Kelsey Company Records and Amateur Journalism Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Kelsey Press Co.
topic: label: Topic
content: Journalism
label: Topic
content: Printing -- Newspapers
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
creator: label: Creator
content: Kelsey Press Co.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Kelsey Company Records and Amateur Journalism Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Archival materials documenting the business history of the Kelsey Press Company, amateur newspapers, and publications of owners of Kelsey presses.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: One of the first, and the longest surviving company to produce amateur printing presses, started in the 1870s.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 15 Cubic feet (54 boxes
)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1873-1964
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0377
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Newspapers
label: Type
content: Publications
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection divided into seven series. 

Series 1: Testimonial Letters

Series 2: Mail Orders

Series 3: Press Orders

Series 4: Stok Orders

Series 5: Ledgers

Series 6: Amateur Journalism/Amatuer Press Journals

Series 7: National Mateur Press Association (NAPA)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed by NMAH staff.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Business records -- 1850-1900
label: Genre/Form
content: Newspapers
label: Genre/Form
content: Publications
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Mail Orders, Press Orders, Stock Orders, Testimonials

All these bundles have a uniform format    blue cover sheet, typed information.  Penciled dates on some bundles indicate that they were bundled up in this format in 1923.  Note that there are no orders from post 1923.  Consecutive numbering of the press orders also indicates that pre existing categories were probably bundled up at a later date.  The dates on the blue cover sheets are of the date the order was filled, not the date the letter was written.  All are filed by date filled.

The "Press Orders    Misc." seem to be a group of orders for presses that were not interfiled with the others.  While many of these are orders placed by "professionals," i.e., type foundries and the offices of magazines, there is not really anything else to set them apart from the regular run of press orders.  Perhaps they were kept separately because of who was ordering them?

Press Orders

Are numbered consecutively by hand, and filed by number.  Some are out of sequence.  Later they are stamped "order filled" and filed by date filled.  These are all orders for presses; they include those orders for presses and accessories.

Stock orders

These are not numbered.  They are orders for accessories only    no presses ordered on these orders.


Mail Orders

These are primarily orders for blank cards (for use as business or calling cards) and for paper stock.  But not always    there are some orders for accessories included, on the same order as that for cards.


Correspondence

William A. Kelsey to "Frank" 1905       .  These are Frank's copies, i.e., they are the originals.  Frank was evidently the Office Manager.  Kelsey on road quite a bit, mainly based in New York City    writes of "will try to get to Meriden" on such and such a day.  Also includes 1905 1906 trip to England, France, Italy & Turkey.  In Europe again in 1909.