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Edward G. Levy collection relating to temperance

 Collection
Call Number: GEN MSS 956

Scope and Contents

Papers and other materials collected by Edward G. Levy, relating to temperance and prohibition, most nineteenth-early twentieth centuries, most from the United States, with a small amount of material about temperance in Great Britain. Materials include documents and fragments, signed, by temperance advocates Marie Caroline Brehm, John B. Gough, Theobald Mathew, and John G. Woolley; a circular letter of the American Temperance Society, 1832; printed license and tax documents issued by the United States government, 1794-1929; clippings, including a scrapbook relating to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in Connecticut, 1887-1888; postcards issued by the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, undated; trade cards and other advertising materials of manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, circa 1865-1885 and undated; buttons, medals, and paper fans advertisting temperance organizations and beverage manufacturers, 1895-1930s and undated; and beverage bottles, bottle labels, and a brass whiskey tap, undated.

Dates

  • 1794-1970s
  • Majority of material found within 1880 - 1970

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Box 6 (glass beverage bottles): Restricted fragile material. For further information consult the appropriate curator.

Conditions Governing Use

The Edward G. Levy Collection Relating to Temperance 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

Gift of Edward G. Levy, 1976.

Arrangement

Organized in to three series: I. Documents, 1794-1930s. II. Printed Material, 1850s-1970s. III. Objects, 1895-1930s.

Extent

1.13 Linear Feet ((4 boxes) + 2 art objects)

Language of Materials

English

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.levytemperance

Additional Description

Overview

Papers and other materials collected by Edward G. Levy, relating to temperance and prohibition, most 19th-early 20th centuries, most from the United States, with a small amount of material about temperance in Great Britain. Materials include documents and fragments, signed, by temperance advocates Marie Caroline Brehm, John B. Gough, Theobald Mathew, and John G. Woolley; a circular letter of the American Temperance Society, 1832; printed license and tax documents issued by the United States government, 1794-1929; clippings, including a scrapbook relating to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in Connecticut, 1887-1888; postcards issued by the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, undated; trade cards and other advertising materials of manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, circa 1865-1885 and undated; buttons, medals, and paper fans advertisting temperance organizations and beverage manufacturers, 1895-1930s and undated; and beverage bottles, bottle labels, and a brass whiskey tap, undated.

Edward G. Levy (1898-1990)

Edward G. Levy received his LL.B from Boston University in 1921 and joined his brother's New Haven law practice. In 1939 he was sentenced to a year in jail for his participation in a kickback scheme led by the mayor of Waterbury. In later years he and his wife, Hortense R. Levy, collected autographs and dime novels and made substantial donations of these materials to several libraries. Edward G. Levy died in 1990.

Processing Information

This collection consists of materials formerly classed as Uncat MS Vault 839. In 2013, the collection received a baseline level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization. Most folder titles were based on information provided by the donor, while some were assigned by Library staff. Folder titles were not verified against contents.

Subjects

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Edward G. Levy Collection Relating to Temperance
Author
by Karen Spicher
Date
2013 June
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository

http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/
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.

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