The J.B. Jackson papers contain typed and handwritten drafts and manuscripts of books, lectures, essays and articles. Extensive subject files on topics related to his writings provide insight into his influences and methods of research. Topics reflect Jackson's work and personal interest in landscape studies, human geography, vernacular architecture, settlement patterns, and public spaces, focusing on Europe and the United States. The first series contains Jackson's writings, including lectures, lecture notes, book manuscripts, essays, magazine articles, and a journal from Jackson's travels around the United States in 1957. The Correspondence series contains mostly professional correspondence from the last decade of Jackson's career. The Subject Files series includes photocopied book excerpts, magazine articles, and student and colleague essays, as well as news clippings and correspondence. Subjects include housing, roads, autombiles, land use and city planning. Illustrations clipped from books and magazines, sorted into broad subject catagories comprises the Illustrations series. The Library and Bibliography series contains copies of selected pages from books in Jackson's library and his bibliography cards. The Oversize series contains mostly illustrations and maps. In June 2003 additional material was added to the collection. The addition contains J.B. Jackson's class lecture notes from Harvard and a U.C. Berkeley, 4 partial earlier drafts, and 2 whole drafts of J.B. Jackson's manuscript, "A History of American Landscapes: The First Thousand Years" which was partially informed by his lecture notes from Harvard and U.C. Berkeley, and selected writings which includes a speech given by Jackson at U.C. Berkeley's commencement ceremony (1986), and an essay entitled, "Fences" for the National Museum of Building (1995). Personal Items and Mementos were added in January 2011. This series contains numerous personal items, trinkets and mementos kept by J.B. Jackson over his lifetime. Many were displayed on his mantel and are well-known among Jackson's friends and specifically referred to as the "mantel" items. Most attest to his love for kitsch and popular culture and some relate directly to his landscape related research, such as a set of china souvenir plates with images of trailers, mobile homes and campers. Indeed, many of the items are tourist souvenirs collected by Jackson on his trips through Europe and the United States. Other items include handmade arts and crafts, possibly received as gifts.
