier: 004-04-01
Scope and Contents

This collection contains printed ephemera and manuscripts relating primarily to the printing trade. The materials described here constitute only a portion of the printing ephemera in the collection. The organization and description of the materials are ongoing, and researchers are advised to consult Special Collections staff.

Dates: 1732-2017
Found in: Providence Public Library / Collection of Updike Printing Ephemera

Collection of Updike Type Specimen Ephemera

 Collection
Identifier: 004-04-06
Scope and Contents

The collection is composed primarily of 20th-century ephemeral type specimens from Europe and America. Many are notable for their colorful design and creative sample text, and some are styled in the manner of faux publications (e.g. “The Baskerville Banner,” which is presented as a newspaper broadside).

Dates: 1734-2017
Found in: Providence Public Library / Collection of Updike Type Specimen Ephemera

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