Fashion drawings and the photographic work of Ming-Ju Sun while as an employee of Garfinckel's Department Store and as an independent artist.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of the fashion drawings and photographic work of Ming-Ju Sun as an employee of Garfinckel's Department Store and as an independent artist. The collection includes examples of her original artwork, newspaper advertisement tear sheets, and photographic slides of her work, fashion illustration coloring books, fashion catalogs, and other items that provide information about fashion advertising. The bulk of these materials depict women's fashions and range in date from 1972 to 1983. This collection would be of interest to those researching advertising art in the 20th century, fashion and costume design, and fashion history.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in two series.
Series 1: Fashion Drawings, circa 1972-2002, undated
Series 2: Fashion Catalogs, circa 1972-1989
Related Materials:
Other collections in the Archives Center that relate to women's fashion include: Carolyn and Donald Grepke Paper Doll Collection, 1895-1991(# 752), Joseph Magnin Poster Collection, 1963-1968 (#355), Division of Costume Audiovisual Collection, 1928-1989 (# 801), Priscilla of Boston Collection, 1940-1994 (#557) and California Shop Records, 1938-1942 (#572).
Provenance:
Ming-Ju Sun donated the materials in 2005.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use. All duplication requests must by reviewed and approved by Archives Center staff.
An oral history interview with Helen Zell conducted 2016 December 5-6, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art and the Center for the History of Collecting in America at the Frick Art Reference Library of The Frick Collection, at Zell's home, in Chicago, Illinois.
Zell discusses growing up as a Jewish Northerner in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; her parents and their extended family and the impact on her of visiting with her father's bohemian relatives in Brooklyn; her early interest in reading and English studies; her enthusiasm for collecting and organizing paper dolls and books as a young girl; the family's relocation to Rockville Centre, New York on Long Island; her visit as a teenager to Europe and the Rome Olympics with her grandparents; her college years at the University of Michigan, where she met her first husband, James Fadim; her work as an editor for the American Society for Microbiology; the couple's meeting and socializing with Sam and Janet Zell at the University of Michigan; their move to Chicago in 1967; her first purchases of art at the Old Town Art Fair in Chicago; her work as the general manager for the Chicago String Ensemble; her work on the Women's Board at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago; her divorce from her first husband and her return to school to study interior design at the Harrington Institute and her subsequent work as an interior designer; her deeper involvement with Chicago-based art collectors through her work at the MCA. Zell also describes her reintroduction to Sam Zell after many years apart at an art fair in Chicago in 1995; their burgeoning relationship and his desire to help her acquire and develop an art collection, initially concentrating on Surrealist work; their marriage and acquisition of a neighboring apartment in their condominium building which they renovated in order to create space for their growing collection; the expansion of their collection into photography; her enthusiasm for the work of Joseph Cornell, Louise Bourgeois and Lee Bontecou, among others; the assistance of the gallerist Alan Koppel in acquiring work for the collection; her feelings about loaning from the collection for exhibitions; the valuable assistance of curators and dealers in expanding her knowledge and expertise; and her and her husband's feelings about eventually creating a legacy for their collection. Zell also recalls Robert Natkin; Grace Hokin; Bud Holland; Helyn Goldenberg; Marilynn Alsdorf; Allen Turner; Stefan Edlis; Gael Neeson; Kevin Consey; Madeline Grynsztejn; Elizabeth Smith as well as Michael Heltzer; Meredith Palmer; John Vinci; David Tunkl; Lynne Warren; and Wilbur Ross, among others.
Biographical / Historical:
Helen Zell (1942- ) is a philanthropist and art collector in Chicago, Illinois. Avis Berman (1949- ) is an art historian and author in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded as 2 digital wav sound files. Duration is 4 hr., 53 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
This interview is access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Topic:
Philanthropists -- Illinois -- Chicago -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by Barbara Fleischman.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Jane and Michael Stern Collection, circa. 1920-2015, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Jane and Michael Stern Collection, circa. 1920-2015, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Jane and Michael Stern Collection, circa. 1920-2015, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Jane and Michael Stern Collection, circa. 1920-2015, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Trade cards and a novelty promotional bookletWho Will I Marry, a Game of Fate(undated). Products include stove polish and pastes, shoe dressing, Electro-Silicon for gold and silver ware, two Enameline paper doll pigs, and Noble polish for pianos.
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Polishes, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Series 1, Fashion Drawings, circa 1972-2002, undated, was created by Ming-Ju Sun as an employee of Garfinckel's Department Store. Subseries one through six include the original artwork, newspaper advertisement tear sheets featuring her designs, photocopies of these tear sheets, photographic slides featuring her work, illustrated paper doll fashion coloring books, and a newspaper article about Garfinckel's advertising strategy in the late 1970s.
Arrangement:
1.1, Original Artwork, circa 1975-1983, undated
1.2, Newspaper Advertisement Tear Sheets, circa 1972-1983, undated
1.3, Photocopies of Newspaper Advertisement Tear Sheets, circa 1972-1983, undated
1.4, Photographic Slides, undated
1.5, Paper Doll Fashion Coloring Books, 2001-2002, undated
1.6, Newspaper Articles, circa 1977
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use. All duplication requests must by reviewed and approved by Archives Center staff.
