 Course in Dynamic Symmetry, 1924, Parsons Institutional Collections |
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| About the Kellen Archives |
The Kellen Archives documents the history of Parsons, serving as a resource for administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and other members of the New School, as well as for scholars, authors, and those seeking to learn more about Parsons’ relationship to wider social, cultural, and intellectual issues and trends. Material at the Kellen includes archival records, manuscripts, posters, art and design works on paper, oral histories, photographs, films, videotapes, serials and ephemera.
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| Kellen Archives Collections |
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The Kellen Archives collections fall into either of two broad categories. The Parsons Institutional Collections are records, photographs, print, audiovisual and other materials produced by Parsons’ academic and administrative units. The Kellen General Collections are personal and professional papers and design work by former Parsons faculty, alumni, and others working in design disciplines associated with Parsons. The collections include work in the fields of architecture, environmental design, communication design, fashion design, fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior design, photography and product design.
The Parsons Institutional Collections contain records, photographs, print, audiovisual and other materials produced by Parsons’ academic and administrative units.
Academic Departments, Programs and Schools
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| Academic Departments, Programs and Schools: General (accessions pre-2008), 1959-99
(63 lin ft)
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Administrative records, exhibition catalogs and other publications, and student work; includes material produced by affiliate schools: Parsons Paris, Otis and Altos de Chavon. |
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| Fashion Design Dept., 1947-2008
(40 lin ft)
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Includes look books, fashion show planning and programs, and student work. |
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| Product Design Dept., records of Richard Yelle, department chairman, 1986-97
(3 lin ft)
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Produced during Richard Yelle's term as department chair of Product Design (as well as its predecessor names: Clay, Fiber, Metal Design; Clay, Metal, Textile Design; and Clay, Metal, Textile, and Product Design). Includes administrative records, information regarding competitions and exhibits, student work, course descriptions, evaluations, and curriculum development materials. Also includes examples of Yelle's professional work, and a poster for an exhibit by Constantin Boym. |
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Administrative and Other Offices
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| Administrative and Other Offices, 1909-2007 (bulk 1973-99)
(4 linear ft)
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Predominantly comprised of records produced by the Development Office, these papers document fund raising initiatives, special programs, events, and alumni reunion plans. Other offices represented in this group are Admissions, Career Services, Public Relations, and Publication Design. Also includes publications put out by the Student Council in the 1970s and 1992. |
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Alumni Association
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| Alumni Association Files, 1926-70
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From the 1940s until 1970 the Parsons Alumni Association assembled materials documenting the careers of graduates. Material includes correspondence, administrative files, publications and photographs, as well as ten scrapbooks containing news clippings about alumni, and students, faculty and school activities dating from 1926 to 1970. |
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Audio and Moving Images
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| Audio and moving images: General
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Includes DVDs, films, video and audio cassettes documenting various Parsons programs, student exhibitions, lectures presented by visiting photographers, and events. The majority of this material relates to the Fashion Design Department, particularly annual fashion shows, 1966-2006, and jury shows, 1969-98. |
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Consists of oral histories conducted with former faculty members. |
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Deans, Presidents, and Executive Offices
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| Deans and Presidents: General
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| Minutes and Reports, 1912-2005
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Photographs and Slides
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Includes 1,400 photographs documenting Parsons student and campus life, including exhibitions, award and fashion shows, guest lectures, field trips, and campus construction projects. (Inventory available -- contact the Kellen Archives.) |
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Printed material, Graphics and Ephemera
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| Handbooks and orientation materials
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| Admissions catalogs and informational material
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| Event announcements and programs
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Consists of catalogs and announcements for exhibitions held at Parsons by outside professional artists and others. For student and faculty exhibition materials, see Academic Departments, Programs and Schools files. |
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The Kellen General Collections contain personal and professional papers and design work by former Parsons faculty and students and others working in design disciplines associated with Parsons, including the fields of architectural design, environmental design, communication design, fashion design, fine arts, illustration, interior design, photography and product design.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
André and Creators Studios
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| André and Creators Studios fashion drawings, 1938-72
(9 linear ft)
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André Studios and Creators Studios were Seventh Avenue fashion businesses that marketed their designs to clothing manufacturers by annual subscription. In the mid-1970s, Pearl Alexander--André's co-owner and designer since the 1930s--retired, and the company's design drawings were sold to Creators Studios. The Kellen collection consists of bound volumes of sketches produced and marketed by the two companies between 1938 and 1972. |
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Arje, Dan
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| Dan Arje papers, 1960s-1970s
(1 linear ft)
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Dan Arje (1923-1993) was a designer and display director for Bonwit Teller. The collection is primarily comprised of scrapbooks with photographs and news clippings about Arje's displays, as well as correspondence regarding his decoration of the White House Christmas tree during the Johnson administration. |
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Baker, Harry B.
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| Harry B. Baker papers, 1897-1946
(1.4 linear ft.)
