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Alfred E. Heller collection of world's fair material

 Collection
Call Number: GEN MSS 734

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of photographs, picture postcards, printed ephemera and other printed material collected by Alfred E. Heller documenting international fairs and exhibitions held around the world between 1851 and 2005. Photographs, picture postcards, and printed ephemera depict the locations and attractions of individual fairs and exhibitions, particularly those held in Europe and America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Highlights include: photographs of the Paris Universal Exposition of 1878 taken by Hippolyte Auguste Collard and photographs of the Exposition universelle de 1889 (Paris, France) taken by the Neurdein Brothers. Files of printed material relating to late-twentieth-century fairs and exhibitions document aspects of the planning, promotion and publicity associated with each. Extensive documentation can be found for the Lousiana World Exposition (1984: New Orleans, Louisiana), Expo 86 (1986: Vancouver, British Columbia), Expo '88 (1988: Brisbane, Queensland), Exposición Universal de 1992 (1992: Seville, Spain), Expo '98 (1998: Lisbon, Portugal), and Expo 2000 (2000: Hannover, Germany), among others.

Dates

  • 1851-2005

Creator

Language of Materials

In English and other languages.

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Box 47 (digital media): Restricted fragile material. Access copies of digital files may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.

Conditions Governing Use

The Alfred E. Heller Collection of World's Fair Material is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from William Reese Company on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, 2005-2006.

Arrangement

Organized into three series: I. Photographs and Other Material, 1873-1933, 1981. II. Picture Postcards, 1851-2000. III. Printed Material, 1851-2005.

Associated Materials

For related material collected by Alfred E. Heller that is part of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, search the Uncataloged Acquisitions Database by entering "Ex libris Alfred Heller" in the Notes field and limiting the search to "archives and manuscripts" and "photographs."

Extent

45 Linear Feet ((48 boxes) + 1 broadside folder)

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.worldsfair

Abstract

The collection consists of photographs, picture postcards, printed ephemera and other printed material collected by Alfred E. Heller documenting international fairs and exhibitions held around the world between 1851 and 2005. Photographs, picture postcards, and printed ephemera depict the locations and attractions of individual fairs and exhibitions, particularly those held in Europe and America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Highlights include: photographs of the Paris Universal Exposition of 1878 taken by Hippolyte Auguste Collard and photographs of the Exposition universelle de 1889 (Paris, France) taken by the Neurdein Brothers. Files of printed material relating to late-twentieth century fairs and exhibitions document aspects of the planning, promotion and publicity associated with each. Extensive documentation can be found for the Louisiana World Exposition (1984: New Orleans, Louisiana), Expo 86 (1986: Vancouver, British Columbia), Expo '88 (1988: Brisbane, Queensland), Exposición Universal de 1992 (1992: Seville, Spain), Expo '98 (1998: Lisbon, Portugal), and Expo 2000 (2000: Hannover, Germany), among others.

Alfred Heller

Alfred Edward Heller (born 1929) is a collector, investor, and writer. He is the author of "World's Fairs and the End of Progress" (1999) and was the publisher and editor of the quarterly magazine World's Fair from 1981 to 1995.

Processing Information

Collection are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.

This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization. Information included in the Description of Papers note and Collection Contents section is drawn from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. The formal titles of individual fairs and exhibitions are based on those established by the Library of Congress.

This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.

Title
Guide to the Alfred E. Heller Collection of World's Fair Material
Author
by Leigh Golden and Jennifer Meehan
Date
2010
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

Contact:
P. O. Box 208330
New Haven CT 06520-8330 US
(203) 432-2977

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.