Personal and Professional Papers, 1921-1986

Personal and Professional Papers consists of material that documents many of the wide range of printing activities to which the Liebermans devoted themselves. Subseries I.1. contains the files of the Liebermans' private press imprints, The Herity Press and the Ioxis Division of Herity Press, including businesses correspondence, promotional files, photographs, type specimens, and of course many of the press's publications, such as editions of The Check-Log of Private Press Names.

Subseries I.2 consists of only three folders of material related Lieberman's commercial press, Myriade Press. The two projects represented are galley proofs and book covers for Lieberman's book, Type and Typefaces, and copies of press parts lists that Myriade Press printed for the press equipment company, Chandler & Price.

Subseries I.3 and I.4 consist of a small sample of ephemera printed by Lieberman's children, Lina and Jethro Lieberman.

The files in subseries I.5 document the development and advocacy of "Simple Printing" a concept developed by Lieberman to serve as a teaching technique for children and adults in the United States and developing countries. Some of the project objectives included supporting literacy programs, improving of local communication media, encouraging local printing industries, and providing tools for supporting agency programs. The files include summaries of his ideas, articles and papers he wrote as an advocate of the idea, research material supporting the concept, as well as drafts of sections for a book on "simple printing." Subsequently much of the material outlined for this book was used in Lieberman's Printing as a Hobby.

Subseries I.6 consists of the files of Popular Printing, Inc. (PoP), a company founded by Ben Lieberman with the assistance of investors in 1959. PoP was organized to provide a means for popular, simple and inexpensive printing; to design, manufacture and distribute equipment for that purpose; to constitute a source for supplies to be used with that equipment; and ultimately, to enfranchise the quality and leadership position in printing equipment and supplies for education, recreation, occupational therapy and smaller business use.

The files includes correspondence, samples of printed instructions and announcements distributed by the company, and commercial literature from Chandler & Price, who manufactured the Pilot Press, a small platen press marketed by Lieberman. Information about the Liberty Press, a simple homemade wooden hand printing press developed by Lieberman for PoP is also available.

Subseries I.7 consists of material related to written work by Ben Lieberman. Lieberman authored several books and full-length client reports, including The Communication Approach to Technical Assistance, The Navy Editors' Manual, Types and Typefaces, and Printing as a Hobby. He also contributed to Dictionary of Political Science, professional articles on education, political science, communication, graphic arts, and public relations, as well as newspaper reporting. The subseries includes preliminary files and production material related to his book, Printing as a Hobby and drafts or printed articles he wrote.

Most of the files in subseries I.8 Exhibitions relate to Lieberman's organization of the "Chappels and Personal Printing: a Modern Folk Art, USA" in 1963. Subseries I.9 consists of two folders of material related to courses taught at East Contra Costa Junior College in 1955 and a graphic arts course for General Foods Corporation in 1958. Subseries I.10 includes prospectuses, catalogs, and book lists sent by book clubs, publishers, and antiquarian book dealers for Lieberman's consideration.

The final subseries organizes miscellaneous personal material, such as articles and notes written about Lieberman, clippings and travel brochures, photographs (including two of Richard Nixon), and a collection of artwork acquired by Lieberman. The artwork includes an original charcoal drawing of Ben Lieberman, as well as signed prints by William

Contains correspondence, hotographs, negatives, contact sheets, galley and page proofs, paper samples, keepsakes, bills and receipts, mock-ups, type specimen sheets, calendars, books, invitations, menus, book covers, stationery, articles, notes, clippings, photocopies, prospectuses, lists, tear sheets, forms, lithographs, etchings, charcoal drawing, and watercolors