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Harry B. Baker (1868-1941) was an illustrator who attended and later taught at the New York and Paris branches of the New York School of Fine and Applied Art (which became Parsons School of Design) in the early 20th century. Before moving to New York, Baker traveled around the American West illustrating bar fights, cowboys, Native American, and street scenes. The collection includes photographs of Baker and his students, a letter from Frank Alvah Parsons, identity cards and papers, and illustrations by Baker, including one for the cover of Western Story magazine. |
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Barrows, Stanley
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| Stanley Barrows papers, 1949-68
(1 linear ft)
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Stanley Barrows (1914-1995) graduated from Parsons in 1940 and taught interior design at the school for over 20 years, becoming mentor to several generations of notable designers. The collection includes examples of student work from the 1930s and '40s compiled by Barrows, course outlines, class travel itineraries, reference photographs of Italian decorative styles, biographical material, and correspondence from Barrows related to his activities as a designer and teacher. |
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Bernard, Bess
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| Bess Bernard renderings for Bernard Design International , 1960s-1980s
(1.25 linear ft, 42 illustrations)
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In 1960, Bess Bernard established her own company, Bernard Design International, Ltd., specializing in interior design projects for commercial and residential spaces. The collection consists of 42 watercolor and pencil renderings produced by various artists of Bernard interiors. |
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Bosch, Katherine
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| Katherine Bosch student work, 1917-1920
(1 folder)
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Katherine Bosch (1896-1980) attended Parsons from 1917 to 1920. The collection contains work Bosch completed as a student in the school's Interior Architecture, Decoration, and Furniture Design Department. |
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Bouché, René
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| René Bouché fashion illustrations, 1940s-1970s
(1 cubic ft)
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A leader in fashion illustrations, René Bouché (1905-1963) taught at Parsons in 1947. The Kellen collection includes 58 of Bouché's fashion sketches, as well as a poster from a 1974 exhibition of his work. |
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Boylan, Roselaine
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| Roselaine Boylan student work, 1929-30
(2 drawings)
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Advertising illustrations by Roselaine Boylan completed as a student in Parsons' Graphic Advertising and Illustration Department, 1929-30. |
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Brigance, Tom
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| Tom Brigance fashion sketches, 1953-76
(2 cubic ft)
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After graduating from Parsons in 1934, Tom Brigance (1913-1990) became a fashion designer specializing in women's swimsuits and sportswear. Exclusive designer at Frank Gallant in the 1950s, Brigance won the fashion industry's Coty Award in 1953. The Kellen collection includes illustrations for Brigance's designs for Lord & Taylor, among others, many drawn by Dorothy Hood. |
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Brooks, Donald
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| Donald Brooks papers, 1959-2003
(6 cubic ft)
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Donald Brooks (1928-2005) was a prominent fashion designer known for creating the "American Look." Brooks designed ready-to-wear collections, custom made clothes and costumes for theatrical productions. He taught at Parsons for over forty years. The collection includes photographs, publicity material, exhibit catalogs, and original fashion and costume design sketches from 1959 through 2003. |
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Brown, Constance
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| Constance P. Brown papers, 1912-31, 1944, 1981
(0.25 linear ft)
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Constance Brown atttended the New York School of Fine and Applied Art around 1913 and worked as secretary to Frank Alvah Parsons sometime in the teens or '20s. The collection consists of postcards from Parsons to Brown, faculty announcements, school circulars and course descriptions, class rolls and clippings from 1912-31, and correspondence with the Parsons Alumni Association, 1944 and 1981. |
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Buttfield, Bruce
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| Bruce Buttfield renderings and photographs, 1930s,1950s
(1.2 cubic ft)
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Interior designer Bruce Buttfield (1897-1969) made his mark in the 1930s by creating furniture and rooms inspired by Victorian design. In 1931, he designed the interior of the original Whitney Museum building on Eighth Street in New York City. The collection includes photographs and color renderings of Buttfield interiors. |
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Carr, Zack
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| Zack Carr papers, 1969-2000
(3.5 linear ft)
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After graduating from Parsons in 1973, fashion designer Zack Carr (1945-2000) worked for B. Altman, Donald Brooks and Calvin Klein. In 1984 Carr started his own line. The collection includes material produced and compiled from 1969-2000, and includes a pattern drafting notebook, sketches for Calvin Klein, idea books, photographs, news clippings and biographical material. Also includes examples of work Carr did as a Parsons student. |
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Cashin, Bonnie
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| Bonnie Cashin, Sills & Company publicity photographs, 1967-68
(0.3 cubic ft)
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65 publicity photographs for clothing designed by Bonnie Cashin for Sills & Company, around 1967-68. |
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Cassels, Mariette
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| Mariette Cassels student notebooks, 1930-31
(0.5 linear ft, 8 notebooks)
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Eight notebooks kept by Mariette Cassels while studying in the Parsons' Paris atelier, 1930-31. Includes lecture notes, photographs, postcards, clippings and sketches of furniture and decorative moldings. |
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Chase, William Merritt
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| William Merritt Chase etchings, 1878, 1883
(2 etchings)
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Chermayeff, Ivan
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| Ivan Chermayeff graphic designs, 1950, 1977
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Printed designs for Chermayeff's mural, "Painting by Computer" and an issue of the Harvard Advocate that includes a design by Chermayeff. |
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Darwin, Dero
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| Dero Darwin student work, 1960s
(2.8 cubic ft)
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Dero Darwin, Jr., graduated from Parsons' Interior Design Department in 1964. This collection includes design work Darwin produced as a student, as well as lecture notes and course materials. Also included are items from Darwin's professional design career. |
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Dean, Ethel
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| Ethel Dean drawings and designs, 1950s
(0.5 cubic ft)
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Textile and wallpaper samples designed by Ethel Dean, who was active in the 1950s. Also, a portfolio of Dean's drawings, "Sketches for Laughing Woman." |
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Donna Karan New York
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| Donna Karan New York merchandising materials, 1993-94
(2 linear ft)
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Donna Karan (1948- ) attended Parsons in 1968 and '69 and has been a visiting critic since 1975. Karan was awarded an honorary degree in 1987. The collection includes merchandising materials produced by Donna Karan New York, and includes photographs, advertisements, videotapes and press kits. |
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Driscoll, Raymond
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| Raymond Driscoll scrapbook and sketches, 1940s-1950s
(0.25 linear ft)
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In a career that extended from the 1930s to the 1960s, Raymond Driscoll (1915-2004) was perhaps most widely known for his annual best and worst-dressed lists. He also achieved recognition for his costume designs for Mexican film stars. The Kellen collection is comprised of Driscoll's scrapbook of photographs, news clippings, invitations and greeting cards documenting Driscoll's work in the 1940s and '50s, as well as color fashion sketches. |
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Dwork, Melvin
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| Melvin Dwork papers, 1930s-2000s
(3 linear ft)
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Named one of Architectural Digest’s top 100 designers in 1990 and 2002, Melvin Dwork (1922- ) attended Parsons in the 1940s, later taught at the school and served on the Parsons Advisory Committee. The collection (1930s through the 2000s) includes student work, slides, photographs, news clippings, press releases, brochures, showroom catalogs, personal correspondence, and awards. |
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Ehrlich, Suzy Lorraine [née Heitler]
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| Suzy Lorraine Ehrlich fashion illustrations, 1950s-1970s
(0.5 cubic ft)
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Suzy Lorraine Ehrlich (1919-2006), was a fashion illustrator and product designer. The collection is comprised of fashion illustrations executed in pen and ink, pastel, crayon, watercolor, and collage. |
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Epstein, Ethel
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| Ethel Epstein student work, 1925-26
(0.1 linear ft)
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Class notes and photographs documenting decorative styles compiled by Ethel Epstein when she was a student at Parsons' Interior Architecture and Decoration Department, 1925-26. |
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Erickson, Carl
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| Carl Erickson (Eric) fashion illustrations, 1949
(0.5 cubic ft)
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Carl Erickson (1891-1958), who signed his work "Eric," was a leading fashion illustrator whose drawings appeared in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, among other publications. In 1964, Parsons hosted a retrospective of Erickson's work, and the Kellen collection consists of a number of works from that exhibit. |
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Fashion Prints
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| Fashion Print scrapbooks, 1805-1913
(9 cubic ft)
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This collection consists of 19 scrapbooks containing more than 10,000 prints of fashion illustrations produced between 1805 and 1913. Many were issued originally as portfolio prints, others were taken from books and periodicals, such as Graham's Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine. The majority of the earlier prints are French, with all types of clothing depicted. |
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Feitler, Bea
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| Bea Feitler papers, 1960s-early 1980s
(8 cubic ft)
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Bea Feitler (1938-1982) graduated from Parsons in 1959 with a degree in Graphic Arts and Advertising and went on to an illustrious career as a designer of books, magazines, posters, record albums and costumes. Feitler served as art director for Harper's Bazaar and Ms., among other magazines, consulting art director for Condé Nast where she created Self magazine, and design director for Straight Arrow Publications and Rolling Stone. The collection includes photographs, paste-ups, catalogs, working sketches and other artwork, and correspondence. |
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Fleming, Roy
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| Roy Fleming student work, 1902-07
(0.1 linear ft)
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Roy Fleming (1878-1958) produced the notebook and charcoal drawing in this collection while attending the New York School of Art between 1902 and 1907. Fleming's notes are accompanied by detailed pen and ink sketches illustrating lectures by Frank Alvah Parsons, William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri and others. The collection also includes a 1902 photograph, presumably of Fleming. |
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Fox, Lorraine
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| Lorraine Fox offprints, transparencies, and tear sheets, 1964-76
(0.6 cubic ft)
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Lorraine Fox (1922-1976) began her career in graphic design in the 1940s. The collection includes offprints, proofs, transparencies and tear sheets of magazine and book illustrations, advertisements and record albums. Fox taught at Parsons from 1965 to '76. |
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Galanos, James
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| James Galanos sketches for Jimi Originals, 1950s
(1 folder)
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In 1950, fashion designer James Galanos (1924- ) started Jimi Originals with Mary Scourby. The company only existed for a short time, but it was the first company to market Galanos' creations under his name. The Kellen collection consists of eleven Jimi Originals fashion sketches as well as invoices and notes. Galanos was a critic at Parsons from 1962 to 1968. |
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Geck, Francis
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| Francis Geck papers, 1920s
(1.2 cubic ft)
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Francis Geck (1900- ) graduated from Parsons in 1924 with a degree in Costume and Stage Design and taught Interior Decoration for the school's Paris atelier from 1925-27. In the '20s, Geck created sets and costumes for silent films. His later work included designs for yacht interiors. The papers include photographs, publications and sketches from Geck's student years, course materials on Dynamic Symmetry and other subjects, and correspondence and instructions to faculty from Frank Alvah Parsons. |
