PIA Donates Graphic Communication Library to Cal Poly

• The Frank Preucil Collection of 1,400 books. Preucil was considered by many to be the “father of densitometry” because he promoted the use of color reflection densitometry to control and evaluate process color printing in lithography. This extensive collection on the subject of color reproduction is thought to be one of the most complete historical libraries on the graphic arts process. The collection also includes rare books on printing and one of the few complete collections of the Penrose Annual.
• The Dr. Fred W. Billmeyer Collection of more than 200 books on color and related subjects, several complete collections of periodicals relating to color, and bound transcripts and reports. Billmeyer was a world-renowned color scientist, and his collection includes materials from the International Commission on Illumination. He also authored many books on color and polymers.
• The R.S. Fisch-Robert L. Leslie Graphic Arts Collection of books and journals on photography and photographic processes. The 200-plus books in the collection were published between 1855 and 1999 and include several very rare editions. Notable books are "Photographic Chemistry," by Thomas Frederick Hardwich, published in 1864, and "Photographic Mosaics," by Edward Livingston Wilson and Mathew Carey Lea, published in 1866. Fisch worked for 35 years as a corporate scientist in the Printing and Publishing Systems Division of 3M Co. and holds 37 U.S. patents on color photography, photo resist imaging, non-silver imaging, color proofing, silver recovery, and substrate addendum.
• The Lee Augustine Collection with more than 500 rare volumes on the history of printing, including "The Printers Manual," dated 1817, believed to be the first printing manual published in the United States.
• The William Stevens Collection, named after a former GATF research committee chairman, contains more than 50 graphic arts books, clippings and advertisements dating from the early 1900s.
• The Printing Industries of America Collection of early PIA books, reports and early board meeting minutes.
• The Al Materazzi Collection includes early Research Department reports from the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and its predecessor, the Lithographic Technical Foundation. Materazzi was deeply involved in environmental issues and compliance work and was involved in preparing data and documentation related to lithographic platemaking.
• The Seybold Collection of all published Seybold Reports, including reports and books.

“The agreement to transfer the monumental Edward H. Wadewitz Library to Cal Poly concludes months of negotiations,” Levenson said. “The Wadewitz Library will be a major resource for students, professors and members of industry from North America and around the world who visit Cal Poly.” Physical transfer of the E.H. Wadewitz collection will commence once financial commitments are confirmed.

Cal Poly’s University Librarian Anna Gold notes that the Wadewitz collection will bring new depth and breadth to existing library strengths in the technology and history of the printing industry. “In this digital age, there’s renewed interest in print processes,” Gold noted. “We are delighted to imagine Cal Poly as the future home of a collection that means so much to industry leaders.”

Dee Gentile, Printing Industries of America managing editor and information officer, played a key role in transferring the library holdings. She discovered the Wadewitz Library on her first visit to the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation in 1974.

“I have spent many days in the library conducting research and learning about the print and graphic communication industry,” Gentile relayed. “There is still much to be learned from these historical holdings. Cal Poly will be a great place for students and others to delve into the depth of the holdings and rich history of the industry.”