The John and Carolyn Grossman Collection contains more than 250,000 printed and handwritten paper artifacts--chiefly lithography and chromolithography--from the 1800s and 1900s. Many kinds of ephemera are represented, including calendars, greeting cards, trade cards, product labels, paper dolls, tickets, postcards, scrap, scrapbooks, sheet music, and a large collection of cigar box labels. These objects have colorful images that portray the customs, attitudes and ideals of Victorian and Edwardian life: innocent children, garden-fresh flowers, romantic couples, holiday traditions, fashionable women, anthropomorphic animals, and cigar-smoking gentlemen. The cigar label portion of the collection contains approximately 80,000 items, including cigar bands, cigar boxes, embossing dies, lithographic stones, progressive proof books, and proof sheets. In addition, there are more than 200 original watercolor sketches for cigar label art by commercial artists Henry Maier, John Fitz, William Momberger and Carl Mummert. As well, the collection includes puzzles, games, Christmas and Halloween decorations, children's books, design books, product boxes (many for pencils and pen nibs), marriage certificates, Reward of Merit cards, and prints. Original watercolor art, lithographic stones, embossing dies, proofs and progressive proof booklets demonstrate the chromolithography process. In addition, there are samples of ribbons, textiles, wallpaper, and stationery, as well as catalogs for machine-made lace. Photographs of Christmas trees and children with their gifts are also present. Most of the images span one hundred years, from 1820 to 1920, but a few printed paper artifacts date from the 18th century, and the collection includes cigar box labels printed as late as 1964. The Grossman Collection includes archives from the George Schlegel Lithographing Corp. (1849-c.1960). Its contents document the creative output of this New York printing firm that was owned and operated by four generations of the Schlegel family. Original label art, keyline drawings, progressive proofs, lithographic stones, cigar bands, office file and shop file labels, title certificates, title folders, title registration cards, bills of sale and letters of correspondence between Schlegel employees, clients and jobbers comprise this special group. Another special group within the Grossman Collection are materials documenting the history of the greeting card industry based in and around Worcester, Massachusetts, in the 19th century. This special collection contains greeting cards, fancy scrap, lace paper, original production art and business documents. It documents an early chapter in the development of a greeting card industry in America and indicates a working relationship between two Worcester businessmen: George C. Whitney, a Valentine manufacturer, and E. A. Timme, a printing die maker.
