Search Results

Creator:

Bridaham, Lester Burbank  Search this

Names:

Art Institute of Chicago  Search this

Colonial Craft Survey for Massachusetts  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Society for Contemporary American Art  Search this

Albright, Ivan, 1897-1983  Search this

Barton, Macena, 1901-1986  Search this

Biesel, Charles, 1865-1945  Search this

Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this

De Diego, Julio, 1900-  Search this

Eboli, Jules  Search this

Florsheim, Richard A., 1916-1979  Search this

Krans, Olof, 1838-1916  Search this

Lee, Gypsy Rose, 1914-1970  Search this

Nicolaïdes, Kimon, 1892-1938  Search this

Rickey, George  Search this

Schnakenberg, H. E. (Henry Ernest), 1892-1970  Search this

Spears, Ethel, 1903-1974  Search this

Extent:

7.4 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 2 reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Date:

1912-1986

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence, writings, art works, scrapbooks, printed material, photographs, and files on Julio De Diego and Kimon Nicolaides and other topics, related to Bridaham's career as an artist and writer.

REEL 8: Printed material, including articles written by Bridaham for periodicals (1950-1957), 15 exhibition catalogs (1928-1968), clippings by and about Bridaham (1930-1959), 6 press releases (1956-1957), a transcript of a radio discussion which included Bridaham (1951), 2 advertisements, a lecture announcement (1957), instructions on using egg tempera for Bridaham's students, a guide book to the Louisiana State Museum (1956), brochures about Strathmont Museum (1958), and resumes.

REEL 3: Material related to Kimon Nicolaides, including a radio address given by him, 1933; publicity for his book THE NATURAL WAY TO DRAW; exhibition catalogs; clippings; press releases; and a photograph of one of his sculptures. [Microfilm title: Kimon Nicolaides papers]

UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence with Kimon Nicolaides and Henry Schnackenberg (1921-1923), Julio De Diego (1941-1952), Ethel Spears (1961), Isabel Bishop (1975), and George and Edith Rickey. Letters to Mamie Harmon concern a Nicolaides exhibition and book (1938-1941). Writings include nine v. of diaries (1946-1954) kept during his tenure at the Art Institute of Chicago, and notes and drafts for an unpublished book (1938-1982).

Subject files concerning Ivan Albright's poetry, the Colonial Craft Survey for Massachusetts (1935), Olof Krans (1939), the reorganization of the Metropolitan Museum's photographic department (1949), Romanesque and Gothic sculpture and the Society for Contemporary American Art. A file (1921-1983) on Julio De Diego contains Bridaham's research materials, sketches and drawings by the artist, a journal kept by De Diego in New York (1932) and photographs of De Diego, his family including third wife Gypsy Rose Lee, friends and art works. Kimon Nicolaides' file (1921-1986) contains his writings and drawings (1928), drawings by Vivian Gordon and Howard Ahrens (1923-1986), photographs and other research materials.

Printed materials consists of clippings (1930-1972), "The Chicago Artist" newsletter (1938), press releases, a book cover, Artists Equity publications (1952-1953), posters, exhibition catalogs and anouncements and membership cards. Photographs show Bridaham, friends, National Art Week activities with Macena Barton, Charles Biesel, Jules Eboli and Richard Florsheim, his studio and drawings (1928-1949). Other materials include over 150 prints and drawings (1927-1977) of Moroccan scenes, Colorado wildflowers and other subjects, resumes, an illustrated notebook of Bridaham's plans for art works (1931-1932) and a list of his works (1974).

ADDITION: Material concerning the latter part of Bridaham's life, including original works of art, photographs, a dream sketchbook (1945), a notebook devoted to Julio de Diego; Bridaham's letters to Jeanette Fowler, 1989-1990 and other correspondence, 1940s-1950s; and printed material.

Biographical / Historical:

Museum director, art historian, painter, and printmaker; d. 1992. Bridaham received a degree in chemical engineering from M.I.T. and studied art history at Harvard's Fogg Museum from 1936-1937. He received a 1931 American Field Service fellowship for study in France and Morocco, and studied studio art at the Art Students League under Kimon Nicolaides and Kenneth Hayes Miller. Between 1938 and 1954, Bridaham was a staff officer at the Art Institute of Chicago. He was also the director of the Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, and of the Strathmont Museum, Elmira, N.Y. He is the author of Gargoyles, Chimeras and the Grotesque in French Gothic Sculpture.

Related Materials:

Lester Bridaham photographs and papers relating to gargoyles, 1895-1987, are located at The Getty Research Institute Special Collections.