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Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique
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| Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique showroom books, 1972-74
(1 linear ft)
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The collection consists of showroom books for the Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique of New York City, and ten reproductions of fashion sketches. |
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Golbin, Ruth Andrée
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| Ruth Andrée Golbin papers, 1940s-70s
(1 cubic ft)
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After graduating from Parsons in 1943, Ruth Andrée Golbin (1923- ) led a long career as a painter, graphic designer and illustrator. The Kellen holds examples of Golbin's drawings, graphic designs and book illustrations. |
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Goodman, Jeremiah
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| Jeremiah Goodman interior design renderings, 1970s-80s
(10 illustrations)
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Jeremiah Goodman (1923- ), studied at Parsons and the Franklin School of Professional Art in the 1940s, and went on to become a sought-after illustrator of interiors, creating covers for Interior Design magazine for fifteen years. The Kellen collection consists of ten watercolor renderings. |
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Gottlieb, Adolph;Gottlieb, Esther; Levy, Edgar; Corcos, Lucille; Smith, David; Dehner, Dorothy
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| Six-panel etching by Edgar Levy, Adolph Gottlieb, Esther Gottlieb, Lucille Corcos, David Smith and Dorothy Dehner, 1933
(1 etching)
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Three prints of a 1933 zinc-plate etching. In six small panels, each artist created a portrait of another of the group. Edgar Levy was the father of former Parsons dean David Levy, who donated the prints to the Kellen. |
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Graftstrom, Ruth S.
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| Ruth S. Graftstrom fashion illustrations, 1940-46
(1 folder)
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Fashion illustrations created by Ruth S. Graftstrom for Saks Fifth Avenue and Bonwit Teller. |
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Greenhill, Fred
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| Fred Greenhill fashion illustrations, 1950s-1980s
(approximately 800 illustrations)
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Fred Greenhill (1930- ) graduated from Parsons in 1950, and went on to work as a fashion illustrator at Neiman Marcus in the '50s and primary artist for Saks Fifth Avenue In the 1960s and early '70s. Greenhill also worked for Lord & Taylor, for whom he co-designed the company's trademark long-stemmed rose. The Kellen Archives has approximately 800 fashion illustrations Greenhill created from the 1950s through the '80s. |
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Hadamard, Edith d'Errecalde
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| Edith d'Errecalde Hadamard papers, 1940s-1981
(0.3 cubic ft)
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Edith d'Errecalde Hadamard (1905-2002) worked for Mainbocher in the 1940s and started her own sportswear company, Maxmil, in 1951. Later Hadamard worked for Evan Picone and as fashion director for Cohama. The Hadamard papers contain photographs, sketches, news clippings, advertisements, press kits, correspondence, notes and manuscripts for articles and lectures, including an account of a trip to China. Hadamard was a critic and lecturer at Parsons in 1969-70. |
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Hadley, Albert
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| Albert Hadley papers, 1947-99
(0.5 linear ft)
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Dubbed the "dean of American interior design" by the New York Times, Albert Hadley (1920- ) graduated from Parsons in 1949 and served on the faculty from around 1950 through 1962, when he co-founded the design firm Parish-Hadley. The collection (1947-99) includes correspondence, design and lecture notes, student work and the photocopy of a mock-up for Hadley's booklet, "Ideas." |
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Hamburger, Estelle
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| Estelle Hamburger manuscript for "Fashion Business: It's All Yours: Spring 1976"
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With the manuscript are inserts for revisions and a letter to the publisher indicating that Parsons students were creating collages as illustrations for chapter frontispieces. Estelle Hamburger was on the Parsons faculty, 1972-73. |
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Haon, Dorothy
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| Dorothy Haon papers, 1940s-1950s
(1 linear ft)
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Dorothy Haon (1898-1995), attended Parsons in 1923-24 and went on to a career in fashion design, creating clothing based on styles she encountered on her trips to Paris. The collection (1940s-50s) includes working sketches and notes, cloth patterns, fabric samples, and business correspondence and records. Also included is work by Dorothy's sister, Marion Haon. |
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Hodge, Margaret
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| Margaret Hodge fashion publicity, 1962-76
(1.5 linear ft)
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After graduating from Parsons in 1945, Margaret Hodge became director of fashion marketing at Vogue, and in 1967 established her own fashion publicity business. Hodge led multiple marketing campaigns tying clothing lines to the style and fashion of Hollywood films. The Kellen collection includes examples of promotional material from Lawrence of Arabia, Funny Girl and The Man Who Would Be King,among others, and includes publicity, set and costume design phototgraphs, press kits, event announcements and tear sheets. |
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Horst,Eleanor
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| Eleanor Horst interior design photographs and renderings, 1930s-1980s
(1.8 cubic ft)
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After graduating from Parsons in 1936, Eleanor Horst (1892-1995) led a long career as an interior designer. The collection includes photographs and slides of Horst projects, as well as numerous gouache renderings of Horst designs, many by Parsons graduate Lyman Martin, whose papers are also in the Kellen Archives. |
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Hoyt, Lea
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| Lea Hoyt graphic and textile designs, 1933,1960s-1992
(0.6 cubic ft)
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Lea Hoyt (1912-1998) received a degree in graphics from Parsons in 1933, and went on to establish a business as a graphic and textile designer. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence and examples of Hoyt's work, represented by napkins and paper plates, among other items. Hoyt's textile work is documented by slides, photographs and preliminary sketches. |
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Knight, Margery S.
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| Margery S. Knight sketchbooks, 1960s
(1 linear ft)
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Margery Knight (1906-1994) taught figure drawing and fashion illustrations at Parsons from 1946 to '69. The sketchbooks in this collection, dating from the 1960s, contain rapid figure and fashion sketches, teaching notes, and anatomy studies. |
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Lange, Margaret [alt. Nickerson, Margaret Lange]
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| Margaret Lange student work, 1938-39
(1 notebook)
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Margaret Lange's notebook produced while a student of Costume Design and Illustration at Parsons, 1938-39, includes lecture notes, sketches, color studies and fashion clippings. |
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Lashen, Daniel
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| Daniel Lashen student work, 1940s-1950s
(0.1 linear ft)
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Interior design sketches and detail studies from Daniel Lashen's studies at Parsons in Italy. Lashen graduated from Parsons in 1950. |
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Lebrun, Rico
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| Rico Lebrun lithographs for "Drawings for Dante's Inferno", 1963
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Four lithograph prints on Strathmore Cover by Rico Lebrun (1900-1964) for "Drawings for Dante's Inferno," Kanthos Press, 1963. 2,000 copies of the book were printed, each containing four original lithographs. In his preface, Leonard Baskin, the book's designer, refers to Lebrun as "Goya's child." |
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LeMaire, Charles
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| Charles LeMaire costume and fashion designs, 1924-30, 1950s
(13 illustrations)
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Charles LeMaire (1897-1985) began his career in the 1920s designing for the Ziegfield Follies and the film Heart of a Siren (1925), later serving as chief costume designer for 20th Century Fox. In the 1950s, LeMaire established his own business, taking private commissions and continuing his film design work, and earning 13 Oscar nominations and three Oscars for Best Costume Design. The collection consists of thirteen LeMaire sketches, including work for the Earl Carroll Vanities (1924-30); a design for a film; and drawings for private clients (1950s). |
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Lipton, Seymour
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| Seymour Lipton sketches for sculptures, 1960-69
(20 drawings)
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Seymour Lipton (1903-86), a self-trained sculptor, reached the peak of his success in the 1950s when his work was exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art's "Twelve Americans" exhibition. Among Lipton's many commissions was a piece entitled "Archangel" (1964) for the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The Kellen Archives has twenty of Lipton's sketches, representing ideas for sculptures, made between 1960 and 1969. |
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Little, Roy
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| Roy Little sketchbooks, 1949-58
(1 cubic ft)
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Roy Little graduated from Parsons in 1949 and went on to become the head designer for the renowned French couturier Jacques Fath. He returned to Parsons as an instructor in 1958 and remained in that position until 1979. The nine sketchbooks held by the Kellen represent Little's work for Fath. |
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Marinsky, Harry
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| Harry Marinsky interior design renderings, 1950s-1960s
(70 drawings)
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In the 1930s, Harry Marinsky (1909- ) worked as art director for "Country Life and American Home" magazine, rendering interiors for the magazine's covers. In the 1950s and 1960s Marinsky illustrated for many publications, including "House and Garden," "House Beautiful" and "Woman's Day." Marinsky also had several design commissions for the White House during the Nixon administration. In 1972, Marinsky moved to Italy, where he devotes his time to sculpting in bronze. The Kellen collection includes 70 of Marinsky's interior design watercolors and drawings. |
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Martin, Lyman
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| Lyman Martin interior design work and papers, 1930s-1960s
(3.5 cubic ft)
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| Description
Lyman Martin (1908-2003) graduated from Parsons in 1939 and went to work for Thedlow, a prestigious interior design firm. After serving in World War II, Martin returned to Thedlow, where he created interiors, produced watercolor renderings, designed rugs and painted murals for clients. In 1969, Martin was appointed president of Thedlow and stayed in the position until the company closed in 1979. The collection (1930s-60s) includes student work, renderings and maquettes of interiors, sketchbooks, an illustrated European travel diary, floor plans, photographs, news clippings, press releases, exhibition catalogs and reference files. More of Martin's renderings may be found in the Eleanor Horst collection. |
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Marvin, Ina Dell
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| Ina Dell Marvin student work, 1930s
(0.25 linear ft)
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Student work by Ina Dell Marvin (1893-1991), consisting of watercolor sketches, measured drawings, lecture notes, tour diaries and other material documenting Marvin's career as a student at Parsons Paris. Marvin graduated in 1931, with a degree in Interior Architecture and Decoration. |
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Mathieu, Dora
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| Dora Mathieu portrait sketches, 1938-68
(29 drawings)
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| Description
Dora Mathieu (1909-1980) taught drawing in the Parsons Fashion Illustration Department, 1964-66, and specialized in sketching portraits of notable designers. The Kellen Archives holds 29 sketches created in 1938, 1942, 1947, and between 1964-68. |
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Matossian, Harold
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| Harold Matossian graphic design work for Knoll, 1979-94
(1 cubic ft)
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| Description
In 1979, Harold Matossian (Parsons, 1968) became director of the Knoll furniture company's graphics department, producing invitations, brochures, stationery, catalogs and other company literature for the company until 1994. The Kellen Archives holds finished examples of these graphics. |
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Matsunaga, Shin
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| Shin Matsunaga graphic designs, 1989
(115 prints)
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| Description
A set of 115 prints of the work of graphic designer Shin Matsunaga (1940- ), as well as the catalog for a 1989 exhibition of his work at Parsons. |
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McCardell, Claire
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| Claire McCardell fashion sketches, 1931-58
(128 binders)
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| Description
| Digital Collection
Claire McCardell (1905-1958) graduated from Parsons in 1928 and went on to become a pivotal figure in the creation of American ready-to-wear clothing. McCardell received the Coty American Fashion Critics Award in 1944, and in the same year returned to Parsons as a critic and instructor, a position she held for the rest of her life. The Kellen Archives has 11,171 of McCardell's working sketches, 1931-58, the bulk done for Townley Frocks. The collection also includes 294 sketches by Mildred Orrick and nineteen by Scaasi for Townley Frocks. |
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Menswear fashion
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| Menswear fashion sketches, 1996-97
(18 illustrations)
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| Description
Original fashion illustrations donated by the menswear fashion magazine, DNR (Daily News Record), sketched by or for designers John Rocha, Tommy Hilfiger, Nina Ricci, Claude Montana, José Levy, Paco Rabane, Gilles Rosier, Joseph Abboud, and Olivier Strelli. Several include fabric swatches for the illustrated design. |
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Nesbitt, Esta
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| Esta Nesbitt fashion illustrations, 1960s-1970s
(7.4 cubic ft)
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| Description
Esta Nesbitt (1918-1975), who was an instructor at Parsons from 1964 to 1974, created fashion illustrations for such publications as Harper's Bazaar, Mademoiselle, and the New York Times Magazine. The work held by the Kellen Archives (1960s to 1970s) includes fashion illustrations and tear sheets of Nesbitt's work in published form. |
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Norell, Norman
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| Norman Norell fashion sketches and papers, 1930s-1971
(4.2 linear ft)
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| Description
| Digital Collection
Norman Norell (1900-1972) was the first American fashion designer to compete successfully with French couture. In 1943, he received the first Coty American Fashion Critics Award and in 1956 was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame. Norell taught at Parsons from 1943 to 1972. The collection includes 70 fashion sketches, photographs, news clippings, print ads, awards, scrapbooks, biographical material and two examples of Norell's clothing. |
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Odom, William
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| William Odom collection of book endpapers, 1900s-1942
(1.6 cubic ft)
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| Description
A noted interior designer, William Odom (1885?-1942) graduated from the New York School of Art in 1909, was an instructor at the school from 1912-42, and succeeded Frank Alvah Parsons as president in 1930. The collection consists of Odom's research collection of decorative book endpapers. |
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Olliver, Jeanette
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| Jeanette Olliver student work, 1940s
(0.25 linear ft)
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| Description
The collection consists of Jeanette Olliver's student work in the form of lecture notes, detail sketches and course materials representing her work in the Parsons Interior Architecture and Decoration Department in the 1940s. |
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Orrick, Mildred
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| Mildred Orrick fashion and costume sketches, 1920s-1950s
(2.2 cubic ft)
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| Description
| Digital Collection
Fashion designer Mildred Orrick (1906-1994) graduated from Parsons in 1928 and went on to a career as a fashion and costume designer and illustrator, and designed part of the Futurama exhibition at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Orrick taught at Parsons from 1947 to 1962. The collection consists of Orrick's fashion and theater costume sketches. (More of Orrick's sketches are found in the Claire McCardell sketch collection.) |
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Parsons, Frank Alvah
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| Frank Alvah Parsons lectures on art and prints of period rooms, 1900s-1930
(1.25 linear ft)
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Description
Frank Alvah Parsons (1866-1930) was an instructor and administrator at the New York School of Art (which he renamed the New York School of Fine and Applied Art) from 1904 until his death in 1930. In 1910, he became the school's director. The bulk of Parsons' papers comprises published editions of his twenty lectures on art, and prints of period rooms used to illustrate the lectures. |
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Pisano, Ronald J.
