William A. Speck collection of Goetheana : general ephemera
Scope and Contents
If the collection has significance, it is to demonstrate how Goethe and his works entered into the popular culture in the late nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth. From costume jewelry to lithopanes to cigar boxes and candy wrappers, Goethe must have been present to the popular imagination, as reflected in the products and advertising of the period. Certain themes predominate in the collection: Faust in his study, Gretchen at her spinning wheel, Faust and Mephisto in conversation, Faust and Gretchen walking in the garden, Goethe and Schiller together—these iconic motifs recur again and again, on matchboxes, in wall hangings, on postcards, in jokes.
Dates
- 1766-1999
Creator
- Speck, William A. (William Alfred), 1864-1928 (Collector)
Language of Materials
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Arrangement
Extent
3.13 Linear Feet ((14 boxes) + 21 broadside folders)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
William A. Speck (1864-1928)
Custodial History
Processing Information
- Authors, German
- Figurines
- German literature -- 18th century
- German literature -- 19th century
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 (Faust, Illustrations)
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 (Characters)
- Goethe-Haus (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
- Notgelden
- Photographs
- Plaques (flat objects)
- Postcards
- Posters
- Printed ephemera
- Quill pens
- Schiller, Friedrich, 1759-1805
- Seals (artifacts)
- Souvenirs
- Speck, William A. (William Alfred), 1864-1928
- Textor, Johann Jost, 1739-1792
- Trade cards
- Weimar (Germany) -- Intellectual life
Creator
- Speck, William A. (William Alfred), 1864-1928 (Collector)
- Title
- Guide to the William A. Speck Collection of Goetheana: General Ephemera
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Christa Sammons
- Date
- 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.