Bernard Brenner brass rubbings collection

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

No known copyright. The Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries believes that this collection is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. (See https://rightsstatements.org/page/NKC/1.0/?language=en)

Preferred citation:

Bernard Brenner brass rubbings collection, C0044, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University.

Summary

Extent:
22 Linear Feet 166 rubbings, 3 boxes
Creator:
Brenner, Bernard
Abstract:
This collection consists of 166 rubbings of monumental brasses made by Bernie Brenner from 1974 through the 1980s in England. The collection also contains pamphlets and booklets from the parish churches that Brenner visited - and that the brasses originate from - as well as bulletins from the Monumental Brass Society.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Bernard Brenner brass rubbings collection, C0044, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of 166 rubbings of monumental brasses made by Bernard "Bernie" Brenner from 1974 through the 1980s in England. The rubbings range in type of paper, rubbing medium, color, and size. The rubbings generally feature deceased figures such as men, women, and couples. Animals and heraldic imagery are also present. The collection also contains pamphlets and booklets from the parish churches that Brenner visited – and that the brasses originate from – as well as bulletins from the Monumental Brass Society.

Biographical / historical:

Monumental brasses - sometimes known simply as "brasses" - are a type of sepulchral memorial that was popularized in 13th century Europe, particularly in England and the rest of the British Isles. Consisting of slabs of engraved brass, these memorials typically feature idealized, youthful figures of the deceased, alongside animals and heraldic imagery. In England, they are often found in the oldest local church of the area, called the parish church.

Brass rubbing is a technique used to reproduce the engraving on a monumental brass. Rubbings are made by carefully pressing paper onto the surface of the brass and and gently rubbing over this with a waxy crayon (typically heelball/cobbler's wax) to reproduce the image onto the paper.

Bernard "Bernie" Brenner was a resident of Northern Virginia and former agricultural journalist for United Press International. Devoted Anglophiles, Brenner and his first wife Madeline Hosmer Brenner would often travel to the United Kingdom to visit monumental brasses and create rubbings for their collection. In 1981 the Brenners published a pamphlet on the Robert de Bures brass, considered one of the finer monumental brasses. Brenner passed away in 2009.

Acquisition information:
Collection donated by Bernard Brenner from 1996 - 1998.
Processing information:

Processed by Special Collections Research Center staff. EAD markup completed by Eron Ackerman and Jordan Patty in April 2009.

Reprocessed by Amanda Menjivar from Spring 2019 - March 2023. Rehousing and preservation services provided by Amy Sullivan. Inventory assistance provided by Lana Mason and Meghan Glasbrenner. Finding aid completed by Amanda Menjivar in April 2023.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in two series according to format.

Series
  1. Series 1: Brass Rubbings
  2. Series 2: Booklets and Pamphlets
Physical location:
Top of MC 31 and 34 MC 30.2 - 30.4 OS R 6, C 3, S 5 OS R 6, C 3, S 6
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard