[DCRM-L] Name authorities for engravers

[Robert Maxwell]

According to 22.19B1, names in which the entry element is a surname, we are to add a qualifier that appears with the name in works by the person or in reference sources. This is unlike 22.19A1, names in which the entry element is a given name, under which the cataloger makes up the qualifier. So in this case the qualifier should be what appears with the name. Given that “sculp.” (or “sc.”) isn’t a title this is a bit tricky—“100 1- Andre, $c sculpsit” would look rather bizarre if “sculpsit” were what appeared on the piece. I guess I don’t have a solution, but according to AACR2 we’re not supposed to just make up a qualifier for surnames, but instead use what’s found on the piece. I’d go with whatever the abbreviation is if it’s abbreviated, since the abbreviation could stand for “sculptor”. I’d admittedly be stuck if the only thing were the unabbreviated word.

Bob

Robert L. Maxwell
Head, Special Collections and Metadata Catalog Dept.
6728 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801)422-5568

From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Deborah J. Leslie
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:41 PM
To: DCRM Revision Group List
Cc: afra at loc.gov
Subject: [DCRM-L] Name authorities for engravers


Dear colleagues,

I'm of two minds about a potentially useful (also, potentially stupid) descriptive phrase on headings or references for engravers, and I'd like to hear other perspectives. (I know I could shoot this question to Autocat, but would like to hear first what those say who are likelier to have dealt with this and similar issues.)

When faced with a surname only followed with "sculp." or variation on something I'm cataloging, I can sometimes spend quite a long time figuring out whether this person has already been established in NACO because I don't know his first name. My proposed remedy: make a reference on the NAR from the surname only with "sc." as a descriptive phrase, so that someone scanning a heading result list would quickly zero in on the "sc." (example: 400 Starling, ‡c sc.). You can find headings already established in NACO with "sculp." used as an addition to a surname-only heading to break a conflict (example: 100 Andre, ‡c sculp.).

The problem of course is that "sc." and its variations mean "engraved it," not "engraver."

Would it be appropriate to continue the practice of using the abbreviation of a Latin verb phrase as a descriptive phrase? Or would it be more appropriate to provide an English approximation of what "sculpsit" indicates rather than using the phrase itself (example: 100 Rivers, ‡c engraver). In any case, would it be helpful to provide cross references when a name appears on works without a forename but with "sculp."?.)

This has become a pressing topic for us since we're in the midst of a grant project to catalog and digitize images relating to Shakespeare, and we'll be submitting lots of NARS for engravers. I'd be grateful to hear your thoughts.

__________________________
Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S.
Head of Cataloging
Folger Shakespeare Library
201 East Capitol St., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
202.675-0369
djleslie at folger.edu | http://www.folger.edu
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