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New York University Stern School of Business Collection of Pig Memorabilia

Call Number

MC.234

Date

circa 1900-2013, inclusive

Creator

Leonard N. Stern School of Business (Role: Donor)

Extent

30 linear feet in 30 record cartons
571 items

Language of Materials

The majority of inscriptions and labels are in English with some written in German.

Abstract

The New York University Stern School of Business Collection of Pig Memorabilia contains approximately 571 three-dimensional objects discovered by New York University facility workers in a crawl space under the auditorium of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business. The collection consists of pig figurines made of various materials ranging from glass, porcelain, and cloth, to soap and marzipan. Some objects are utilitarian, including piggy banks, salt and pepper shakers, ashtrays, gravy boats, pitchers, and jewelry boxes. The objects likely date between 1900 and 2013, and originated from all over the world.

Historical Note

The New York University Stern School of Business Collection of Pig Memorabilia was discovered by university facility workers in a crawl space under the auditorium of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business. The creator and donor of the collection are unknown. Stamps, labels, inscriptions, and crests on individual objects indicate that the assembled collection originates from all over the world, from regions of the United States, from parts of Asia, and from several countries in Europe.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into series and sub-series based upon the complexity and the material of the objects.

The arrangement of the collection is as follows:

Series I: Single Pig Figurines

Subseries I A: Plain, Ceramic Pig Figurines

Subseries I B: Ceramic Pig Figurines with Human-Like Traits

Subseries I C: Ceramic Pig Figurines with Floral Designs

Subseries I D: Glass Pig Figurines

Subseries I E: Wooden Pig Figurines

Subseries I F: Plastic and Rubber Pig Figurines

Subseries I G: Cloth Pig Figurines

Subseries I H: Metal Pig Figurines

Subseries I I: Stone Pig Figurines

Subseries I J: Marzipan, Soap, and Clay Pig Figurines

Series II: Complex Pig Figurines and Sets

Subseries II A: Plain, Ceramic Pig Sets

Subseries II B: Ceramic Pig Figurines with Humans

Subseries II C: Ceramic Pig Figurines with Human-Like Traits

Subseries II D: Glass, Stone, and Plastic Pig Sets

Subseries II E: Wooden Pig Sets

Subseries II F: Metal Pig Sets

Series III: Utilitarian Objects

Subseries III A: Ashtrays

Subseries III B: Salt and Pepper Shakers

Subseries III C: Gravy Boats, Salad Dressing Bottles, and Creamers

Subseries III D: Pitchers

Subseries III E: Beer Mugs, Shot Glasses, and Bottle Openers

Subseries III F: Plates and Cups

Subseries III G: Cookie Jars and Other Food Containers

Subseries III H: Piggy Banks

Subseries III I: Wall Hangings and Artwork

Subseries III J: Ornaments

Subseries III K: Ceramic Containers for Jewelry

Subseries III L: Mixed Objects

Scope and Contents Note

The New York University Stern School of Business Collection of Pig Memorabilia contains approximately 571 three-dimensional objects. The majority of the collection consists of pig figurines of various sizes crafted from glass, porcelain, cloth, and more unconventional materials, such as soap and marzipan. The objects in this collection vary in gender, color, size, place of origin, and sometimes patterns or markings. The collection also includes utilitarian objects, such as piggy banks, salt and pepper shakers, ashtrays, gravy boats, pitchers, jewelry boxes, as well as memorabilia adorned with decorative pig motifs. The objects likely date between 1900 and 2013 and, as indicated by various stamps, labels, inscriptions, and crests, originate from the United States, parts of Europe and Asia.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Because of the assembled nature of this collection, copyright status varies across the collection. Copyright is assumed to be held by the original creator of individual items in the collection. The New York University Archives is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from this collection.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; New York University Stern School of Business Collection of Pig Memorabilia; MC 234; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University.

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please request materials at least two business days prior to your research visit to coordinate access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Provenance unknown. The accession number associated with this transfer from the New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business is 13.019.

Custodial History

According to a May 12, 2013 New York Times article by Edna Ishayik "Little Pigs, Little Pigs, Let Us In On Your History," New York University facility workers discovered the collection in a crawl space under the auditorium of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Paul Affuso, an associate dean at the business school, stated the collection may have been a gift to the undergraduate college, given by an alumna who had collected them during her lifetime as a hobby. A December 27, 1993 Chicago Tribune article "For some College Gifts, Even the Thought May Not Count," by Frank James suggests that a male donor and his family gifted the collection.

Under Affuso's direction, the collection was moved to a supply closet in the business school's Tisch Hall. The objects were unpacked and placed on bookshelves, where they remained for a few years. Professional movers were called by the facilities team to consolidate the collection, although a few figurines were pulled from the closet to show a reporter back in April 2013. It is unclear how long the boxes remained in the closet or if they were stored in another location prior to being transferred to the University Archives.

Collection processed by

Andrea Kutsenkow and Kate Fisher

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 17:48:43 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

The collection was packed in large cardboard boxes upon arrival. The boxes lacked descriptive information and were discarded as the collection was rehoused in record cartons. During the initial survey, each object was given an item number unique to its box for inventory purposes. Materials were shifted to allow for safe handling and proper storage. Item-level description for the collection was generated after the survey, including color, material type, function, labels, and inscription information for each object.

Repository

New York University Archives
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012