Provenance:

Donated 1974-1987 by Lester Burbank and Dorothy Bridaham. In 1996, an additional 0.8 ft. was donated from the Jeanette Fowler estate.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm.

Occupation:

Art historians  Search this

Art teachers  Search this

Museum directors  Search this

Painters -- United States  Search this

Printmakers  Search this

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Identifier:

AAA.bridlest

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bridlest

Creator:

Ward, Lynd Kendall, 1905-1985  Search this

McNeer, May Yonge, 1902-1994  Search this

Subject:

McCausland, Elizabeth  Search this

Rivera, Diego  Search this

Zigrosser, Carl  Search this

Taylor, Prentiss  Search this

Eichenberg, Fritz  Search this

Gag, Wanda  Search this

Gottlieb, Harry  Search this

Kainen, Jacob  Search this

Kent, Rockwell  Search this

Lozowick, Louis  Search this

Society of American Graphic Artists  Search this

Topic:

Prints -- 20th century  Search this

Children's literature  Search this

Illustration of books  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7159

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209294

AAA_collcode_wardlynp

Theme:

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209294

Interviewee:

Cobb, Ruth, 1914-2008  Search this

Interviewer:

Brown, Robert F  Search this

Subject:

Kupferman, Lawrence Edward  Search this

Levine, Jack  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Topic:

Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Painting, American -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Women painters -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this

Muralists -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this

Art -- Philosophy  Search this

Watercolor painting  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13274

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211994

AAA_collcode_cobb71

Theme:

Women

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_211994

Interviewee:

Maitin, Samuel C. (Samuel Calman), 1928-2004  Search this

Interviewer:

Hunter, Anne S.  Search this

Subject:

Brady, Luther W.  Search this

Goodman, Ronald  Search this

McNulty, Kneeland  Search this

Print Club (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Philadelphia Museum of Art  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Topic:

Prints -- 20th century -- Technique  Search this

Prints -- 20th century -- Study and teaching  Search this

Printmakers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)12054

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214618

AAA_collcode_maitin91

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_214618

Interviewee:

Butler, Brian Daniel, 1961-  Search this

Interviewer:

Drohojowska-Philp, Hunter  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Topic:

Art dealers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Gallery owners -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)17594

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)396434

AAA_collcode_butler18

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_396434

Creator:

Ludgin, Earle, 1898-1981  Search this

Ludgin, Mary, 1894-1962  Search this

Subject:

Seligmann, Kurt  Search this

Albright, Ivan  Search this

Bess, Forrest  Search this

Burg, Copeland Charles  Search this

Fink, Peter  Search this

Rattner, Abraham  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- United States  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7055

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209188

AAA_collcode_ludgearl

Theme:

The Art Market

Chicago's Art-Related Archival Materials: A Terra Foundation Resource

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209188

Creator:

Holman, Louis A. (Louis Arthur), 1866-1939  Search this

Holman's Print Shop  Search this

Subject:

Cole, Timothy  Search this

Andrews, John  Search this

Datziel, John Sanderson  Search this

Heintzelman, Arthur William  Search this

Holman, Richard Bourne  Search this

Nash, Ray  Search this

Topic:

Prints, American  Search this

Wood-engraving  Search this

Prints -- Collectors and collecting -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Prints -- 19th century  Search this

Prints -- 20th century  Search this

Map printing  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8138

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210309

AAA_collcode_holmloui

Theme:

The Art Market

Art Gallery Records

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210309

Creator:

Saussy, Hattie, 1890-1978  Search this

Topic:

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- Georgia -- Atlanta  Search this

Women artists -- Georgia -- Atlanta  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8546

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210724

AAA_collcode_saushatt

Theme:

Women

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210724

Creator:

Thomas V. Robinson Fine Arts Gallery (Houston, Tex.)  Search this

Subject:

Robinson, Thomas V.  Search this

Topic:

Art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8877

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211062

AAA_collcode_thomv

Theme:

The Art Market

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211062

Creator:

Meyerowitz, William, 1887-1981  Search this

Bernstein, Theresa F. (Theresa Ferber), 1890-2002  Search this

Subject:

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr.  Search this

Bluemner, Oscar  Search this

Karolik, Maxim  Search this

Phillips, Duncan  Search this

Saint-Gaudens, Homer  Search this

Ward, Lynd  Search this

Weichsel, John  Search this

Arms, John Taylor  Search this

Blashfield, Edwin Howland  Search this

Type:

Drawings

Topic:

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Women painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Etching -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Jewish artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9044

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211234

AAA_collcode_meyewill

Theme:

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211234

Creator:

Model, Elisabeth D. (Elisabeth Dittmann), 1897-1993  Search this

Subject:

