The Louis A. Leslie Collection of Historical Shorthand Materials
This collection consists of approximately 5000 books and periodicals on shorthand, typing, and the history of shorthand education. Covering the period from 1682 to the 1970s; the collection contains examples of every important shorthand system ever invented, including Gregg, Graham, and Pitman, and many unsuccessful systems as well. The collection was donated in 1983 by Louis A. Leslie, the chief editor of the Gregg Publishing Co., a leading shorthand material publisher, as well as a leading authority on shorthand systems. He had spent more than 50 years collecting shorthand materials from around the world.
The Leslie Collection includes shorthand versions of the Bible, a 1743 edition of The Book of Common Prayer in Weston’s method of shorthand, and books inscribed in shorthand by such noted authors as Sir Isaac Pitman and John Robert Gregg. There are also complete files of shorthand periodicals and shorthand books in many languages. All European languages are represented. There are textbooks in Hebrew, Chinese and Japanese, as well as less common languages such as Tagalog, Thai and Erse.
The earliest book in shorthand from the Leslie Collection is a manuscript entitled Semigraphy by Samuel Palmer dated 1669. Another interesting book in the collection is Arts Advancement, or, The Most Exact, Lineal, Swift, Short, and Easy Method of Short-Hand-Writing Hitherto Extent by William Mason, published in London in 1682. The Collection’s copy was a Christmas gift to “Jack” (John Robert Gregg) from Faith Baldwin, the novelist, in 1938 to mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Gregg Shorthand in 1888.
Bibliographic records for published materials in the collection can be found by searching Rider University Library's Online Catalog
A portion of the collection has been digitized and is available through our
Shorthand Digital Library
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Username: shorthand
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Donated relevant material is occasionally added to the collection with notes placed in the material’s bibliographic record identifying it as additional material distinct from Leslie’s original donation. No new material is purchased.
If you have questions about the archives and our special collections, or wish to donate material to the Rider University Archives, please contact:
Moore Library Special Collections
Moore Library, Rider University
2083 Lawrenceville Rd.
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
- Robert Congleton
Archivist
(609) 896-5248 - Julia Telonidis
Archives Specialist
(609) 896-5000 ext. 7094
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Talbott Library has a number of Special Collections, many of which are not represented in the online catalog. Some of these collections go back to the founding of Westminster Choir College in 1926 and include books, scores, and manuscripts from the college founders, John Finley and Rhea B. Williamson. Other collections have come to the library through the generosity of individual donors and the Talbott Library Friends. The recent renovation of Talbott Library has created an improved, centralized location for the collections. The Librarian for Special Collections seeks new collections that support Westminster's mission and fit into Talbott Library's Collection Development Policy. |
