[DCRM-L] [EXTERNAL] printers' widows

[James,Kate]

Hi Francis,

One difference is that the names like “Cowie, Harrison Lee, Mrs.” fall under 9.2.2.9, but the printer’s widows form like “Vidua Christophori Ruremundensis” are considered phrase names (9.2.2.24). The choosing and recording instructions for personal names in RDA  were always kind of a mess. RDA 9.2.2.3 Choosing Preferred Name for Person says, “When a person is known by more than one name, see additional instructions on choosing a preferred name at 9.2.2.6[cid:image001.png at 01DB1A37.BCA70EF0]<https://original.rdatoolkit.org/document.php?id=rdachp9&target=rda9-1771#rda9-1771>–9.2.2.8[cid:image001.png at 01DB1A37.BCA70EF0]<https://original.rdatoolkit.org/document.php?id=rdachp9&target=rda9-1870#rda9-1870>.”
9.2.2.6 suggests that we would record the phrase as the preferred name since it appears most frequently in manifestations associated with that person, but that’s not necessarily what we do as you pointed out.

So, I think it comes from AACR2/LCRI when we had different rules for people that were authors, composers, etc. and other people. I also think it comes from a strong but often unexpressed preference for using a “real” name over a phrase, especially for pre-20th century people, and especially for women. That printer’s widow LC-PCC PS came from the LCRIs, and I’m certain that it was in the LCRIs because of request from RBMS. That would have been before my time, but I would say it’s a good guess on my part.

Kate

From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> On Behalf Of Lapka, Francis via DCRM-L
Sent: Tuesday, October 8, 2024 10:51 AM
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Cc: Lapka, Francis <francis.lapka at yale.edu>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [DCRM-L] printerss' widows

Dear list colleagues,

I’ve recently reacquainted myself with guidance on authorized access points for printers’ widows, in LC-PCC PS 9.19.1.1: http://original.rdatoolkit.org/lcpschp9_lcps9-196.html. The same guidance (and some confusion therein) was the topic of a discussion on this list in 2013: https://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/2013-September/thread.html#3234.

If a printer’s widow is identified in manifestations as “widow of” but her personal name is known, her personal name is used as the preferred name, as in these examples:


  *   Verseyl, Elizabeth, -1726: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2012043138
  *   Orwin, Joan, active 1593-1597: https://lccn.loc.gov/nr98019565
  *   Cussac, Anne-Élisabeth, active 1816-1825?: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2013116120

If I’ve understood application correctly – and perhaps I haven’t – this outcome is different than other cases where a woman is identified in manifestations in the form by (or about) Mrs. Husband’s Name, and the name as it appears in manifestation(s) is used as the preferred name, as in these examples:


  *   Cowie, Harrison Lee, Mrs., 1860-1950: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2015128982
  *   Cupples, George, Mrs., 1839-1898: https://lccn.loc.gov/n90672060
  *   Ames, Ernest, Mrs., 1853-1929: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2015054850

Is this an inconsistency? That is, why isn’t something like “Orwin, Widdow, active 1593-1597” the preferred name? If it is inconsistent, what is the principle behind it? As often the case, I may be missing an obvious explanation.

I appreciate your thoughts.

Francis


Francis Lapka
Senior Catalog Librarian
Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts
Yale Center for British Art
203-432-9672  ·  britishart.yale.edu<http://britishart.yale.edu/>


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20241009/01e636ed/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 743 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20241009/01e636ed/attachment-0001.png>