Hesse, Hermann  Search this

Moore, Henry, 1898-1986  Search this

Gurr, Lena  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Topic:

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Women sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives  Search this

Nazis  Search this

Jewish artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9739

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212069

AAA_collcode_modeelis

Theme:

Diaries

Women

American Art and Artists in a Global Context

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212069

Creator:

Jacques Seligmann & Co.  Search this

Subject:

Hauke, Cesar M. de (Cesar Mange)  Search this

Glaenzer, Eugene  Search this

Haardt, Georges  Search this

Seligman, Germain  Search this

Seligmann, Arnold  Search this

Parker, Theresa D.  Search this

Waegen, Rolf Hans  Search this

Trevor, Clyfford  Search this

Seligmann, René  Search this

Seligmann, Jacques  Search this

De Hauke & Co., Inc.  Search this

Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this

Eugene Glaenzer & Co.  Search this

Germain Seligmann & Co.  Search this

Gersel  Search this

Type:

Gallery records

Topic:

Mackay, Clarence Hungerford, 1874-1938 -- Art collections  Search this

Schiff, Mortimer L. -- Art collections  Search this

Arenberg, duc d' -- Art collections  Search this

Liechtenstein, House of -- Art collections  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- France -- Paris  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

La Fresnaye, Roger de, 1885-1925  Search this

Art, Renaissance  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Art treasures in war  Search this

Art, European  Search this

Art galleries, Commercial -- France -- Paris  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9936

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212486

AAA_collcode_jacqself

Theme:

The Art Market

Art Gallery Records

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212486

Creator:

Hood, Richard, 1910-  Search this

Subject:

American Color Print Society  Search this

Philadelphia College of Art  Search this

United States  Search this

Federal Art Project (Pa.)  Search this

Topic:

Prints -- 20th century -- United States -- Societies, etc  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10450

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213855

AAA_collcode_hoodrich

Theme:

Government Sponsorship of the Arts

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_213855

Creator:

Bridaham, Lester Burbank, 1899-1992  Search this

Subject:

Albright, Ivan  Search this

Barton, Macena  Search this

Biesel, Charles  Search this

De Diego, Julio  Search this

Eboli, Jules  Search this

Florsheim, Richard A.  Search this

Krans, Olof  Search this

Lee, Gypsy Rose  Search this

Nicolaïdes, Kimon  Search this

Bishop, Isabel  Search this

Rickey, George  Search this

Schnakenberg, H. E. (Henry Ernest)  Search this

Spears, Ethel  Search this

Art Institute of Chicago  Search this

Colonial Craft Survey for Massachusetts  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Society for Contemporary American Art  Search this

Type:

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6825

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208952

AAA_collcode_bridlest

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks

Lives of American Artists

Audio - Visual

Chicago's Art-Related Archival Materials: A Terra Foundation Resource

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208952

Creator:

Geissbuhler, Arnold, 1897-1993  Search this

Subject:

Bourdelle, Emile Antoine  Search this

Geissbuhler, Elisabeth Chase  Search this

Giacometti, Alberto  Search this

Giacometti, Giovanni  Search this

Grafly, Charles  Search this

Richier, Germaine  Search this

Forbes, Edward Waldo  Search this

Goodyear, A. Conger (Anson Conger)  Search this

Bänninger, Otto Charles  Search this

Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme  Search this

Browne, Margaret Fitzhugh  Search this

Type:

Drawings

Sketchbooks

Topic:

Expatriate artists -- Massachusetts  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- Massachusetts  Search this

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8964

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211151

AAA_collcode_geisarno

Theme:

Diaries

Sketches & Sketchbooks

American Art and Artists in a Global Context

New Deal

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211151

Creator:

Cremean, Robert, 1932-  Search this

Subject:

Tyler, Dorothy  Search this

Topic:

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- California  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10069

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212931

AAA_collcode_cremrobe3

Theme:

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212931

Collector:

Danske filminstitut  Search this

Danske filminstitut  Search this

Extent:

10 Cubic feet (23 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Motion picture stills

Film stills

Place:

Denmark -- motion pictures

Date:

circa 1915-1986

Summary:

The collection contains primarily black-and-white silver gelatin photographic prints, produced by film studios and distributors for advertising and theater lobby display purposes. The films are mostly American, although the collection includes some European and Japanese films. Some films are accompanied by small booklets in Danish.