Collection Citation:
Ming-Ju Sun Garfinckel's Fashion Drawings, 1972-1979, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Ming-Ju Sun Garfinckel's Fashion Drawings, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
The collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use. All duplication requests must by reviewed and approved by Archives Center staff.
Collection Citation:
Ming-Ju Sun Garfinckel's Fashion Drawings, 1972-1979, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Ming-Ju Sun Garfinckel's Fashion Drawings, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
The collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use. All duplication requests must by reviewed and approved by Archives Center staff.
Collection Citation:
Ming-Ju Sun Garfinckel's Fashion Drawings, 1972-1979, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Ming-Ju Sun Garfinckel's Fashion Drawings, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
The collection consists of paper dolls dating from circa 1880 to 1998.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of paper dolls dating from 1890-1998. The bulk of the paper dolls, however, date from the 1900s-1970s. Some of the paper dolls have been cut while others remain intact. There is also a large collection of dolls that are still contained within their original packaging. Such packaging could include the periodical or comic book in which it was published, the original box, or a folder or booklet. While a substantial amount of the paper dolls were commercially produced, there are examples of hand made dolls and clothing. The clothing for the dolls is mostly created from paper with some examples of cloth and plastic. Hand colored commercially produced dolls and clothing also exist within the collection. Special features on the dolls could include hair, plastic eyes, photographic faces, and moveable parts.
The artwork aspect of the paper dolls may be of interest to researchers. The collection includes works by such paper doll artists as Queen Holden, who was renowned for her dolls of the 1930s, and Tom Tierney, who has depicted almost every celebrity of the 20th century in paper doll form. Originals and reproductions of Grace Gebbie Drayton's (1877-1936) Dolly Dingle paper dolls series, which appeared in the Pictorial Review from 1913-1933, are included among the materials. Drayton is well known for her creation and illustration of the "Campbell Kids". She illustrated a number of books and other publications and designed dolls and toys. Frances Tipton Hunter, creator of the "Little Busy Bodies" who appeared in Women's Home Companion in 1922 and 1923, career spanned from the 1920s to her death in 1957. Besides the "Little Busy Bodies" her work also appeared in a number of periodicals including the Saturday Evening Post, The Delineator, Collier's and Ladies Home Journal.
Not just seen from the perspective of artwork or playthings the serious scholar will be able to focus on a variety of topics related to the dolls. Researchers interested in fashion, popular culture, and images of women, children, or celebrities will find this collection of great value. The collection has a large representation of movie and television stars from the 1930s through the 1950s. These particular series would be of interest to research pertaining to the entertainment industry. In addition, American notions of ideal family sizes, settings, relationships, teenage life and leisure activities are represented in the collection.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into 14 series.
Series 1, Advertising, circa 1800-1980
Series 2, Animals, circa 1950-1995
Series 3, Celebrities, circa 1930-1995
Series 4, Characters in Literature and Folklore, circa 1920-1995
Series 5, Characters in Mass Media, circa 1935-1995
Series 6, Dolls and Toys, circa 1890-1990
Series 7, Family, circa 1880-1990
Series 8, Fashion and Costume, circa 1890-1995
Series 9, Historical Figures and Events, circa 1950-1998
Series 10, Holidays and Celebrations, circa 1930-1990
Series 11, Occupations, circa 1900-1995
Series 12, Periodicals, circa 1890-1995
Series 13, Miscellaneous Materials, circa 1890-1995
Series 14, Publications about Paper Dolls, circa 1980-1990
Biographical / Historical:
The Grepkes were prolific collectors of paper dolls, beginning their collecting in the 1970s.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Center, NMAH, Smithsonian Institution, by Donald Grepke in memory of his wife Carolyn Grepke in December 2000.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Carolyn and Donald Grepke Paper Doll Collection, 1895-1991, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Series 9 includes famous historical figures. This especially includes world leaders and political figures. The series is arranged in seven subseries based on the type of historical figure.
Subseries 9.1, African American, circa 1990-1995, includes influential African American men and women. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by last name.
Subseries 9.2, Military, circa 1970-1990, features figures who are famous for their military careers. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by last name.
Subseries 9.3, Religious, circa 1984-1998, includes two sets of paper dolls depicting Pope John Paul II.
Subseries 9.4, United States Presidents and Their Families, circa 1970-1995, features paper dolls of United States presidents and their families. This ranges from George Washington through Bill Clinton. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by last name. Paper dolls of the First Ladies are included in subseries F.
Subseries 9.5, United.States History, circa 1950-1990, includes characters from United States history. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by name.
Subseries 9.6, Women, circa 1910-1995, contains paper dolls representing famous women in history from Cleopatra and Joan of Arc to Caroline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by name.
Subseries 9.7, World Leaders, circa 1980-1990, includes figures throughout history who have been considered world leaders either politically or economically. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by name.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Carolyn and Donald Grepke Paper Doll Collection, 1895-1991, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Carolyn and Donald Grepke Paper Doll Collection, 1895-1991, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Carolyn and Donald Grepke Paper Doll Collection, 1895-1991, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Carolyn and Donald Grepke Paper Doll Collection, 1895-1991, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
