Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Paper Products

Summary
Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company, Later known as A.P.W. Paper Company, Albany, New York
Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company, Later known as A.P.W. Paper Company, Albany, New York
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Paper
Creators:
Warshaw, Isadore, 1900-1969
Dates:
circa 1797-1965
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
5.19 Cubic feet
Repository:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Paper Products forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
This collection consists primarily of receipts, invoices, samples, sample books, publications, and advertisements relating to paper products and the paper industry. There are industry-related materials, several catalogs, and publications detailing the history or elements of papermaking. The material also includes patents, import/export documents, information regarding papermaking machinery and supplies, and industry-related correspondence.
Manufacturers of Paper and Paper Products contains bills, receipts, business cards, printed advertisements and invoices from manufacturers of paper and paper products, including blank books, stationery, envelopes, and cards. The businesses range in size from paper mills to smaller warehouses and stores. Such businesses were located in the Northeastern United States, primarily New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, with several from other areas in the U.S., and a few from England, France, Germany, and Canada. These materials indicate that these businesses were often family owned and operated. The materials also reflect the changing ownerships/partnerships in many of the businesses. Materials in this series are arranged in alphabetical order by business name.
Distributors of Paper and Paper Products is comprised of receipts and invoices from distributors of paper and paper products, including blank books, stationery, envelopes, and cards. These materials are concerned with businesses that imported and exported paper goods and those that sold them. The materials are from the Northeastern United States (primarily New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania) with several from other areas in the U.S., and a few from England, France, Germany, and Canada. The businesses are generally family-owned and operated, and there is often evidence of the transferal of ownership within these companies. The material in this series is arranged in alphabetical order by business name.
Publications consists of publications created by the paper industry itself, whether to inform its employees or the general public about various aspects of papermaking.
Papermaking Supplies and Machinery contains information regarding the makers and suppliers of papermaking machinery and other supplies such as twine, board, rags, and wood pulp that are needed in the manufacturing of paper and paper products and for use in the sale of paper. There are advertisements for various types of machinery ranging from factory machines to office paper cutters, and receipts and invoices from suppliers of these items.
Paper Samples includes samples of several types of paper, including tissue paper, mapmaking paper, book leaf paper, greeting cards, and appointment diaries. These materials are arranged by type.
Related Materials includes information related to the paper industry, but not necessarily related to any particular manufacturer or distributor. There is industry-related correspondence, as well as patents for paper products, and import/export documents. These materials are arranged by sub-series.
Additional materials contain trade literature and publications, a significant volume of sample books, a folder with several watermark examples.
Administration
Author
Vanessa Broussard-Simmons and Nicole Blechynden
Sponsor
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Paper Products is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Processing Information
In 2016, with funding provided by the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund, the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History implemented the use of minimal level processing standards to increase information about and facilitate access to more of our collections. A large portion of stored material from the original acquisition received minimal level processing, which resulted in additions to this Subject category. This effort included basic arrangement and replacement of non-archival housing for long-term stability, but staples and other fasteners have not all been removed. Revisions to the encoded finding aid were made to reflect the added content in context to the previously processed material.
Minimal level processing and enhancement of the machine-readable finding aid completed by Nicole Blechynden, September 2017.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access note
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Preferred Citation note
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Paper Products, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing Use note
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Materials in the Archives Center
Materials in the Archives Center
Archives Center Collection of Business Americana (AC0404)
Forms Part Of
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Business ephemera Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ephemera Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Repository Contact
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu