About Special Collections
The Special Collections and University Archives Department at the Richard J. Daley library houses collections of rare books, manuscripts, maps, and photographs, with particular strength in the social, political and cultural history of Chicago. The Special Collections and University Archives Department at the Library of the Health Sciences-Chicago document Chicago's rich history as a center for the education and practice of the medical arts.
The UIC ARCHIVES is the repository for historical records of the University of Illinois at Chicago and its predecessors as well as selected papers of prominent faculty, alumni, and administrative staff.
Search for Archival Collections
The following databases can be used to search for archival materials from other libraries' collections.
- ArchiveGridArchiveGrid includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.
- Chicago Collections ConsortiumExplore Chicago Collections allows you to search for information in the physical and digital archives of a growing number of libraries and museums.
- Cooper HewittThe Cooper Hewitt is the design museum of the Smithsonian Institution, located in New York City. The Cooper Hewitt has a browsable database of design collections, and a research library.
Organizational Records
The following archival collections of organizations related to design can be found in the Special Collections Department, Richard J. Daley Library, University of Illinois at Chicago. The links below lead to finding aids (lists of contents) for each collection.
Please visit Special Collections for assistance using these materials or Ask A Librarian.
- American Society of Interior DesignersThe collection contains American Society of Interior Designers newsletters, newspaper clippings, correspondence, news releases, designers' obituaries and lists, announcements, invitations, programs, catalogs, annual reports, schematics, photographs, proof sheets, bulletins, slides, negatives, designers' career references and conference records.
- Becker StudiosBecker Studios is a Chicago-based company that designs and constructs installations for theater, trade shows, retail environments, and museums, since 1903. Becker Studios, Inc. created multiple exhibit displays for multiple vendors at the second World’s Fair in Chicago known as “The Century of Progress”. These Becker Studios records include blueprints, correspondences, estimates, invoices, and ledger books.
- Century of Progress MemorabiliaA Century of Progress International Exposition was held in Chicago during the summers of 1933 and 1934 to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Chicago in 1833. The A Century of Progress Memoribilia collection includes printed materials such as pamphlets, brochures, newspaper clippings, and maps; photographs and prints ; as well as souvenirs such as postcards, bracelets, can banks, and matchboxes
- Chicago Book ClinicThe Chicago Book Clinic, whose members work in the publishing industry, holds regular meetings, hosts speakers, and encourages the exchange of ideas among its members. It also hosts an annual book show, celebrating finely produced books.
- Container Corporation of AmericaThis collection contains posters, examples of packaging, brochures, catalogs, artifacts, and other graphic and textual materials.
- Hart, Schaffner and MarxA collection of ephemera related to the Hart, Schaffner and Marx clothing company based in Chicago, IL. HSM specializes in men’s ready-to-wear and wholesale clothing.
- Institute of DesignThe Institute of Design was an attempt by a group of European artists to transplant the revolutionary artistic concepts of the German Bauhaus into America's industrial heartland. These records pertain to the establishment and teachings of the Institute of Design in Chicago, Illinois under the direction of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy as well as the eventual merger with the Illinois Institute of Technology.
- International Design Conference in AspenThe International Design Conference in Aspen began in 1951. Founded by many of America's rising stars on the graphic design scene, the IDCA sought to provide a forum for discussion on design. The material covers the formation of the IDCA in 1951 until 1986.
- Lakeside PressFounded in 1864, Chicago-based publishers annually produce a special run of an out-of-print title as a holiday gift to stockholders, employees, and business associates. This collection includes letters accompanying the annual distribution of the books, clippings regarding the annual tradition, and a public relations brochure from R. R. Donnelley.
- Society of Typographic ArtsThis collection consists of the organizational records and design examples from the Society of Typographic Arts, and Chicago based organization of graphic design professionals. The Society of Typographic Arts (STA) has a long history as a professional association for designers in Chicago.
- Steendrukkerij de JongFounded in 1911, Steendrukkerij de Jong is a print shop and design studio located in Amsterdam. This collection contains a commemorative booklet and invitation for the 50th anniversary of the founding of Steendrukkerij de Jong.
