Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, 1969-1989 (bulk 1970-1979)

 

Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Sarah Eng and Rachel Juris; ed. Linda Evans, 2010

 

 

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Web-site: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

 

 

© Copyright 2010, Chicago Historical Society

Processed with funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

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Title: Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, 1969-1989 (bulk 1970-1979)

Main entry: Hedrich-Blessing (Firm), photographer.

Inclusive dates: 1969-1989, bulk 1970-1979

Size:

ca. 86,100 photographic prints : b&w ; 16 x 20 in. and smaller.

ca. 63,700 negatives : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 1,100 transparencies : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 370 transparencies : b&w slide ; 35 mm.

ca. 5,400 photographic prints : col. ; 10 x 20 in. and smaller.

ca. 11,600 negatives : col. ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 55,800 transparencies : col. ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 42,300 transparencies : col. slide ; 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. and smaller.

 

Restriction: Advance appointment required to view color materials in cold storage.

Accession number: 1998.0192

Provenance statement: Gift of Hedrich-Blessing, which retains its more recent photographs and continues in business in Chicago (1998.0192).

Terms governing use: All rights owned by the donor, including copyright, were deeded to Chicago Historical Society.

Please cite this collection as: Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection (Chicago History Museum), plus the HB-number of a specific item.

To purchase copies or permissions for use: Please contact the Rights and Reproductions Dept., Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614. Few images in this collection have been digitized so far.

 

This descriptive inventory provides general description of the collection in the following sections:

Searching the online catalog for descriptions of photographs,

Summary description of the collection,

Description of some material related to the collection,

Additional description of the collection,

Historical note,

Description of physical characteristics of the collection,

Detailed description of collection series,

List of online catalog headings about the collection,

Overview of call-number patterns for media in the collection.

 

Collection processing project information:

            Acknowledgements,

            Methodology of the processing project.

 

Separate appendices attached to the catalog record for this collection, part 2, provide more information. They are described at the bottom of this finding aid with their URLs.

 

 

Searching the online catalog for descriptions of photographs:

This descriptive inventory provides an overall description of the collection. In addition, each Hedrich-Blessing job-file or stock-file of photographs in the collection is described in detail in a catalog record in the online catalog found at http://www.chsmedia.org or on the Web-site of the Chicago History Museum, Research Center at http://www.chicagohistory.org/research .

 

When using the General Keyword search, it is best strategy to list as few words as possible that will find the topic of interest and then add the word "Hedrich" to the search. For example, to search for buildings designed by the firm of Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy, it would be efficient to enter these search words:

Dubin Hedrich

 

Please note the call numbers displayed at the bottom of each catalog record. These HB-numbers are needed in order to request job-files in the Chicago History Museum, Research Center.

 

 

Summary description of the collection:

The Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, is the photographic archive of primarily 1970s work produced by Hedrich-Blessing, a Chicago-based commercial photography firm specializing in architectural and design photography. Images show exterior and interior views of buildings and structures, including commercial, cultural, educational, government, health care, industrial, office, residential, sports and recreation, and transportation facilities. The collection includes images documenting design and construction processes, such as architectural drawings, architectural models, construction photographs, and portrait photographs of construction workers, architects, and clients. Also included are product portraits of building materials, office furniture, and other commercial goods; some views include people. Includes sites in the United States and abroad.

 

The collection includes work for prominent Chicago architectural, design, and engineering firms, such as A. Epstein & Sons International, Harry Weese & Associates, Perkins & Will, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and other firms located in the Chicago area and throughout the United States. Also included is work for Marshall Field & Company, Meredith Publishing Services (publisher of Better Homes & Gardens magazine), United States Gypsum Company, and other companies, located in the Chicago area and throughout the United States, associated with the domestic and commercial built environments.

 

 

Description of some material related to the collection:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, ca. 1929-1969 (1991.0505) and the Hedrich-Blessing office files, ca. 1939-1979.

 

The Hedrich-Blessing office files include invoices on microfilm for the majority of the job-files in the Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2. Included also in the office files are some correspondence, homeowner and model release forms, material samples, and receipts from vendors.

 

 

Additional description of the collection:

In addition to architectural and design photography, many images in the collection are examples of Hedrich-Blessing's other commercial work, including industrial, product, editorial, and corporate photography. Highlights of the collection, organized by topical theme, are described below.

 

Commercial facilities frequently photographed by Hedrich-Blessing include banks, department stores, hotels, and shopping centers, located in the Chicago area and across the United States. The Chicago Board of Trade Building, showrooms at the Merchandise Mart, and holiday decorations and merchandise displays at the Marshall Field & Company flagship department store in Chicago (Ill.) feature prominently in the collection. Clients associated with images of commercial facilities include Marshall Field & Company and Florsheim Shoes, both based in Chicago.