Scope and Contents:

The collection contains primarily black-and-white silver gelatin photographic prints, produced by film studios and distributors for advertising and theater lobby display purposes. The films are mostly American, although the collection includes some European and Japanese films. Many prints were used for display purposes and have tack-holes in the corners. Some are in poor condition with tears, creases and folds; others are in excellent condition. Some images occur as glossy color photomechanical prints, but hand-tinted black-and-white prints are also included. There are often duplicate prints. Many prints are embossed or blind-stamped ASTATENS FILMCENSUR, with a date date. Some films include small booklets in Danish that lists the major actors and the plot of the movie. The collection has been divided into two series.

Series 1, Film Stills, is arranged alphabetically by film title, one motion picture per folder. The subjects range from pre-World War I silent films to comedies with Mickey Rooney, and European romances.

Series 2, Unidentied Film Stills, contains stills from films that can not be identified by archivists within the Archives Center. The series also contains a catalog that allows one to purchase books, pamphlets, programs, periodicals, and photographs of various films, actors, and directors.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1, Film Stills, 1915-1986

Series 2, Unidentified Film Stills, undated

Provenance:

Collection donated by a museum in Denmark, circa 1970s.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Copyright status of items varies. Collection items are available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

advertising -- Motion pictures  Search this

Motion pictures, American  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century

Motion picture stills

Film stills

Citation:

Danish Film Stills of American Motion Pictures, circa 1915-1986, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0543

See more items in:

Danish Film Stills of American Motion Pictures

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0543

Creator:

Goldstein, Gordon D.  Search this

Names:

ENIAC.  Search this

Electrical Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC).  Search this

Remington Rand.  Search this

Extent:

2 Cubic feet (6 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Technical manuals

Design drawings

Date:

1948 - 1957

Summary:

Papers relate to Gordon D. Goldstein, a computer engineer and frequent seminar speaker and participant, especially in the fields of linguistics and machine translation.

Scope and Contents:

The Goldstein Collection documents an interesting and important period in the development of the early computer industry. Many of the items in the collection are technical in nature; others, however, provide an interesting perspective on the development of post-war American culture. Items in the collection include design and training materials, operational manuals, professional literature, advertisements and promotional items, photographs, business and office documentation, and conference and seminar materials.

The collection is divided into five series. The first three series correspond to Goldstein's employment history; the fourth series includes notes and minutes from UNIVAC and computer conferences attended by Goldstein; and the fifth series contains general computer publications and computer advertisements. Of particular interest in the last series is a copy of the 1954 Report to the Association for Computing Machinery: First Glossary of Programming Terminology. This item was edited by Grace Murray Hopper.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 5 series.

Series 1, National Bureau of Standards, Electronic Computers Section/Standards Eastern Automatic Computer, 1948-1953

Series 2, U.S. Navy/Applied Mathematics Laboratory, 1950-1957

Series 3, UNIVAC-Remington Rand Corporation/Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, 1948--956

Series 4, UNIVAC Conferences, 1950-1956

Series 5, Publications and Competitor Materials, 1950-1955

Biographical / Historical:

Born in 1917, Gordon D. Goldstein graduated from Clarkson College of Technology with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. In 1941, Goldstein took a job with the Army Signal Corp as a civilian inspector of radio and navigation equipment. After leaving the Army Signal Corp, Goldstein took a job as development engineer at the Washington Institute of Technology where he was employed until 1950. From 1950 to 1951 he worked as chief engineer with computers for the Census Bureau in Philadelphia.

In 1951, Goldstein left the Census Bureau and took a job with the Navy Department. During his tenure there, Goldstein worked in three offices or divisions: the Naval Ordnance Laboratory (electronics scientist), the David Taylor Model Basin's Applied Mathematics Laboratory, and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Information Systems Program where he was involved with applications of UNIVAC I. Goldstein worked in the Office of Naval Research from 1956 until his retirement in 1980.

Sources

Berkeley, Edmund C., ed. Who's Who in Computers and Data Processing 1971: A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Computer Professionals. New York: The New York Times Book and Educational Division, 1971.

Gordon D. Goldstein Papers, 1950-1979. Charles Babbage Institute: Center for the History of Information Processing.

Williams, Michael R. A History of Computing Technology. Los Alamitos, California: IEEE Computer Society Press, 1997.