- William Stone/Sequoia PressThis collection contains correspondence, speeches, pamphlets, catalogs and examples of publications designed and printed by the Sequoia Press. The materials reflect the career of William Stone and the printing work of the Sequoia Press.
- Three Arts Club of ChicagoThe Three Arts Club of Chicago was an organization offering support and temporary residence for women painters, actors and musicians. The organization was incorporated in Illinois in 1912 and opened its first residence the same year. This collection documents the history of the Three Arts Club in Chicago, with some documentation of its six sister organizations across the U.S. and Europe.
- Twenty-Seven Chicago DesignersThe Twenty-Seven Chicago Designers was founded in 1937 and consisted of a revolving group of twenty-seven designers who would collaborate of various projects. The Twenty-Seven Chicago Designers collection consists of items published by the organization. The collection also includes administrative materials produced by the organization.
- UCLA Extension and Summer Sessions Catalogs Design CollectionThe collection contains extension and summer catalogs from the University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA]. These catalogs feature noted American graphic designers.
- Women in Design of ChicagoThe collection contains newsletters, correspondence, annual reports, photographs, negatives, slides from events, brochures, membership directories, organization constitutions, board minutes and work samples of the Women in Design members.
Personal Papers
The following collections of personal papers from individual designers can be found in the Special Collections Department, Richard J. Daley Library, University of Illinois at Chicago. The links below lead to finding aids (lists of contents) for each collection.
Please visit Special Collections for assistance using these materials or Ask A Librarian.
- Calvin Ashford Jr. Design CollectionCalvin Ashford was an African American designer whose company Gilmore-Ashford-Powers Designs was located in Chicago. His collection consists of awards, news clippings, articles and photographs of interior design samples designed by Calvin Ashford.
- Lester Beall Design CollectionLester Beall (1903-1969) was a self-taught graphic designer who worked in the area of corporate identity, advertising and packaging. This collection contains booklets, drawings, advertisements, stationary and printed material reflecting the career of Lester Beall.
- Bruce Beck Design CollectionBruce Beck is a Chicago graphic designer whose work includes producing packaging, corporate communications, annual reports and exhibits for corporate clients. He is a member of the group 27 Chicago Designers. He is also an active member of Chicago's Caxton Club and edited a volume of essays honoring Chicago type designer Robert Hunter Middleton.
- Hayward Blake Design CollectionHayward Blake is a graphic designer and owner of Hayward Blake and Company, based in Evanston, Illinois. This collection contains job files, logo designs, and samples from the work he did for his clients and employers.
- David L. Burke Design CollectionDavid L. Burke, a prominent Chicago designer, has produced a wide variety of graphic design materials for corporations, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions. The David L. Burke Design Collection includes stationary, trademarks, brochures, reports, programs, posters, catalogs, books, and tarot cards.
- Ralph Creasman Design CollectionCreasman was a Chicago-based illustrator active during the latter portion of the 20th century. His illustrations are primarily whimsical linocuts of animals and people. This collection consists of items from designer Ralph Creasman's personal collections, including portfolio materials such as illustrations, illustration prototypes, greeting cards, advertisements, slides, photographs, and personal papers.
- Robert Delson Design CollectionRobert Delson (December 30, 1909 - December 28, 1955) designer and teacher, studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art. He held various jobs in the arts from advertising design to radio broadcast theater. During A Century of Progress World's Fair, Delson served as art commissioner for the fair. He later took a WPA position on the Illinois Federal Art Project, then later with the WPA Art Center in Jacksonville, Florida. In Gainesville he lectured on the Bauhaus and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy at the University of Florida and at the Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee. He began teaching at the Lively Vocational School in Tallahassee during World War II but returned to Chicago briefly in 1943 at the invitation of Moholy-Nagy to lecture at the Institute of Design.
- Robert L. Even Chicago Design History CollectionRobert L. Even was a professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University. Funding by the National Endowment for the Arts (Grant No. 91-4216-0109) enabled Prof. Even to conduct a series of taped interviews with Chicago designers Robert Vogele, John Massey, Ralph Eckerstrom, Hayward Blake, Morton Goldsholl, and Susan Jackson Kieg. This work was entitled Design History: A Video Documentary of Influential Designers in Post World War II Chicago, Part I.
