Ye Sette of Odd Volumes Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of ephemeral publications and correspondence created by or related to Ye Sette of Odd Volumes, dating from approximately 1878-1950. Ephemeral materials included are largely invitations and programs/menus printed for the Sette. There are also some printed keepsakes and some original drawings by John Hassall and Rupert T. Gould. Most correspondence included here is written to John Hassall from other members of the Sette, though there are also some letters written to Ralph Straus as well. Most correspondence is expressly about Sette business or intrapersonal politics.
Dates
- Creation: 1878-1950
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
The Clark Library owns the property rights to its collections but does not hold the copyright to these materials and therefore cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Researchers are responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they may wish to use, investigating the owner of the copyright, and obtaining permission for their intended publication or other use. In all cases, you must cite the Clark Library as the source with the following credit line: The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Historical Note
Ye Sette of Odd Volumes was a London-based bibliophilic club, begun in 1878 by bookseller Bernard Quaritch. The Sette's members included a wide-ranging cross-section of notable men, including literary figures, artists, scientists, politicians, businessmen and eccentrics. The original Sette petered out at the outbreak of World War II in 1939, but rebanded in 1950 with a new group of members.
Ralph Straus served as President of the Sette from 1913-1919, in addition to serving as its self-appointed archivist. A novelist and biographer, Straus collected copies of all Sette publications (both formal and ephemeral) when possible.
John Hassall, a prominent illustrator and artist, was also a longtime member of the Sette. He served as president from 1908-1909 and also collected an assortment of Sette ephemera and related correspondence.
Extent
6.0 Linear feet (6 boxes, plus bound items)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Ephemera and correspondence related to Ye Sette of Odd Volumes from the collections of Ralph Straus and John Hassall. The majority of material is printed ephemera related to Odd Volumes meetings and activities, but there is also a substantial amount of correspondence written to John Hassall, as well as a manuscript notebook of minutes from 1919-1921.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into 3 series:
- Series I. Odd Volumes Bookcase, 1878-1938;
- Series II. Additional Materials from the Ralph Straus Collection, 1883-1950;
- Series III. John Hassall's Odd Volume Collection, 1901-1939.
Provenance
This collection contains material originally part of the private collections of Odd Volume members Ralph Straus and John Hassall. Materials from the collection of Ralph Straus include the items listed here as well as a bookcase containing printed publications printed for the Sette, cataloged in the UCLA Library Catalog. These materials were all purchased in 1950 and are a part of accession number MS.1950.043. The notebook of minutes appears to also be from the collection of Ralph Straus and was purchased in 1951 (MS.1951.037).
Materials from the collection of John Hassall were purchased by the Clark Library in 1951 (MS.1951.036).
Processing History
This collection was processed and this finding aid created by Rebecca Fenning Marschall in 2013.
- Title
- Ye Sette of Odd Volumes Collection MS.1950.043
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Rebecca Fenning Marschall
- Date
- 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library Repository