Related Materials:

Materials in Other Organizations

The Charles Babbage Institute, Center for the History of Information Processing houses the Gordon D. Goldstein Papers, 1950-1979, http://special.lib.umn.edu/findaid/xml/cbi00068.xml

Archives Center, National Museum of American History houses the Computer Oral History Collection, 1969-1973, 1977 http://invention.smithsonian.org/resources/fa_comporalhist_index.aspx

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Gordon D. Goldstein on December 13, 1978.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Seac computer  Search this

Systems engineering  Search this

Univac computer  Search this

Computers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Technical manuals -- 20th century

Design drawings

Citation:

Gordon D. Goldstein Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0554

See more items in:

Gordon D. Goldstein Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0554

Creator:

Jeffers, Grace  Search this

Formica Corporation.  Search this

Names:

Faber, Herbert A.  Search this

Loewy, Raymond  Search this

O'Conor, Daniel J.  Search this

Stevens, Brooks  Search this

Extent:

18 Cubic feet (59 boxes, 11 oversize folders )

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scripts (documents)

Videotapes

Posters

Samples

Advertisements

Brochures

Blueprints

Photographs

Newsletters

Exhibition catalogs

Catalogs

Correspondence

Date:

1913-2003

Summary:

The Grace Jeffers Collection of Formica Materials consists of textual files, photographs, slides, negatives, drawings, blueprints, posters, advertisements, product brochures, newsletters, and informational pamphlets documenting the history of the Formica Corporation and the use of Formica brand plastic laminate.

Scope and Contents:

The Formica Collection, 1913-2003, consists of textual files, photographs, photo slides, drawings, blueprints, posters, advertisements, product brochures, informational pamphlets, and research notes documenting the history of the Formica Corporation and the use of Formica brand plastic laminate.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into ten series.

Series 1: Corporate Records, 1920-1992, 2003

Subseries 1.1: Annual reports, 1949, 1966, 1988

Subseries 1.2: Correspondence and company identity, 1920-1988

Subseries 1.3: Corporation histories and timelines, 1949-1991, undated

Subseries 1.4: Newspaper clippings and articles, 1934-2003

Subseries 1.5: Awards, 1940s-1987

Subseries 1.6: Patent information, 1925-1994

Subseries 1.7: Photographs, 1927-1966

Series 2: Personnel Records, 1943-1992

Series 3: Newsletters, Magazines, and Press Releases, 1942-1990

Subseries 3.1: Newsletters, 1942-1988

Subseries 3.2: Press releases, 1973-1990

Series 4: Product Information, 1948-1994

Series 5: Advertising and sales materials, 1913-2000

Subseries 5.1: Advertising materials, 1913-2000

Subseries 5.2: Sales materials, 1922-1993

Series 6: Subject Files, circa 1945, 1955-1991, 2002

Series 7: Exhibits, 1981-1994

Series 8: Grace Jeffers Research Materials, 1987-1997

Series 9: Audio Visual Materials, 1982-1995, undated

Series 10: Martin A. Jeffers Materials, 1963-1999

Subseries 10.1: Background Materials, 1965-1999

Subseries 10.2: Employee Benefits, 1963-1998

Subseries 10.3: Product Information, [1959?]-1997

Subseries 10.4: Advertising and Sales Records, 1987-1999

Biographical / Historical:

Since its founding in 1913, the history of the Formica Company has been marked by a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. The history begins with the discovery of Formica by two men who envisioned the plastic laminate as breakthrough insulation for motors. Later, Formica became a ubiquitous surfacing material used by artists and architects of post-modern design. The various applications of the plastic laminate during the twentieth century give it a prominent role in the history of plastics, American consumerism, and American popular culture.

The Formica Company was the brainchild of Herbert A. Faber and Daniel J. O'Conor, who met in 1907 while both were working at Westinghouse in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. O'Conor, head of the process section in the Research Engineering Department, had been experimenting with resins, cloth, paper, and a wide array of solvents in an effort to perfect a process for making rigid laminate sheets from Kraft paper and liquid Bakelite. O'Conor produced the first laminate sheet at Westinghouse by winding and coating paper on a mandrel, slitting the resulting tube, and flattening it on a press. The finished product was a laminated sheet with the chemical and electrical properties of Bakelite that were cut into various shapes and sizes. O'Conor applied for a patent on February 1, 1913, but it was not issued until November 12, 1918 (US Patent 1,284,432). Since the research was done on behalf of Westinghouse, the company was assigned the patent, and O'Conor was given one dollar, the customary amount that Westinghouse paid for the rights to employees' inventions.

Herbert Faber, Technical Sales Manager of insulating materials, was excited about O'Conor's discovery. Faber saw limitless possibilities for the new material. However, he quickly became frustrated by Westinghouse's policy limiting the sale of the laminate to its licensed distributors. After failing to persuade Westinghouse to form a division to manufacture and market the new material, Faber and O'Conor created their own company. On May 2, 1913, the first Formica plant opened in Cincinnati, Ohio. On October 15, 1913, the business incorporated as the Formica Insulation Company with Faber as president and treasurer and O'Conor as vice-president and secretary. The company began producing insulation parts used in place of or "for mica," the costly mineral that had been used in electrical insulation.

