Houghton Library collection of medals and seals
Scope and Contents
Over 1000 medals, seals, and coins, with a small amount of correspondence, and a clock, dating from the 13th to the 20th centuries from many countries and in many languages.
Dates
- Creation: 1212-1949 and undated
Creator
- Houghton Library (Collector, Organization)
Language of Materials
Text on medals is in Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Gaelic, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Prussian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, and Turkish. Some material in Arabic or Cyrillic script.
Conditions Governing Access
Access requires permission of curator.
Extent
6.25 linear feet (6 boxes)Biographical / Historical
Part of the "Widener Find", items found in the vault within the Widener Memorial Rooms in summer 2000 and transferred to the Houghton Library for evaluation. This collection was number 17 on an old list. Medals and seals were apparently presented to Harvard University and/or the Harvard Library over many years.
Arrangement
Unprocessed. For internal file for summary of box contents and spreadsheet on groups drive, consult Houghton staff.
Physical Location
B
Other Finding Aids
For internal file summary of box contents and spreadsheets on groups drive, consult Houghton staff.
Ownership and Custodial History
Transfer from Widener Memorial Rooms, Harvard College Library, 2000.
Related Archival Materials
Harvard-related medals were transferred to the Harvard University Archives.
Processing Information
Minimal description derived from existing records and converted to online finding aid, Melanie Wisner, 2020.
Subject
- Widener Library, Harvard University (Organization)
Creator
- Houghton Library (Collector, Organization)
- Title
- Houghton Library collection of medals and seals, 1212-1949 and undated (2000M-77): Guide
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard University.
- Date
- 2018 November 16
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou04566
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.
Harvard Yard
Harvard University
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2440
Houghton_Library@harvard.edu