Raymond Waldron papers
1939-1994
- Collection Overview
- Biographical note
- Scope and Contents note
- Organization and Arrangement
- Administrative Information
- Related Materials
- Keywords for Searching Related Subjects
- Collection Inventory
- Series I. General
- Series II. Raymond Waldron, Inc.
- Series III. Sketchbook
- Series IV. Student work
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Guide to the Raymond Waldron papers, 1939-1994
Collection Overview
- Repository
- Kellen Design Archives
- Creator
- Waldron, Raymond S.
- Title
- Raymond Waldron papers, 1939-1994
- Extent
- 4 linear ft: 3 boxes, 1 oversize box
- Summary
- Raymond S. Waldron, Jr. (1913-2002) attended the New York School of Fine and Applied Art (which became Parsons School of Design) from 1938-1941. After serving in World War II, Waldron worked for Lord & Taylor. In 1965, he established his own interior decoration firm. The Raymond Waldron papers include student work, a travel sketchbook, and professional files. Work from Waldron's years at New York School of Fine and Applied Art include notebooks with graded assignments, instructor handouts, sketches, and tracings; and larger-format renderings of European interiors and sites. A travel sketchbook reflects Waldron's later design studies in New York, France and Italy. Materials from Waldron's professional career include project files, design research, stereo slides of the Blair House, among other projects, and publicity for his business.
Biographical note
Raymond S. Waldron (1913-2002) was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri, transferring in 1938 to Parsons (then the New York School of Fine and Applied Art). Part of his time in school was spent abroad studying at the school's Paris Ateliers (the Paris school closed in October 1939 due to the war, and remained inactive thereafter for nearly a decade). Waldron served in the U.S. Army during World War II, working as a cartographer, designing camouflage nets, and producing architectural drawings following the bombing of Nagasaki. After the war, Waldron went to work for the Interior Design Department of Lord & Taylor in New York City. His most prominent project for Lord & Taylor was designing the renovation of the Queen’s Bedroom in Blair House, the U.S. Presidential guest house in Washington, D.C. In 1965, Waldron left Lord & Taylor to establish his own business, Raymond Waldron, Inc., specializing in the decorative use of eighteenth and nineteenth century antiques. The firm remained active until Waldron’s death.
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Source:
This information is based upon a biographical sketch of Raymond Waldron furnished by Laird Rodet.
Scope and Contents note
The Raymond Waldron papers include working notebooks and a sketchbook Waldron kept while a student at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art. The notebooks include graded assignments as well as instructor handouts, exercises, sketches and tracings for research projects. Other student work includes larger-format gouache renderings of European interiors and sites. A later sketchbook reflects Waldron's studies in New York, France and Italy (possibly as an advanced student in the Ecole des Beaux Arts in France). Also included are project files, design research and publicity for Waldron's interior decorating business, stereo slides of the Blair House and other projects.
Organization and Arrangement
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Kellen Design Archives 2008
66 5th Ave./lobby level/
New York, NY, 10011
212.229.5942
archivist@newschool.edu
Use Restrictions
To publish images of material from this collection, permission must be obtained in writing from the Kellen Design Archives. Please contact: archivist@newschool.edu.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Donated by Laird Rodet, Peggy J. Roy Rodet, and Melissa Waldron in 2004.
Related Materials
Fellow Parsons alumnus and designer Lyman Martin's interior decoration work and papers (KA.0031) in the Kellen Design Archives includes an illustrated travel journal from the same period as Waldron's sketchbook. Entries in Martin's journal indicate they both participated in a Parsons-sponsored European program following their respective service during World War II.
Keywords for Searching Related Subjects
Corporate Name(s)
- Lord & Taylor.
- New York School of Fine and Applied Art.
- Paris Ateliers.
- Parsons School of Design. Interior Design Dept.
Genre(s)
- Notebooks.
- Renderings.
- Sketches.
- Slides (photographs).
- Student projects.
Occupation(s)
- Interior designers.
Subject(s)
- Interior decoration -- Study and teaching -- France -- 20th century.
- Interior decoration -- Study and teaching -- New York (State) -- New York -- 20th century.
Collection Inventory
| Series I. General 1941-1987 | ||||
| Title | Box | Folder | ||
| Bedroom, rendering, undated | OSxxx-1 | 1 | ||
| House of Time, floor plans, undated | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lord & Taylor: General, 1949-1965 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Lord & Taylor: Blair House project, 1963-1964 | 1 | 3 | ||
| New York School of Fine and Applied Art diploma, 1941 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Office plans (architectural drawings), 1987 | OSxxx-1 | 3 | ||
| Paintings sold (list), 1955 | 1 | 5 | ||
| Series II. Raymond Waldron, Inc. 1971-1994 | ||||
| Title | Box | Folder | ||
| General, circa 1989-1990 | 1 | 6 | ||
| Clients 1971-1994 | ||||
| Ayres, Mary | ||||
| Billing and correspondence, 1982-1988 | 1 | 7-8 | ||
| Designs and plans, circa 1982-1988 | 1 | 9 | ||
| Florida apartment, 1986-1988 | 1 | 10 | ||
| Quotations and purchases, 1984-1988 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Title | Box | Folder | ||
| Freund, 1971-1993 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Stanley and Sally Leezenbaum, 1973-1994 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Title | Box | |||
| Interior design projects (2 boxes, stereo slides) [undated] | 3 | |||
| Series III. Sketchbook 1948-1953 | ||||
| Title | Box | Folder | ||
| Sketchbook | 2 | 4 | ||
| Sketchbook inserts and tracings | 2 | 5-6 | ||
| Series IV. Student work 1938-1940 | ||||
| Title | Box | Folder | ||
| Architectural drawings, circa 1939 | OSxxx-1 | 6 | ||
| Detail studies, circa 1939 | 2 | 7 | ||
| Detail studies, circa 1939 | OSxxx-1 | 4-5 | ||
| History of Painting I (notebook), 1938 | 2 | 8 | ||
| History of Painting II (notebook), 1938-1939 | 2 | 9 | ||
| Interior Architecture and Decoration I (notebook), 1-2 of 3, 1938-1939 | 2 | 10-11 | ||
| Interior Architecture and Decoration I (notebook), 3 of 3, 1938-1939 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Interior Architecture and Decoration II (notebook), 1939-1940 | 3 | 2-3 | ||
| Interior Architecture and Decoration II (sketchbook), 1939-1940 | 3 | 4-5 | ||
| Renderings, circa 1939 [probably student work] | 3 | 6 | ||
| Renderings (OS), circa 1939 [probably student work] | OSxxx-1 | 2, 7-8 | ||