Like most new companies, Formica had modest beginnings. Faber and O'Conor faced the challenge of looking for investors who would let them maintain control over the company. Finally, they met J. G. Tomluin, a lawyer and banker from Walton, Kentucky, who invested $7,500 for a one-third share in the Formica Company. Renting a small space in downtown Cincinnati, Faber and O'Conor began work. The company's equipment list consisted of a 35-horsepower boiler, a small gas stove, and a variety of homemade hand screw presses. By September 1913, Tomluin had brought in two more partners, David Wallace and John L. Vest. With the added capital, O'Conor, Faber, and Formica's eighteen employees began producing automobile insulation parts for Bell Electric Motor, Allis Chalmers, and Northwest Electric.

Initially, the Formica Company only made insulation rings and tubes for motors. However, by July 4, 1914, the company obtained its first press and began to produce flat laminate sheets made from Redmenol resin. Business gradually grew, and by 1917 sales totaled $75,000. Fueled by World War I, Formica's business expanded to making radio parts, aircraft pulleys, and timing gears for the burgeoning motor industry. In the years that followed, Formica products were in high demand as laminate plastics replaced older materials in washers, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators. By 1919, the Formica Company required larger facilities and purchased a factory in Cincinnati.

During this time, patent battles and legal suits emerged to challenge Formica's success. On June 11, 1919, Westinghouse sued Formica for patent infringement on its laminated gears; Formica won. Later that year, Westinghouse brought two new lawsuits against Formica. The first was for a patent infringement on the production of tubes, rods, and molded parts; the second was over an infringement based on a 1913 patent assigned to Westinghouse through O'Conor. Formica prevailed in both suits.

Legal battles did not deter the company. Having to defend itself against a giant corporation gave Formica a reputation as a scrappy contender. Finally, Faber and O'Conor made a quantum leap in 1927, when the company was granted a U.S. patent for a phenolic laminate utilizing lithographed wood grains of light color, forming an opaque barrier sheet which blocks out the dark interior of the laminate. In 1931, the company received two more patents for the preparation of the first all paper based laminate and for the addition of a layer of aluminum foil between the core and the surface, making the laminate cigarette-proof. These patents would allow Formica to move from a company dealing primarily with industrial material to the highly visible arena of consumer goods.

In 1937, Faber had a severe heart attack which limited his activity within the company. O'Conor continued as president, encouraging new product lines, including Realwood, as a laminate with genuine wood veneer mounted on a paper lamination with a heat-reactive binder. With the introduction of Realwood and its derivatives, manufacturers started using Formica laminate for tabletops, desks, and dinette sets. By the early forties, sales of Formica laminate were over 15 million dollars. The final recipe for decorative laminate was perfected in 1938, when melamine resins were introduced. Melamine was clear, extremely hard, and resistant to stains, heat, light, less expensive than phenolic resins. It also made possible laminates of colored papers and patterns.

Due to World War II, Formica postponed the manufacturing of decorative laminate sheets. Instead, the company made a variety of war-time products ranging from airplane propellers to bomb buster tubes.

The post-World War II building boom fueled the decorative laminate market and ushered in what would come to be known as the golden age for Formica. The company, anticipating the demand for laminate, acquired a giant press capable of producing sheets measuring thirty by ninety-six inches for kitchen countertops. Between 1947 and 1950, more than 2 million new homes were designed with Formica brand laminate for kitchens and bathrooms.

Formica's advertising campaigns, initially aimed at industry, were transformed to speak to the new decorative needs of consumer society, in particular the American housewife. Formica hired design consultants, Brooks Stevens, and, later, Raymond Loewy who launched extensive advertising campaigns. Advertising themes of durability, cleanliness, efficiency, and beauty abound in promotional material of this time. Advertisers promised that the plastic laminate, known as "the wipe clean wonder," was resistant to dirt, juices, jams, alcohol stains, and cigarette burns. Atomic patterns and space-age colors, including Moonglo, Skylark, and Sequina, were introduced in homes, schools, offices, hospitals, diners, and restaurants across America.

The post-war period was also marked by expansion, specifically with the establishment of Formica's first international markets. In 1947, Formica signed a licensing agreement with the British firm the De La Rue Company of London for the exclusive manufacture and marketing of decorative laminates outside North America, and in South America and the Pacific Basin. In 1948, Formica changed its name from the Formica Insulation Company to the Formica Company. In 1951, Formica responded to growing consumer demand by opening a million square foot plant in Evendale, Ohio, devoted to the exclusive production of decorative sheet material. In 1956, the Formica Company became the Formica Corporation, a subsidiary of American Cyanamid Company. A year later, the international subsidiaries that Formica formed with De La Rue Company of London were replaced by a joint company called Formica International Limited.

