Barry Moser Papers
Scope and Content
The holdings do not include many original watercolors, but it does contain a wide assortment of supplementary materials used in the design and production of Moser's children's books. An effort has been made to group materials by project title - most items relating to a specific book have been boxed together. Correspondence is retained with with the book title to which it relates. Some of Moser's records, including book contracts and color art transparencies, are stored in a separate box.
The collection consists of material which arrived at the Dodd Research Center in at least three different, but unidentified, accessions. All organic materials have been photocopied and removed from the collection.
Dates
- 1968-1998
Access
The collection is open and available for research.
Restrictions on Use
Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.
Biography
Barry Moser was born in Tennessee in 1940. He attended college at Auburn University, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and did graduate work at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Educated as a painter, Moser took an interest in wood engraving and his first engravings appeared in 1968. He also took an interest in book design, and had illustrated and designed over 100 books before turning to watercolors and children's literature in 1987. Moser won the American Book Award in 1983 for his engravings and design for Alice in Wonderland. Editions published under Moser's private imprint, the Pennyroyal Press, are prized by collectors.
Since 1987, Moser has illustrated and designed a wide range of children's books, totalling close to 200 books for his career. Moser has worked with a wide variety of publishers and authors, but as a book designer he takes a leading role in selecting the type and layout for his books, in addition to providing the illustrations. Moser has also written several books on his own and has also adapted a number of classic children's stories. He has even co-written a series of books with his youngest granddaughter about the family pets.
Moser now lives near Northampton, Massachusetts, and works at home. He enjoys spending time with his dogs and his grandchildren when not at work, but he continues to follow an aggressive schedule. He is currently completing the design of an edition of the Bible that will feature 400 original illustrations.
Extent
34 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Barry Moser had already established a reputation for himself as the premier American engraver of woodcuts in the 20th century before he turned to working primarily on designing and illustrating children's books. Moser has worked on over 200 books. He is the winner of an American Book Award. Barry Moser takes an active role in the design of any book that he illustrates, often contributing to type choice, layout, and cover design.
Arrangement
Collection consists of a single series arranged by project.
Acquisition Information
Materials were donated by the artist in installments.
Bibliography
- Artists Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Authors Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Book designers Subject Source: Fast
- Children's literature Subject Source: Fast
- Connecticut (state) Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Engravers Subject Source: Fast
- Galley proofs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Illustrated children's books Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Illustrators Subject Source: Fast
- Painters Subject Source: Fast
- Personal papers Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Proofs (printed matter) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- manuscripts (document genre) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Barry Moser Papers
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Archives & Special Collections staff
- Date
- 1999 June
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Archives and Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library Repository
University of Connecticut Library
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs Connecticut 06269-1205 USA US
860-486-2524
archives@uconn.edu
