Vida and Michael Beaven 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:

Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Vida and Michael Beaven brass rubbings collection, C0284, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Summary

Extent:
4 Linear Feet 8 rubbings, 4 tube boxes inside 1 large box
Creator:
Beaven, Vida and Beaven, Michael A.
Abstract:
A collection of eight rubbings depicting four individual monumental brasses from churches in Cambridgeshire, England.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Vida and Michael Beaven brass rubbings collection, C0284, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of eight rubbings depicting four individual monumental brasses from churches in Cambridgeshire, England. All rubbings are black on white and use similar paper, but range in size and the amount of the monumental brass reproduced. Dates in the inventory refer to the inferred estimate for when the rubbings were created; information on the monumental brass subjects and original creation dates can be found in the Scope and Contents note for each boxed rubbing.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. Michael A. Beaven was born in London, England, on December 4, 1936, and earned his Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) and Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of London. An expert in mast cell biology, Dr. Beaven began working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Visiting Fellow in 1962 in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), but rose quickly to become a tenured scientist and Deputy Chief of the NHLBI's Laboratory of Molecular Immunology. After 47 years with the NHLBI, Dr. Beaven formally retired in 2010, but assumed the role of NIH Scientist Emeritus and continued to work with the organization for another 7 years. He married his wife Vida circa 1964 and the couple would remain married for the next 53 years until he passed away on April 8, 2017 at the age of 80.

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 gently rubbing over this with a waxy crayon (typically heelball/cobbler's wax) to reproduce the image onto the paper.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Vida and Michael Beaven in 2015.
Processing information:

EAD markup completed by Jordan Patty in April 2016.

Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner from November 2025 - January 2026. Rehousing and preservation services provided by Amy Sullivan. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2026.

Arrangement:

Items are arranged by subject of the rubbing.

Physical location:
OS R 3, C 5, S 1 - OS R 4, C 1, S 1
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard