Acquired from the UK-based private press of I.M. Imprimit, the Pouchée Specimen Sheets are a rare collection of antique ornamented types, originally produced at the foundry of Louis John Pouchée (b. 1782, d. 1845). The letters were engraved by hand in the 1820s as patterns from which metal types could be made and sold to poster printers. They are richly ornamented fat-face styles, incorporating images of flowers, fruit, animals, musical instruments, agricultural implements, and Masonic symbols within the letterforms.
The Photography and Imaging Department records are mostly catalogs and brochures from the 1930s to the 1950s, which contain detailed information on faculty and classes taught. Also of note is a file related to former chair Charlie Potts, containing biographical information on him. There are also announcements and catalogs from the late 1990s-2000s.
A unique piece in the collection is a small book from 2005 created by Rene Sheret (PHOT 1954) featuring some of his student work digitally altered.
The Photography and Imaging materials were originally in the main collection of catalogs and brochures saved by the Library prior to the establishment of the Archives, plus a few items directly from the department.
The Irene Vermeers papers consist almost entirely of photographs of Art Center School in the mid-1930s, especially faculty portraits and student work. Some of her images were less formal and capture rare candid images of students. The bulk of the collection is photographs of an Industrial Design Department class project from the mid-1930s taught by Kem Weber, whose objective was to design and build a model for a future Art Center campus to be located on Wilshire Boulevard.
Also included in this collection are Art Center Photography faculty Al King's color theory notebooks and the camera and tripod she used as a student.
The Charlie Potts photographs were primarily taken by Potts while he was a student and consist mainly of portraits of models. Also included are four early photographs of his family members and a few images labelled Preston Duncan Studio.
The Photography Department Field Trip photographs are mainly images of students working on location shoots, most of which are Eddie Kaminski's class field trips. In addition, there are images of student work made on these shoots. These negatives and contact prints are believed to have been donated by an alumnus, most likely Morgan Sinclaire (PHOT 1942) based on the similarities with images in his collection. Some of the names and dates were identified by Richard Ham (PHOT 1951) in 2004.
A 26-page book of black and white photographs titled "Parachutes" taken by Jim Bertoglio while a student at the Art Center School. The book was most likely created as a promotional tool to advertise Cole of California's participation in the War effort. It includes images of company employees sewing parachute components and assembling the packs. The book is spiral bound with a clear acetate cover.
The Marion Strahl Boyer photographs consist mainly of images taken by Strahl during Art Center Photography Department field trips in 1942. Of interest is a trip to Yosemite with instructor Ansel Adams. Also included are photocopies of two magazine articles about Art Center photography students and six advertisements for Art Center School.
The Fred Lyon photographs are images of Art Center Photography Department field trips and studio assignments shot by Lyon while he was a student. Of interest is a trip to Yosemite with instructor Ansel Adams.
The Gerald P. B. Murison photographs are 50 black and white images (negatives and prints) taken by Murison and other students from 1942 to 1943. Of special interest are the photographs of his instructor Ansel Adams in the classroom. Also in this collection is a series titled A Day in the Life of an Art Center Photo Student which shows Murison at home and school.
Artwork by Virginia Adams, late 1930s-early 1940s, consisting of 20 pieces of mostly advertising original art, many in mat boards 7.5" x 8". Enclosure titled "Los Angeles Fashion Report Spring 1939" with 9 loose sheets of original fashion artwork. Several printed advertisements (some on newsprint) for I. Magnin & Co.
The Allen K. Saiget photographs are digital prints of a 1947 dinner party held for Art Center Photography Department faculty and students at Allen and Wayne Saiget's parents' house.
The Advertising Department photographs in this collection begin in the late 1940s. Images of classroom critiques and mock agency presentations from the mid-1950s-1960s make up the bulk of the collection. The most commonly pictured faculty in the images are Department Chair Harvey Thompson and instructor James Jordan. There are also images of students working on their advertising designs, many of which are hand-illustrated.
Examples of Student Work are primarily from the 1950s and 1960s, with early images including the student posed with their completed project. Overall changes in how advertising has been conveyed from the 1950s through the 1980s are well-documented; the earlier designs are nearly exclusively hand illustrated, while later advertisements (from about 1965 onward) almost all include photographs in the layout.
This small collection related to transportation design was donated by John Treacy to Art Center after a nostalgic visit to the campus. It consists of photocopies of two letters and two automobile sketches, and four photographs of car designs by John Treacy and J. Gordon Legg.
The Third Street photographs are mainly candid shots of students working on projects and relaxing on campus. In addition, there are images of students painting at sites off campus. These copy negatives and contact prints are believed to have been donated by an alumnus. Some of the names and dates have been identified by an unknown person.
The Richard Hartt photographs consist of a single portrait of Photography Department faculty member C. K. Eaton. The image was probably taken by a student for a class assignment and captures Eaton's fun personality.