 

Auditoriums, churches, galleries and museums, public libraries, gymnasiums, and swimming pools are among the cultural and sports and recreation facilities appearing in the collection. Many of the public libraries depicted are located in the Chicago area. Galleries and museums shown are located across the United States and include the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Historical Society in Chicago (Ill.). Clients include architectural firms, such as Hammond Beeby & Associates and Wendt, Cedarholm & Tippens, and manufacturers of a building materials and furniture, such as United States Gypsum Company, Super Sky Products Company, and Heywood-Wakefield Company.

 

Educational facilities represented in the collection include elementary, junior, middle, and high schools, colleges, community colleges, universities, and vocational schools located in the Chicago area and across the United States. Clients include architectural firms, such as FGM, Inc., Harry Weese & Associates, Perkins & Will, and Walter Scholer & Associates, and manufacturers, such as Conwed Corporation.

 

Featured government facilities include city halls, courthouses, detention facilities, fire stations, jails, and police stations located in the Chicago area and across the United States. Prominent examples include the Richard J. Daley Center, Cook County Department of Corrections facilities, and the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago (Ill.). Architectural firms frequently associated with images of government facilities include A. Epstein & Sons International and C.F. Murphy Associates. Clients associated with government facilities include the City of Chicago.

 

Health care facilities pictured in the collection include hospitals, nursing homes, and university medical centers located in the Chicago area and across the United States. Well-known buildings include Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago (Ill.) and the Health Sciences Center at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (N.Y.). Bertrand Goldberg Associates, Consoer & Morgan Architects, Jensen & Halstead, and Perkins & Will are among the architectural firms most often associated with images of health care facilities.

 

Industrial facilities photographed by Hedrich-Blessing include building materials, furniture, food, lumber, and steel plants, power plants, and waterworks. Architectural firms responsible for industrial facilities featured in the collection include A. Epstein & Sons International, Austin Company, and Sargent & Lundy. Frequent clients include Container Corporation of America and United States Gypsum Company.

 

Office buildings are the second most frequently photographed building type in the collection. Hedrich-Blessing photographed low-rise, mid-rise, high-rise, and skyscraper buildings located in the Chicago area and across the United States. Significant buildings include the CNA Center, IBM Building, Illinois Center, Sears Tower, and Three First National Plaza in Chicago (Ill.), and McDonald's Corporation headquarters in Oak Brook (Ill.). Architectural firms associated with images of office buildings include Fujikawa, Conterato, Lohan and Associates, the Office of Mies van der Rohe, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Images depicting the work of interior design architects Powell/Kleinschmidt are a highlight of the collection. Noteworthy clients include the real estate and development firm Gerald D. Hines Interests. Work for Gerald D. Hines Interests often includes examples of emulsion stripping, a technique used to combine photographs of architectural models for unbuilt structures with photographs of the intended sites; such images enabled developers to sell building units prior to construction.

 

Residential facilities are the most frequently photographed subject in the collection. Images of residential facilities include exterior and interior views of single-family homes, apartment buildings, condominium buildings, and housing developments. Some exterior views feature building products, such as roofing shingles. Interior views show primarily bathrooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, and kitchens featuring furniture, furnishings, and interior decoration. Prominent residential locations include the Ben Rose residence in Highland Park (Ill.), and Lake Point Tower, Marina City, and Water Tower Place in Chicago (Ill.). Residences are located across the United States, primarily in the Chicago area. Architectural firms associated with residential facilities include Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy and Harry Weese & Associates. The main client of residential photography is Meredith Publishing Services, publisher of Better Homes & Gardens magazine; work for Meredith Publishing Services accounts for approximately a sixth of the overall collection.

 

Transportation facilities photographed by Hedrich-Blessing include airports, bus and railroad stations, and parking garages in the Chicago area and across the United States. Many of photographs in the collection are copies of images from the railroad collection of Arthur Dubin, including images of late 19th and early 20th centuries locomotives, dining and passenger cars, maps, timetables, and travel posters.

 

Photography showing design processes includes images of architectural drawings, such as elevations, floor plans, site plans, projections, renderings, and sections, and architectural models. Hedrich-Blessing photographed drawings and models for many architectural firms, often for use in presentations or awards submittals. Views of construction are also common among the images in the collection. United States Gypsum Company, the second largest client of Hedrich-Blessing during the 1970s, frequently commissioned photographs of building construction featuring their products.