The plastic laminate was not merely confined to tabletops and dinette sets. Formica laminate was used for skis, globes, and murals. Moreover, well-known artists and architects used the decorative laminate for modernist furniture and Art Deco interiors. In 1960, Formica's Research and Development Design Center was established, adjacent to the Evendale plant, to develop uses for existing laminate products. In 1966, the company opened the Sierra Plant near Sacramento, California. Such corporate expansion enabled Formica to market its laminates beyond the traditional role as a countertop surface material.

In 1974, Formica established its Design Advisory Board (DAB), a group of leading designers and architects. DAB introduced new colors and patterns of laminate that gained popularity among artists and interior designers in the 1980s. In 1981, DAB introduced the Color Grid, a systematic organization of Formica laminate arranged by neutrals and chromatics. The Color Grid was described as the first and only logically arranged collection of color in the laminate industry. DAB also developed the Design Concepts Collection of premium solid and patterned laminates to serve the needs of contemporary interior designers.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the corporation continued to produce laminates for interior designers, artists, and architects. In 1982, Formica introduced COLORCORE, the first solid-color laminate. Due to its relatively seamless appearance, COLORCORE was adopted by artists for use in furniture, jewelry, and interior design. The introduction of COLORCORE also marked the emergence of a wide variety of design exhibitions and competitions sponsored by the Formica Corporation. In 1985, Formica Corporation became independent and privately held. Formica continues to be one of the leading laminate producers in the world with factories in the United States, England, France, Spain, Canada, and Taiwan.

For additional information on the history of the Formica Corporation, see:

DiNoto, Andrea. Art Plastic: Designed for Living. New York: Abbeville Press, 1985.

Fenichell, Stephen. Plastic: The Making of a Synthetic Century. New York: Harper/Collins, 1996.

Jeffers Grace. 1998. Machine Made Natural: The Decorative Products of the Formica Corporation, 1947-1962. Master's thesis. Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts.

Lewin, Susan Grant, ed. Formica & Design: From Counter Top to High Art. New York: Rizzoli, 1991.

Related Materials:

Materials at the Archives Center

Leo Baekeland Papers, 1881-1968 (AC0005)

DuPont Nylon Collection, 1939-1977 (AC0007)

J. Harry DuBois Collection on the History of Plastics, circa 1900-1975 (AC0008)

Earl Tupper Papers, circa 1914-1982 (AC0470)

The Division of Medicine and Science holds artifacts related to this collection. See accession # 1997.0319 and #1997.3133.

Provenance:

This collection was assembled by Grace Jeffers, historian of material culture, primarily from materials given to her by Susan Lewin, Head of Formica's New York design and publicity office when the office closed in 1995. The collection was donated to the Archives Center by Grace Jeffers in September 1996.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

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.

Topic:

Plastics industry and trade  Search this

Plastics -- 1920-2000  Search this

Plastics as art material -- 1920-2000  Search this

Plastics in interior design -- 1920-2000  Search this

advertising -- plastic industry -- 1920-2000  Search this

Plastic jewelry -- 1920-2000  Search this

Laminated plastics -- 1920-2000  Search this

Exhibitions -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

House furnishings -- 1920-2000 -- United States  Search this

Housewives as consumers -- 1920-2000  Search this

Electronic insulators and insulation -- Plastics -- 1920-2000  Search this

Inventions -- 1920-2000 -- United States  Search this

Women in advertising  Search this

Women in popular culture -- 1920-2000  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scripts (documents)

Videotapes

Posters -- 20th century

Samples -- 1920-2000

Advertisements

Brochures

Blueprints -- 20th century

Photographs -- 20th century

Newsletters -- 20th century

Exhibition catalogs

Catalogs

Catalogs -- 1920-2000

Correspondence -- 20th century

Citation:

Grace Jeffers Collection of Formica Materials, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0565

See more items in:

Grace Jeffers Collection of Formica Materials

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0565

Creator:

Community Life, Div. of (NMAH, SI)  Search this

Erol's Video Club.  Search this

Extent:

24 Cubic feet (80 boxes, 11 oversized folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Advertisements

Posters

Photographs

Press releases

Date:

undated

1935-1993

Summary:

The Video Press Kit Collection contains press kits produced from the late 1970s to the early 1990s for over 5,000 film titles for domestic and foreign productions dating from the 1930s to the early 1990s. This collection was created by Erol's Video Club in Springfield, Virginia. The date span of the collection reflects the release dates of the films profiled in the press kits.

