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 Photographs series consists of an array of images from throughout George Jergenson's life. Included here are family photographs and slides of his paintings, many of which are landscapes of the Sierra Nevada around his childhood home of Fresno. There are images from his years teaching at Art Center and a surface development slide show (80 slides). Of interest are photos of his design sketches for the Train of Tomorrow, as well as a slide presentation (137 slides) of the history of trains which includes images of the Train of Tomorrow. There are also slides of Eero Saarinen's iconic Styling Administration Building at the General Motors Technical Center.

The George Jergenson papers offer an overview of his life, especially his career in industrial design. Organized during his retirement years, this collection consists of correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs, and artwork. One of the highlights is the General Motors Train of Tomorrow that he designed, a three-year labor of love for Jergenson. From concept sketches to spec sheets to a film of the finished cars, the collection documents the entire project. Another focus of this collection is his surface development teaching materials which he used while at General Motors to share his expertise with young designers and engineers.
Series 1 contains personal materials including biographical notes with ancestral origins, lists of events, financial papers, and detailed accounts of his departure from Art Center.
Series 2 consists of letters from Jergenson's employment at General Motors Styling and Art Center School, as head of Industrial Design. Occasional course outlines, meeting minutes, and expense reports can also be found.
Series 3 contains course outlines, lecture notes, annotated bibliographies, speeches, and reports compiled by Jergenson while teaching at Art Center and in later years. A 1959 re-accreditation report from Art Center reviews curriculum, student services, demographics, school events, and a professional directory.
Series 4 contains materials related to Jergenson's freelance work from 1944-1968 for American Motors Corporation (AMC), Outboard Marine Corporation, and Pan Am. Included are correspondence, contracts, design evaluations, market research reports, meeting notes, and technical drawings.
Series 5 consists of work Jergenson did while at General Motors Styling. The earlier files relate to his design work for the Train of Tomorrow. The later files showcase his expertise in surface development.
Series 6 contains materials related to several professional industrial design organizations including IDEA, IDI and IDSA. This series also includes materials from the Society of Art Center Alumni such as articles of incorporation, correspondence about scholarships and contributions, and meeting minutes.
Series 7 consists of an array of images from throughout Jergenson's life. Included here are family photographs and slides of his paintings. There are images from Art Center and a surface development slide show. Of interest are photos of his design sketches for the Train of Tomorrow. There are also slides of Eero Saarinen's iconic Styling Administration Building at the General Motors Technical Center.
Series 8 contains seven scrapbooks which offer an overview of Jergenson's life, especially his careers in industrial design and education. Compiled by Jergenson in the 1980s, they consist mostly of clippings, photographs, and correspondence with some handwritten exposition.
Series 9 has five 8mm movies shot by Jergenson. The films cover the General Motors Train of Tomorrow, Art Center trips to Paris, London, and Japan, and the Catalina Project, a Product Design student project.
Series 10 contains original paintings by Jergenson, as well as a few items from other artists. Also included is a list of titles, dates, and other details for slides of Jergenson's paintings.

This scrapbook documents the early years in Jergenson's life. It includes photographs (of family, friends, and camping trips), clippings (mainly of his high school football team), Boy Scout badges, elementary school essays, varsity letters, and letters to young George from family members, 1917-1918. Of special interest are a 1917 valentine and his WWI "comic book" (mostly sketches of war planes). Also included are photographs of an October 1952 fishing trip in Sequoia National Park with Art Center instructors Al King, George Bronner, and Herman Wall.

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.

Collection contains personal and professional materials related to the life and work of Vernon Milton Simpson, printer in Los Angeles, California, including his work with California Institute for the Arts.

Items in the collection are predominantly printed works, including pages and final copies of the "Red Books" specimen binders; marketing material for bicentennial posters; and the posters themselves. There is relatively little correspondence or original writings.

Books given as part of the original donation are not included in this description. They can be found cataloged in the online catalog at http://library.artcenter.edu/.

This childhood sketchbook of George's was designed to instruct nascent artists in drawing the human figure, animals, landscapes, and lettering. He colored the pictures in crayon, but also sketched in pencil.

Miscellaneous correspondence, including pieces related to Simpson's parents .