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Central City Steam Printing House Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Central City Steam Printing House.
Title: Central City Steam Printing House Collection
Inclusive Dates: circa 1850
Quantity: 0.25 linear ft.
Abstract: A wide range of printed material, produced presumably as samples by the Central City Printing Company of Syracuse, New York.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Nothing could be discovered about the Central City Steam Printing House. Steam power was first applied to printing presses in Germany during the first decades of the 19th century, and the steam-powered rotary press was invented in 1843 in the United States by Richard M. Hoe. Evidently Central City found this new technology sufficiently compelling to include it in their company name.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Central City Printing Company Collection consists of a wide range of business-related printed material, presumably produced as samples by the company. The material includes everything from advertisements and billheads to tickets and trade/business cards. Many of the samples are for local or reginal businesses, such as Empire Millinery (Syracuse), Constantia Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Sage Hotel (Canastota).

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Arrangement of the Collection

Alphabetically by type of material.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

See also the Central New York Trade Catalogs and Business Ephemera for additional examples of early printed business material.

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Subject Headings

Corporate Bodies

Central City Steam Printing House.

Subjects

Advertising cards -- United States -- History -- 19th century.
Business enterprises -- Syracuse (N.Y.) -- 19th century.
Graphic design -- Specimens.
Printing -- Specimens.

Places

Syracuse (N.Y.) -- History.

Genres and Forms

Advertisements.
Announcements.
Billheads.
Business cards.
Circulars (fliers)
Dance cards.
Order forms.
Programs (documents)
Tickets.

Occupations

Publishers and printers.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Central City Steam Printing House,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchase, 2015.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 24 Sep 2015
Revision history:

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Inventory

Printed material (specimens)
Box 1 Advertisements
Box 1 Billheads - blank forms with a business letterhead, suitable for summarizing a list of items purchased
Box 1 Envelopes - includes tiny ones for church offerings
Box 1 Financial miscellany - receipts, past-due notices, etc.
Box 1 Invitations
Box 1 Labels [?] - probably for patent medicine bottles, packages, etc.
Box 1 Letterheads
Box 1 Notices
Box 1 Trade and business cards
Box 1 Miscellany - includes a small notice for the front desk of the Vanderbilt House Hotel with rules and meal prices, list of nominees for city elections, introduction cards, price lists, a printed request for donations from Syracuse Lodge of Freemasons, subscription forms, etc.

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