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| Ronald G. Pisano project files for the catalogue raisonné of William Merritt Chase, 1970s-2000
(6.6 cubic ft)
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Description
The collection is comprised of project files for the first two of the four-volume Complete Catalogue of Known and Documented Work by William Merritt Chase (1849–1916), by Ronald G. Pisano (1948-2000) and D. Frederick Baker. Files include provenance information, correspondence with owners of Chase's work, photographs of the work, publications lists, exhibition records, and news articles by and about Chase. |
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Prints
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| Prints by Eighteen British artists of the 1960s and 1970s
(56 prints)
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| Description
Prints by David Annesley (2), Patrick Caulfield (8), Pierre Célice (3), Bernard Cohen (4), Dame Elisabeth Frink (1), Patrick Heron (4), Gordon House (7), John Hoyland (5), Patrick Hughes (2), Liliane Lijn (2), Kim Lim (2), Kenneth Martin (3), Nicholas Monro (1), Tom Phillips (1), Patrick Procktor (3), William Scott (1), Colin Self (5), and William Turnbull (2). |
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Randall, Sunbeam
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| Sunbeam Randall student work, 1940s-1950s
(0.5 linear ft)
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| Description
Sunbeam Randall (1898-1993) graduated from the Parsons Interior Design Department in 1951. The collection includes course materials, furniture and decorative style sketches, course notes, and a scrapbook documenting Randall's art tour in Europe. |
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Reed, Marion
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| Marion Reed student work, 1927
(0.2 linear ft)
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| Description
A student notebook kept by Marion Reed, who attended Parsons' Paris atelier in the summer of 1927. The notebook contains lecture notes, postcards and class handouts. |
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Rosenfeld, Richard
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| Richard Rosenfeld fashion illustration, circa 1995
(1 illustration)
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| Description
Longtime Parsons Fashion Design Department faculty member Richard Rosenfeld has published fashion illustrations in Time magazine, Vogue, Seventeen, Brides, the New York Times, and WWD Illustrated: 1960s - 1990's. Rosenfeld did this illustration of the model, Danuta, as a demonstration for a fashion drawing class he taught in the mid-1990s. |
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Rummel, Jessica
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| Jessica Rummel interior design research files, 1930s-1950s
(3.3 linear ft)
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| Description
The collection, 1930s-50s, includes Jessica Rummel's working and reference files for her interior design business. The files consist of small drawings and watercolors of decorative elements Rummel did while viewing the pieces at auctions, as well as clippings from magazines and auction catalogs. Rummel was on the Parsons' faculty in the Interior Architecture and Decoration Department in the 1920s and '30s. |
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Russo, John
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| John Russo graphic designs
(1 folder)
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| Description
John Russo graduated from Parsons in 1942 and taught at the school from 1946 to 1985. The collection includes printed examples of the whimsical graphics that were featured in many Parsons publications, including flyers, posters and magazine covers. |
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Saks Fifth Avenue
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| Saks Fifth Avenue fashion publicity, 1954-73
(79 binders)
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| Description
The Saks Fifth Avenue publicity collection comprises 79 binders of fashion photographs, press releases, and news clippings promoting Saks' clothing lines, including Sophie Gimbel's Original, Ready-to-Wear, and Custom collections, 1954-67. |
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Schiller, Albert
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| Albert Schiller "type" pictures, 1976
(0.9 cubic ft)
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| Description
Typographer Albert Schiller (1898-1970) created artworks using pre-cast metal type elements. The collection is comprised of 35 type pictures featured in a 1976 exhibit at Parsons. |
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Schmid, Margaret
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| Margaret Schmid student work, 1940s
(2 illustrations)
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| Description
Consists of two illustrations completed by Schmid for an Advertising Design course at Parsons. Schmid graduated in 1947. |
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Schuman, Burton
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| Burton Schuman student work, 1947-48
(2 folders)
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| Description
Completed by Burton Schuman while a student at Parsons in 1947-48, for an Advertising Design class taught by Betty Carter, the collection includes sketches, illustrations and advertising designs. |
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Sondheim, Herbert
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| Herbert Sondheim fashion business scrapbooks, 1946-47
(19 scrapbooks)
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| Description
Herbert Sondheim (1895-1966), who taught at Parsons in 1946, ran a dressmaking business that produced affordable versions of high-end fashion. The Kellen Archives holds Sondheim's nineteen scrapbooks, the bulk of which contain fashion drawings depicting the work of Vionnet, Chanel, Molyneux, and others. Sondheim used these drawings as templates and inspiration for his own dress designs. Two scrapbooks contain news clippings, photographs and correspondence from 1946-47. |
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Stein, Walter
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| Walter Stein Illustrations, 1970s
(1 cubic ft)
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| Description
Painter and illustrator Walter Stein taught at Parsons from 1973 to '83. The collection consists of Stein's original illustrations for the book, For Love of Her: Poems by Emily Dickinson, 1974. |
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Stowell, James Vinton
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| James Vinton Stowell sketch of Harry Baker, circa 1916
(1 sketch)
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| Description
James Vinton Stowell graduated from the New York School of Fine and Applied Art (Parsons) in 1917 with an Advertising Design degree, and taught at the school after graduating. The sketch, titled "Portrait of 'Our Mr. Baker'," is Harry Baker, who also taught at the school (see Baker's papers in the Kellen Archives). Stowell's papers may be found in the National Archives of Canada. |
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Tee, Margaret McKay
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| Margaret McKay Tee papers, 1908 - circa 1990 (bulk 1908-24)
(1 folder)
