Administrative Information
Provenance
Otto Vollbehr, the donor of this collection, was a German industrialist whose family had made a fortune in the dyestuff industry; he took up book collecting when his physician recommended that he adopt a hobby following a railway accident which left him with a serious nervous condition. In addition to collecting books he acquired “ready-made” collections of 15th-18th century book illustrations and of printers’ marks, which Vollbehr gave to the Library of Congress in 1928.
Processing History
This collection was put together by Georg Völcker, who organized the collection and inserted full-page printed dividers bearing his name. The printers’ marks, (for the most part single leaves and cuttings) were hinged to stiff paper backings, which had become quite brittle and have been removed. Multiple hinges on the backs of the leaves and evidence of earlier paper backings make it clear that Völcker’s collection was in part assembled from additional ready-made collections.
Single items in the collection were used occasionally for staff presentations, but the collection was not otherwise processed until 2010.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Otto H. F. Vollbehr Collection of Printers’ and Publishers’ Marks, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.