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Leo Hart Printing Co., Inc. papers addition

 Collection
Identifier: D.230

Biographical / Historical note

Horace Hart was a member of the Harvard Club, the Grolier Club, the Goudy Society, the Typophiles, the Friends of the University of Rochester Libraries, and several other organizations. From 1983 to 1990, he served on the planning boards of Candice Township and Ontario County. Mr. Hart published several works on bibliography and printing, including A Bibliography of the History of Printing in the Library of Congress.

After Horace Hart left the Leo Hart Printing Company in 1955, it merged with the John P. Smith Company to become the Smith Hart Printing Company. In 1957 the firm was purchased by General Packaging Corporation, which sold the business in 1962 to Progress Manufacturing Corporation of Philadelphia. In 1963 Robert Hart, son of Leo Hart, purchased most of the equipment from Progress Manufacturing and founded Robert Hart Printing Company. Robert Hart died in 1972 and in 1975 the company declared bankruptcy.

Scope and Contents

The documents in this collection are an addition to the Leo Hart Printing Company Papers (BB.H32). They mostly relate to Leo Hart's eldest son, Horace Hart (1910-1991), who was president of his father's company from 1935 to 1955. He moved to Washington, DC, in 1956 to become director of the Printing and Publishing Division of the Department of Commerce. In 1963, Mr. Hart relocated to New York City, where he took up the position of president of Lanston Monotype Co. and a subsidiary, Monotype Co. of Canada Ltd. After 1966, he worked as a consultant in the graphic arts field.

The Leo Hart Printing Co., Inc., Papers Addition includes professional and personal correspondence of Horace Hart as well as a wide assortment of material related to the company. These two collections of the Leo Hart Printing Company form an excellent source of information about the printing business and provide a significant window into Rochester's twentieth century commercial history.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1917-1990

Language of Materials

English

Extent

14 box(es) (14 boxes and 1 enclosure)

Access

The Leo Hart Printing Co., Inc. Papers Addition is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Joan Stein Hart, June 1991 and subsequent donations.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Leo Hart Printing Co., Inc. Papers Addition, D.230, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Title
Leo Hart Printing Co., Inc. papers addition
Status
Under Revision
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Date
undated
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA