JAMES G. DAVIS, 1935 - 2000

UCLA Library 1959 - 1997
Rare Books Librarian, Dept of Special Collections, 1983 - 1997

University Librarian Lawrence Clark Powell hired James G. Davis at UCLA in 1959. He worked as assistant head under Norah E. Jones, first head of the College Library. He became head when Ms. Jones became head of the Technical Services Department and after that he worked as special assistant to University Librarians Page Ackerman and Russell Shank. In 1983 he was hired to succeed the retired (F.) Brooke Whiting as Curator of Rare Books and Literary Manuscripts, Dept. of Special Collections. Davis then served under heads David S. Zeidberg and Susan M. Allen. The manuscripts duties were later restructured and his title became Rare Books Librarian. Davis retired in 1997.

His interests and duties during his years at the UCLA Library included exhibits. He was unassuming in the years he did them for the then URL Lobby and for Special Collections. He seldom publicized his name as curator, but there were many memorable ones, for the research and bibliographic scholarship, for the ease and elegance of presentation, and most often for the sense of fun.

His collecting interests led him to curate in the College Library an exhibit on the artist Alphonse Mucha, described in his Mucha: An Exhibition of Books and Periodicals ... (Los Angeles: College Library, UCLA, 1972). He also collected Eric Gill and an exhibit a decade later was about Gill, described in his Printed by Hague and Gill, a Checklist... (Los Angeles: UCLA Library, 1982). A later exhibit with printed catalog was done with Andrea Immel, Fun & Games: 400 Years of Children's Books from UCLA's Special Collections (Los Angeles: Department of Special Collections, 1994).

Among other exhibits which also displayed his sense of fun were: "Wish You Were Here," (1976), an exhibit from the postcard collection (James V. Mink had done this, but back in 1959); "Bears in the Library: Bears in Print, from the Holdings of Special Collections" (1993), an exhibit of books which used the UCLA Bruin bear imagery; "The Hollywood Sign: Photographs & Dust Jackets" (1995); and an exhibit with one of his wonderful titles, "LA Ink: Half a Century of Local Printing" (1996), for which a bright California orange was used as logo for the poster. For these exhibits Marian Engelke (before she retired in 1984), Ellen Watanabe, and Stephen S. Kunishima of the Library Printing Office designed and printed memorable captions and posters, some of which are now used on the Special Collections web site.

Before Davis retired from his position in Special Collections, he did one last exhibit, at the request of then head Susan M. Allen, an exhibit of items he had acquired for the Dept. and for which he had a particular fondness. The title was "Some Favorite Things: The Rare Books Librarian Surveys Additions to Special Collections 1983 - 1997." He labeled his computer file checklist of captions, "Finale."

For American audiences Christopher Isherwood retitled one of his novels The Last of Mr. Norris. Isherwood always said there should be a faint question mark after that title, since the loveable scoundrel Norris was apt to reappear to cause more fun and excitement. There might be such a question mark after the title "Finale." Once retired, the loveable librarian did reappear, though not often enough.

Davis unfortunately had little time left to devote to the Dept., but he always kept it in mind and continued until his death to buy books to give to the Dept. He was interested particularly in maintaining the collections of pop up books and local imprints, among others.

A special endowment has been set up by his mentor and friend Norah Jones, The Norah E. Jones Fund for Fine Press Printing, UCLA Special Collections, In honour of James Davis. The endowment will give a preference to books published by the Whittington Press. A book fund was set up at his retirement and has been extended now upon his death. Contributions may be sent to The Department of Special Collections, A1713 Young Research Library, Box 951575, Los Angeles CA 90095-1575.

Davis has left to UCLA's Clark Library his books and items about Eric Gill. He has left to the Dept. his collection of books on woodcuts and prints by Gwen Raverat and books illustrated by her. She was a distant cousin of the Bloomsbury Group. It was to her husband Jacques Raverat when dying that Virginia Woolf sent a special bound (by her) copy of proofs of her novel, Mrs. Dalloway. That copy later came to Special Collections with items from Majl Ewing, UCLA professor of English and one time president of the Friends of the UCLA Library. Davis organized an exhibit of the Hogarth Press in 1982, for which he wrote the articles "The Writer as Printer: Virginia Woolf and the Hogarth Press" and "Virginia Woolf Centennial Celebration" (both UCLA Librarian 35, February 1982).

The checklist of his last exhibit is now available on this web site and serves as a fitting collecting autobiography and memorial to this librarian who added so much to the collections for the UCLA Library and for researchers everywhere.

This list has been rearranged according to collecting categories of the Dept. as outlined in the Special Collections Guide. Exhibits for the 50th anniversary are being arranged according to these collecting categories. David Zeidberg's and Davis's texts done for the most recent editions of the Guide still describe the book collections. This arrangement by category also shows how Davis kept abreast of the many collecting areas in the department, most established before his tenure, but given extended life through his knowledge and commitment to continuing additions.

During his tenure the Ahmanson-Murphy Aldine Collection was modified and an offshoot became the Ahmanson-Murphy Early Italian Printing Collection. The Michael Sadleir Collection of XIX Century Fictions was more than doubled, and the Children's Book Collection was increased remarkably. Examples of these additions are given in the checklist.

It might be time now to begin to think of what he added new to those collections, some items not described by him in this list. He was tireless in finding the item of Los Angeles interest, whether it were a postcard, an obscure cookbook, a mystery set in the city, or a panorama photographic view. He was proud of arranging for a standing order from the Brandon House Publishers, a house which moved from publishing erotica in Los Angeles in the 1960s (the Dept. already had a collection of these works) to romance novels for African Americans (there are other publishers of these, also collected). He collected juveniles and other items which add to the Arthur B. Spingarn Collection of Literary Works by American Blacks.

His notes which follow will amuse. They show the thrill of his collecting chase and they also name and give well deserved acknowledgments to the library staff who worked before him and alongside him, and to those who assisted him - the booksellers and printers and book artists he knew, and the university librarians, associate librarians, bibliographers, and donors who provided funds when necessary. He worked for many years with the Friends of the UCLA Library, who in turn have given funds for many choice items added by him and now held by the Department.

His interests are reflected best now in his own words.

- D.L.