Series I comprises draft entries for a bibliography of festival books, assembled in
notebooks dedicated to France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and other countries. In
these notebooks, Roth compares copies of festival books held in institutional and
private collections, and by book dealers. Bibliographic differences are noted, such as
paginations, illustrations, dedications, editions and printings. The sections on Germany
and Italy also include catalog entries for festival books in the Spencer Collection at
the NYPL.
Festival books in other countries are also surveyed, although in less depth: Austria
(1723-1880), Belgium (1853-1856), Canada (1810), Denmark (1588-1749), England
(1493-1937), Mexico (1760-1849), Norway (undated), Peru (1619), Poland (1669), Portugal
(1582-1862), Russia (1742-1899), Spain (1513-1917), Sweden (1663-1845), and United
States (1825-1913).
Arrangement
The series is arranged alphabetically by country and then in chronological order within
each country. As per Roth's arrangement, festivals in Brussels and Antwerp held prior to
the creation of Belgium (1830) are filed under the Netherlands, whereas festivals held
in these cities after 1830 are filed under Belgium. Several countries, such as Denmark,
Sweden, and Norway, were grouped together by Roth, and these groupings are filed
according to their original order in the archive. Correspondence in these notebooks has
been left in situ. For further correspondence, see Series III.