Scope and Contents:

This collection was complied over approximately ten years by the Erol's Video Club in Springfield, Virginia. The Video Press Kit Collection contains an extensive range (over 5,000 titles) of press kits produced from the late 1970s to the late 1980's for domestic and foreign productions. Materials relating to earlier, vintage film and television are included but only as they pertain to their video release. Within each series, the materials are arranged alphabetically according to title. Some composite title press kits were built around a major title; these kits have been filed according to the most prominently displayed title. Not all secondary titles are listed in the finding aid. Folders containing combined advertisements for more than one movie are filed under the title used in the original order of the material as it was received by the Archives Center. The boxes are described giving an alphabetical range of titles contained in that box. Materials may include press releases, publicity stills, posters, clip-art, ad slicks, advertising, product packaging. Dates, when given, are either video release dates or original theatrical release dates, some entries remain undated since it is unclear what date to assign to the press kit or theatrical release. There may be some series' co-mingling due to original order; the researcher is advised to check all series even if on first glance it may not seem to apply to the title being searched. Works bearing the same title but with different release dates may sometimes be filed together under that title.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into ten series and is arranged alphabetically by video title.

Series 1: Commercial Motion Pictures, 1935-1993, undated, contains press kits relating to the video release for motion pictures that were initially produced for the commercial film market or expressly for a straight-to-video release. They are arranged alphabetically by title and constitute the bulk of the collection.

Series 2: Children, 1985, undated contains titles produced especially to appeal to the children's market. They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 3: Documentaries and Educational, 1985, undated contains non-fiction titles produced as either a documentary or for an educational purpose, excepting sports related videos.

Series 4: Instructional, undated contains titles produced for instruction. They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 5: Varied Materials, 1985-1993, undated contains a variety of titles and material not easily assigned to any other series and a wide variety of advertising and publicity materials including catalogues, slides, photographs, and ephemera within this series. They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 6: Performances, undated contains titles of filmed performances including dance, opera, concerts, and comedy. They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 7: Sports and Fitness, 1988, undated contains sports-related titles and fitness videos (i.e., Jane Fonda's Workout). They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 8: TV Series, undated contains press kits for video collections of television shows released on video either singly or as part of a collection. They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 9: Video Collections, undated contains titles released as a collection, usually centering on a particular performer, director, or genre. They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 10: Oversize Materials, 1947-1993, undated contains oversize stand-up displays and quarter, half, and full size posters. They are foldered according to size and titles are listed alphabetically within their respective folders.

Biographical / Historical:

The explosion of the video rental and purchase industry in the 1980s meant that not only would a motion picture, television show, or even a theatrical production, have a revenue-producing first run, it would have a second revenue generating life on video cassette geared to the home viewing market. The growth of the home viewing market also spurred an industry of exclusively made-for-video productions, compilations of popular and vintage television shows, educational and documentary features, and filmed theatrical entertainment. Video "clubs," as retail video tape rental/purchase stores were called, proliferated as the VCR revolution took hold throughout the United States. At first, local independent one-store operations and small chains dominated the market but within a few years, video rental purveyors had been consolidated into larger national and regional chains. Two examples are Erol's Video Club in the east and Blockbuster Video nationwide. As video moved into the 1990s further consolidation of video clubs took place. Erol's Video Club ceased to exist as a separate entity circa 1992 when it was sold to Blockbuster Video.

To help "sell" the video product and assist video clubs in their rental/sale operations, production companies treated many video releases like a traditional first-run theatrical movie release - by preparing a press kit. These kits included some, but not all, of the standard publicity elements: 8x10 glossy photographs, posters, stand-ups, talent biographies and interviews, reviews, ad slicks, and other types of material. Some press kits were quite elaborate while others contained the barest essentials. Elaborate or simple, the goal of the press kit was to place the video product prominently in the viewing public's mind.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Erol's Video Club Collection, 1984-1991 (AC0687)

The collection consists of advertising and promotional materials for Erol's Video, Inc.

Provenance:

Donated to the Division of Cultural History, National Museum of American History from Erol's Video Club in 1993.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but boxes 1-83 are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

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. Standard copyright restrictions apply to all copyrighted material.

Topic:

Video recordings industry  Search this

Motion picture industry  Search this

Genre/Form:

Advertisements -- 1980-2000

Posters -- 20th century

Photographs -- 1980-2000

Press releases

Citation:

Video Press Kit Collection, 1935-1993, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0748

See more items in:

Video Press Kits Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0748