- Lillian E. Hall Design CollectionLillian E. Hall studied at the Institute of Design in Chicago, receiving her B.A. in Visual Arts in 1948. The Lillian E. Hall Papers include a photograph of Lillian E. Hall, her diploma for a B.A. in Visual Arts from the Institute of Design, art projects, a color design for a boomerang, and sketches.
- Charles A. Harrison Design CollectionCharles Harrison was one of the 27 Chicago Designers and worked for Sears, Roebuck and Co., for nearly 30 years, from 1961 to 1993. The collection includes examples of Charles Harrison's work from his time at Sears.
- Larry Janiak Design CollectionLarry Janiak taught design animation and experimental filmmaking at the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology from 1968 to 1980 and has belonged to the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago since 1965. Janiak has created several films for the Vedanta Society including a 1965 documentary of Hale House.
- Ute Jansen Design CollectionThis collection contains over thirty years of comprised works of calligraphy, posters, book covers, personal writings and design layouts created by Ute Jansen while working for the University of Indiana Press, University of Chicago Pres, Ebony Magazine and as a freelance graphic designer.
- Richmond A. Jones Design CollectionRichmond A. Jones (b. 1937) is a Chicago-based advertising art director and freelance graphic designer. The collection consists of preliminary work and final project designs done by Jones.
- Tibor Kalman Design CollectionTibor Kalman was a New York based graphic designer and founder of the design firm, M. and Co., which was known for its use of typography as a visual element. The collection includes samples of Kalman's commercial work and items produced by M and Co, album covers, promotional materials, issues of Colors, and several books written and illustrated by his wife.
- Myron Kozman Design Collectionhis collection reflects Myron Kozman's personal and professional life between the years of 1938 and 1954. Documents in this collection also deal with the philosophies, projects, curricula, and faculty of the Chicago School of Design. Material in this collection includes lectures, curriculum descriptions, academic papers, correspondence, poetry, book reviews, projects, meeting minutes, schedules, reports, and a poster. Folders are organized chronologically.
- Charles MacMurray Design CollectionCharles MacMurray was a graphic designer in Chicago. This collection contains correspondence, speeches, research material, design samples, photographs and slides documenting the design work of Charles MacMurray.
- Gordon Martin Design CollectionGordon Martin was a designer and teacher in Chicago during the 1950's and 1960's, and he maintained printing offices at 1352 North LaSalle and 448 Grant Place. This collection contains materials designed by Martin and materials from STA events. Materials primarily include broadsides, posters and brochures.
- Emmett McBain Design CollectionEmmett McBain became a prominent African American advertising designer, working as a designer for Vince Cullers and Associates, an art supervisor for J. W. Thompson in Detroit, and a creative consultant for Soft Sheen Products. This collection consists of various visual advertisements designed by McBain, primarily print ads, transparencies of bill boards and record album covers.
- Bob McCamant Design CollectionBob McCamant founded the Chicago Reader in 1971 and served as the art director for more than two decades. This collection reflects his involvement with the Society of Typographic Arts and other professional activities.
- John Michael (Acorn Press) Design CollectionJohn Michael, in partnership with his brother Jean Michael, founded Acorn Press in 1954 in Oak Park, Illinois. The collection includes design examples from the Acorn Press.
- R. Hunter Middleton Design CollectionRobert Hunter Middleton (1898-1985) was born near Glasgow and emigrated to Alabama at the age of ten where his father managed a coal mine. He studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and in 1923 began designing typefaces for the Ludlow Typograph Company. There he worked with Ernst F. Detterer and became well known for his Eusebius italic family of typefaces. In 1933, Middleton became art director of the Ludlow Typograph Company and in 1944, he founded the private Cherryburn Press.
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Prints and Drawings CollectionLudwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect and educator associated with the Bauhaus and the Second Chicago School. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern architecture. This collection of prints and drawings includes prints, photographs, and architectural renderings of furniture.
