Fred Felsch collection
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The collection focuses on Felsch's appreciation for the United States National Parks and Western Americana ephemera. A majority of the collection consists of books, brochures, pamphlets, periodicals and other printed matter by and about state and national forests, historical sites, memorials, monuments, parks, recreational areas and wildlife refuges in the United States, its territories, and Canada. Artwork, photographs, ephemera and memorabilia which focus on these areas of interest are also included. Ephemeral items include decals, postage stamps, a scrapbook of postcards and a card game from Yellowstone. Memorabilia includes commemorative coins and wooden signs. Lastly, Felsch's personal notes, in the form of spiral-bound notebooks and 3 x 5 inch index card files, are also included in the collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1857-1997 and undated
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1950 - 1989
Creator
- Felsch, Fred (Collector, Person)
Access
This collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to reproduce or to publish must be submitted in writing to Special Collections.
Biography/Administrative History
Professor Fred Felsch (1932-1998) was an outdoorsman who cherished the United States National Parks. His admiration for the National Parks and Western Americana led to this collection of memorabilia. In 1960, he married Joan Felsch, a Claremont resident. The two had three children, Steven, Theresa, and Gretchen who died as a teenager. Mr. Felsch taught history at Mt. San Antonio Community College during the school year and traveled for 22 summers with his family to Yellowstone National Park where he was a seasonal park ranger.
Felsch died in November of 1998 of heart failure. He was survived by his wife, Joan, who later died in February of 1999; son, Steven; and his daughter and son-in-law, Theresa and James Roebuck. Fred Felsch and his wife Joan are buried at Oak Park Cemetery in Claremont, California.
Extent
9 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Professor Fred Felsch (1932-1998) taught history at Mt. San Antonio Community College during the school year and traveled for 22 summers with his family to Yellowstone National Park where he was a seasonal park ranger. An outdoorsman who cherished the United States National Parks, this collection focuses on Felsch's appreciation for the United States National Parks and Western Americana ephemera. A majority of the collection consists of books, brochures, pamphlets, periodicals and other printed matter by and about state and national forests, historical sites, memorials, monuments, parks, recreational areas and wildlife refuges in the United States, its territories, and Canada. Artwork, photographs, ephemera and memorabilia which focus on these areas of interest are also included such as decals, postage stamps, a scrapbook of postcards, loose postcards, a card game from Yellowstone, commemorative coins and wooden signs. Lastly, Felsch's personal notes, in the form of spiral-bound notebooks and 3 x 5 inch index card files, are also included in the collection.
Series Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 5 series and 7 subseries:
Physical location
Please consult repository.
Acquisition information
Gift from Steven Felsch and Theresa Roebuck, son and daughter of Fred Felsch, in 1999.
Accruals
No additions to the collection are anticipated.
Processing Information
The condition of this collection is very good with minimal wear and tear. The only item in decline is a postcard scrapbook which has brittle pages. The scrapbook was disbound, and each page placed in mylar sleeves in order to protect the postcards and to prevent further damage to the scrapbook pages. Any framed artwork was removed from its frame and placed in individual mylar sleeves for preservation. The frames were discarded.
The collection contains many books, brochures, pamphlets, periodicals and other printed matter. Items were reviewed in terms of their uniqueness, rarity and whether their accessibility should be enhanced by cataloging individually in The Claremont Colleges online catalog, Blais. Any items cataloged individually can be found in the online catalog by using "Felsch Collection" as a keyword search term.
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Fred Felsch Collection
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Lisa L. Crane, MLIS
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the 01 - Special Collections & Archives, The Claremont Colleges Library Repository
800 North Dartmouth Ave
Claremont CA 91711 United States
Email: specialcollections@claremont.edu