Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Ex Libris Records, 1973-2007, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.exlibr
Creators:
Cohen, Arthur A. (Arthur Allen), 1928-1986
Cohen, Elaine Lustig, 1927-
Ex Libris (Firm)
Dates:
1973-2007
Languages:
Collection is in English
Physical Description:
2 Linear feet
Repository:
The records of Ex Libris measure 2.0 linear feet and date from 1973-2007. Ex Libris was a New York City based antiquarian establishment that dealt in rare 20th century avant-garde books and periodicals, and was founded by Elaine Lustig Cohen and her husband Arthur A. Cohen. The records include professional files, sales records, printed material, and photographic material.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
TThe records of Ex Libris measure 2.0 linear feet and date from 1973-2007. Ex Libris was a New York City based antiquarian establishment that dealt in rare 20th century avant-garde books and periodicals, and was founded by Elaine Lustig Cohen and her husband Arthur A. Cohen. The records include professional files, sales records, printed material, and photographic material.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 4 series
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Professional Files, 1973-2007 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Sales Records, 1979-1998 (0.1 linear foot; Box 1)
  • Series 3: Printed Material, 1973-circa 1991 (0.9 linear feet; Box 2)
  • Series 4: Photographic Material, circa 1980s (0.1 linear foot; Box 2)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Ex Libris, a New York City based antiquarian establishment that dealt in rare 20th century avant-garde books, periodicals, and archives, operated from 1973-circa 2000, and was founded by Elaine Lustig Cohen (1927- ) and her husband Arthur A. Cohen (1928-1986). Elaine Lustig Cohen is a graphic designer, previously married to the graphic designer Alvin Lustig (1915-1955), who later married her long-time friend Arthur A. Cohen, a scholar, theologian, and author, in 1956.
The Cohen's began collecting avant-garde books and ephemera from antiquarian bookstores and artists in Europe. Ex Libris began when the couple amassed a surplus of material and Arthur placed an ad in the New York Times that said, "send for my list of Dada, Surrealist, Avant-Garde periodicals and ephemera." The inventory of Ex Libris grew to include other movements of modernism including Bauhaus, Futurism, Cubism, De Stijl, German Expressionism, Constructivism, and Fluxus.
Ex Libris published catalogs of their inventory, designed by Elaine, which were sent to libraries and museums all over the world. The catalogs are now collector's items. Exhibitions were organized at Ex Libris that complemented their inventory, and they often loaned material to be included in exhibitions elsewhere.

Administration

Author
Hilary Price
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The records were donated in 2015 by Elaine Lustig Cohen, co-founder of Ex Libris.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2015.

Using the Collection

Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Preferred Citation
Ex Libris records, 1973-2007. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Related Materials
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Elaine Lustig Cohen papers concerning Alvin Lustig, 1982, available on microfilm reel 2802.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Futurism (Art) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dadaism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Surrealism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bookstores -- New York (State) Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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