- Melville Vaughn Millbourn Design CollectionM. Vaughn Millbourn, was a Chicago-based graphic designer and a member of the 27 Chicago Designers. The M. Vaughn Millbourn papers include samples of his work - linoleum carvings and metal etchings of plants and Christmas cards along with prints, some signed, letterheads and advertising materials with Millbourn's layouts. The collection also includes lecture notes and display materials from his classes, personal and business correspondence and some of Millbourn's art supplies.
- Thomas H. E. Miller Design CollectionThomas H.E. Miller (1920- ) has worked as a successful visual artist as well as a graphic designer. The papers consist of photographs, proof sheets, slides, award certificates, realia, prototypes, calendars, and periodicals.
- Gordon Monsen Design CollectionThe collection contains materials relating to Monsen Typographers and includes a family history of the business, Monsen type manuals, samples of products, photographs, manuals, newspaper clippings, and the business records of Monsen Typographers.
- Norman Perman Design CollectionThis collection contains personal papers of Norman Perman and records of his design firm, Norman Perman Design.
- Herbert Pinzke Design CollectionHerbert Pinzke (1917-1922) was an influential figure in the Chicago design industry, holding offices with the International Design Conference, the Art Directors Club of Chicago, the Society of Typographic Art, and the Chicago Book Clinic. The Herbert Pinzke Papers include book layouts and pieces designed by Pinzke; materials about the Chicago Book Clinic, including drafts of a book, and slides.
- Allen Porter Design CollectionThe Allen Porter papers include personal correspondence, photographs, greeting cards, clippings, brochures, advertisements, and an audio cassette tape, as well as items from institutions affiliated with Porter. Materials related to the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA), Institute of Design, Society of Typographic Arts, and the University of Illinois at Chicago include course outlines, minutes, reports, sketches, and clippings. These papers also include booklets, fliers, and postage stamps that commemorate the Bauhaus movement.
- Carl Regehr Design CollectionCarl Regehr was a prominent Chicago designer whose firm provided special advertising, marketing, and "corporate identity" services for a wide variety of clients in government, academia, and the private sector including the Mayor's Committee for Economic and Cultural Development of Chicago and Chicago Magazine. The Carl Regehr Papers include design samples, programs, brochures, clippings, issues of periodicals, corporate manuals, speeches, stationery, envelopes, posters, a book jacket, and photographs.
- David Root Design CollectionThis collection contains design samples of printed materials from various institutions, businesses and organizations. Some materials are Root designs; others are reference materials. Included are annual reports, pamphlets, book and museum catalogues, prints and drawings, sample books, and color charts. Also included are issues of several design journals. The materials date from 1942 to 1975. The majority of materials are from the 1960s.
- DeForest Sackett Design CollectionDeForest Sackett was a prominent Chicago designer who worked as art director for the Walgreen Company (1925 - 1939) and later established his own firm.
- William Stone (Sequoia Press) Design CollectionThis collection contains correspondence, speeches, pamphlets, catalogs and examples of publications designed and printed by the Sequoia Press. The materials reflect the career of William Stone and the printing work of the Sequoia Press.
- George Suyeoka Design CollectionSuyeoka is a Chicago-based artist active from the late twentieth century until now. His work is primarily freelance illustration and multi-functional wooden sculpture. This collections includes samples of his work, primarily illustration and images of his sculptures.
- Muriel Underwood Design CollectionMuriel Underwood is a Chicago-based book designer active during the second half of the 20th century and into the first part of the 21st century. This collection consists of her papers regarding her professional work as a book designer, as well as the graphic design materials she kept as references. Part of the collection is devoted to Underwood's work as an officer for the Society for Typographic Arts. The collection also includes a large number of handmade Christmas and greeting cards from designers.
- Jack Weiss Design PapersJack Weiss (1939- ) is a graphic designer whose professional career spans a period of over fifty years. The materials document his career from childhood to present day, and consists of correspondence, research, work product, photos, slides, samples, and published materials created by Jack Weiss and his firms. The growth of the Society of Typographic Arts, as well as the Twenty-Seven Chicago Designers, is also charted.