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| Description
Margaret McKay Tee (1882-1955) came to New York from Cripple Creek, Colorado in 1902 to attend Cooper Union. In 1903, Tee began as a student teacher for Frank Parsons at the New York School of Art (soon thereafter renamed the New York School of Fine and Applied Art). After moving back to Colorado, Tee carried on a correspondence with Parsons for many years. Tee's papers include correspondence from Frank Alvah Parsons, photographs of Tee's paintings, and an autobiographical manuscript in which Tee describes her upbringing in the west, and her experiences in New York City. |
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Ullman, Eugene Paul
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| Eugene Paul Ullman papers, 1900s-1950s
(3.75 linear ft)
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| Description
Eugene Paul Ullman (1877-1953), was a noted American Impressionist painter. Around 1897, Ullman studied with William Merritt Chase at the Chase School, predecessor school to what became Parsons. By 1901, Ullman was teaching at the school. He moved to Paris in 1903, where he briefly joined James Abbott McNeil Whistler's atelier and received major awards for his work. The collection consists of correspondence, sketches, scrapbooks, exhibition catalogs, news clippings, photographs and unpublished essays. |
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Vollbracht, Michaele
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| Michaele Vollbracht fashion illustrations, 1950s-1970s
(2 cubic ft)
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| Description
Fashion designer Michaele Vollbracht graduated from Parsons in 1968, returning as a visiting critic in 1972 and again between 1983 and 1990. Vollbracht is also known for his illustrations and for designing the iconic Bloomingdale's shopping bag of the 1970s. Parsons mounted an exhibition of his work In November 2000. The collection includes portrait and fashion sketches, and large-format illustrations. |
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Waldron, Raymond
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| Raymond Waldron papers, 1938-94
(2 linear ft)
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| Description
Raymond S. Waldron, Jr. (1913-2002) attended the New York School of Fine and Applied Art (which became Parsons) from 1938-41. 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 work Waldron completed as a student at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art. Notebooks contain graded assignments, instructor handouts, sketches, and tracings. Other student work includes larger-format gouache renderings of European interiors and sites. A later sketchbook reflects Waldron's 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.
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Walker, Joset
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| Joset Walker scrapbooks, 1930s-1950s
(2 scrapbooks)
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| Description
French-born Joset Walker (1902- ) graduated from Parsons in 1928. A leading designer of ready-to-wear clothing for Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, among others, Walker may be best known for her stint as head costume designer at RKO Studios, where she designed for stars such as Katharine Hepburn and Irene Dunne. The collection includes scrapbooks of news clippings, publicity and fashion photographs, and ephemera documenting Walker's career. |
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Weinberg, Chester
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| Chester Weinberg scrapbook and sketch, 1950s-1970s
(0.6 cubic ft)
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| Description
Chester Weinberg (1931-1985) graduated from Parsons in 1951 and served as a visiting critic and teacher at the school, 1955-85. Weinberg rose to fame in the 1960s, ran his own company from 1971 to 1975, and was appointed design director for Calvin Klein jeans in 1978. The collection consists of a scrapbook containing news clippings, fashion print ads and photographs; and one sketch. |
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Weitz, John
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| John Weitz papers, 1951-96
(33.6 cubic ft)
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| Description
A leading figure in the development of American ready-to-wear clothing, John Weitz (1923-2002) established the first signature menswear line. Often appearing on annual best-dressed lists, Weitz cultivated his reputation as a well-to-do charmer to market his clothing. He pursued an array of other interests, as well, becoming a successful racecar driver, yachtsman, author and photographer. Weitz was a frequent visiting lecturer at Parsons between 1975 and 1995. The collection (1951-96) includes scrapbooks, news and magazine news clippings, posters, sketches, photographs, slides, and videotapes and film of promotional campaigns, fashion shows and television commercials. |
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Wheeler, Cleora Clark
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| Cleora Clark Wheeler student notebook and bookplates, 1912-1913
(1 folder)
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| Description
This collection is comprised of notes taken by Cleora Clark Wheeler during lectures given by Frank Alvah Parsons at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art, which Wheeler attended in 1912-13. Also included is a set of bookplates, which was the focus of Wheeler's later career. |
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Wormley, Edward
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| Edward Wormley papers, 1928-65
(3.5 linear ft)
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| Description
Design director for Dunbar furniture company for more than three decades, Edward Wormley (1907-1995) is often cited as one of the top 20th century designers of American modernist furniture. In the 1950s, many of Wormley's designs received Good Design designations at the annual Chicago Merchandise Mart/Museum of Modern Art exhibition. Wormley taught at Parsons between 1952 and 1970. The Kellen collection spans the years 1928 to 1965, and includes photographs, slides, biographical materials, news clippings, technical drawings, Dunbar catalogs, and several original sketches. |
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Yunkers, Adja
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| Prints in the Desert: a collection of prints and poems, edited by Adja Yunkers, 1950
(book of prints)
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| Description
The collection consists of a copy of Prints in the Desert, 1950, a limited edition book of fifteen prints and poems produced by a group of artists, edited by Adja Yunkers (1900-1983). Yunkers was a painter, printmaker and collagist who taught at the New School for Social Research, 1947-56 and at Parsons, 1957-58. The book includes prints by Yunkers. |
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| Kellen Archives Access and Contact Information |
The Kellen welcomes researchers to use its collections onsite by appointment. Please call or e-mail with questions related to our holdings, or to make an appointment.
Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Archives
Parsons The New School for Design
66 Fifth Avenue, lobby level
New York, NY 10011
(voice) 212-229-5942
(e-mail) kac@newschool.edu
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