- LeRoy Winbush Design CollectionLeRoy Winbush is an African-American design consultant who became famous for his innovative work with elaborate advertising displays in Chicago's financial district. The LeRoy Winbush Design Papers consist of publications designed by LeRoy Winbush, promotional information for Winbush Associates, an offprint of an article from Ebony profiling LeRoy Winbush, as well as Winbush's resume.
- Eugene Winslow Design CollectionEugene Winslow enjoyed a successful professional career that included work as a graphic designer, cartoonist, publisher, executive, and pilot in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He served as Vice President of the African American Publishing Company and as Treasurer of the Air Purification Company of America. Eugene Winslow wrote Afro-Americans '76: Black Americans in the Founding of Our Nation and contributed to several works about African-American history including multiple editions of Great Negroes Past and Present. The Eugene Winslow Papers include correspondence, memoranda, notes, clippings, certificates, programs, photographs, brochures, sketches, graphic designs, schematics, and published works.
University Archives
The following UIC-related collection are from the institutional papers in the University Archives, Special Collections Department, Richard J. Daley Library, University of Illinois at Chicago. The links below lead to finding aids (lists of contents) for each collection.
Please visit Special Collections for assistance using these materials or Ask A Librarian.
- Faculty Papers -- Victor Margolin Papers, 006-04-20-01Victor Margolin was a professor of Art and Design History and editor of Design Issues at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) from 1982 until his retirement in 2005. The collection includes correspondence, miscellaneous print material and posters from Margolin's design collection, conference material, manuscripts, and publications.
- Department of Art and Design -- Publications -- Administrative Files for Design Issues, 006-03-00-06-01Design Issues: A Journal of History, Theory, and Criticism is an academic journal on design history and theory. The collection consists of Editorial/Advisory Board records, agendas, subscriber information, conference materials, correspondence, printing layouts, and disks.
- James Axeman Papers, 003-09-20James Axeman was graphic arts designer for publications services at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1965-1983. This collections consists of one box containing materials related to James Axeman and his designs.
- Martin R. Hurtig Papers, 006-03-20-05Martin Hurtig is a Chicago artist and Professor Emeritus at UIC. This collection includes fliers and a poster from exhibitions.
- Architecture and Art -- City Design Center -- Program Records, 006-08-01Founded in 1995 by Roberta Feldman and George Hemmens, the City Design Center was a multi-disciplinary research, education, and service program in the College of Architecture and the Arts at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The City Design Center administered several programs during its duration. The materials in this collection are from several different City Design Center program areas: Curriculum Support (1995-2001), Community Design Excellence (1994-2004), Interactive Websites (1997-2001), Charting Community Assets (1993-1999), Public Forums (1996-2001), and Design Matters (200-2001). Collection also includes internal institutional records (1986-2007).
- Department of Architecture and Art -- Kenneth Shopen Scrapbook, 009-07-21Professor Shopen's scrapbook primarily focuses on events at Navy Pier's College of Engineering, department of architecture and art, and the Navy Pier Art Gallery, 1946-1953. The scrapbook documents art gallery exhibits, some loaned by the Art Institute of Chicago and other museums, on themes such as modern art, watercolors, sculpture, stage design, interior design, and architecture. Events of special note include a traveling exhibit on William and George Fred Keck, architects whose work was featured at the Chicago World's Fair in 1934, and visits to Navy Pier by architects Marcel Breuer, August Perret, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
- School of Design -- Stephen Melamed papers, 006-13-20-01Stephen Melamed is Professor Emeritus of Industrial Design at UIC. Melamed is a founding member of the industrial design firm Tres Design Group. This collection contains material from 1973-2015. It is organized into nine series, which include slides, photographs, correspondence, sketches, renderings, and design control drawings, client project files, newspaper and magazine articles, exhibition and competition programs, patent and legal documents.
Guide Author
Kellee E. Warren
Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives
UIC Library
801 South Morgan St, Rm 3-330
Chicago, IL 60607
UIC Library
801 South Morgan St, Rm 3-330
Chicago, IL 60607
312.996.2742
Ask an Archivist
Not all of our resources are available online. Special Collections and University Archives encourages researchers to visit the Special Collections Reading Rooms and consult with an archivist.
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