 

Product photography accounts for a large portion of Hedrich-Blessing's business in the 1970s. Frequent subjects include building materials, such as ceiling tiles, skylights, wallboard, and windows, with images commissioned by Celotex Company, Conwed Corporation, Roper-IBG, Super Sky Products Company, and United States Gypsum Company. Images of home furnishings, such as kitchen cabinets and upholstered sofas, were commissioned by St. Charles Manufacturing Company and Chatham Manufacturing Company, respectively. Office furniture was photographed for companies including All-Steel, Inc., Cole Business Furniture, and HON Industries. Other products include door closers manufactured by LCN Closers, Inc., outboard motors by Eska Company, and pinball machines by Bally Manufacturing Corporation. Some product photography was commissioned by advertising agencies, including Alex T. Franz, Inc., Frank C. Nahser, Inc., Huwen & Davies, and Martin J. Simmons Advertising.

 

Portraits of architect and engineers, business executives, individuals and families in residential settings, and models posing with commercial goods are often seen in the collection. Highlights include views of men preparing food in kitchens for the "He Cooks" feature in Better Homes & Gardens magazine and portraits of business executives for publication in corporate annual reports. First National Bank of Chicago commissioned portrait photographs and images of its corporate art collection.

 

 

Historical note:

Hedrich-Blessing (HB) is a Chicago-based commercial photography firm specializing in architectural and design photography. Hedrich-Blessing was founded in 1929 by Ken Hedrich and Henry Blessing. In 1930, Blessing left the partnership. Brothers Ed Hedrich, Bill Hedrich, and Jack Hedrich joined the firm in 1930, 1931, and 1966, respectively. Hedrich-Blessing remained a family-run business until the retirement of Jim Hedrich, son of Ken Hedrich, in 2003. The firm continues in operation today.

 

During the 1970s, Hedrich-Blessing underwent significant organizational change. In 1970, Jack Hedrich and Jim Hedrich became partners in the firm. The deaths of Ken Hedrich and Giovanni Suter occurred in 1972. Jim Hedrich, Bob Porth, and Bob Shimer were promoted subsequently from assistant photographers to photographers. Hedrich-Blessing relocated to new offices at 11 West Illinois Street in the mid-1970s. Following the death of Ed Hedrich in 1976, Jack Hedrich became president of the firm. Nick Merrick joined the firm in 1977, and Jon Miller in 1979.

 

American architecture, a major focus of the firm's work, also underwent changes in the 1970s. This was a period of advancement in building technologies, substantial government and private investment in urban development, and burgeoning suburban growth.

 

In addition to the architectural and design photography for which the firm is known best, Hedrich-Blessing's commercial work includes industrial, product, editorial, and corporate photography. The latter subjects formed a substantial part of Hedrich-Blessing's practice in the 1970s, due, in part, to the specializations of the photographers active during this period: Giovanni Suter photographed furniture, Bob Porth worked mainly in the studio, Bill Hedrich photographed primarily for shelter magazines, and Jim Hedrich introduced to the firm the use of smaller format cameras. In the area of architectural photography, Bill Engdahl specialized in cityscape and dusk photographs, and Bob Harr pioneered the technique of emulsion stripping, combining photographs of architectural models for unbuilt structures with photographs of the intended sites. Appendix B includes a list of Hedrich-Blessing photographers working in the 1970s.

 

Hedrich-Blessing has been the subject of exhibitions, monographs, and magazine articles. Nonetheless, the majority of historical information about the firm derives from the oral histories of Bill Hedrich and Jack Hedrich. Appendix C provides a selected bibliography of source materials about Hedrich-Blessing.

 

 

Description of physical characteristics of the collection:

The Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, is arranged physically in 6,150 job-files of photographs commissioned by clients of the firm, followed by 58 topical groupings of photographs referred to by the firm as stock files.

 

Job-files are arranged numerically according to the job numbers assigned by Hedrich-Blessing, generally in chronological order. Items in a job-file may have been photographed by one or more Hedrich-Blessing employees for one or more clients, may depict one or more subjects, may range in size from a single item to hundreds of items, and may contain individual or multiple copies of particular views in one or more media types and formats.

 

Stock-files are topical groupings of photographs selected for potential re-use by Hedrich-Blessing and filed according to themes. Each theme has a corresponding stock code, which was assigned by Hedrich-Blessing. Stock-files are arranged alphanumerically by their stock codes (which serve as call numbers in the online catalog). Stock-files consist solely of color materials, chiefly transparencies and slides, and vary in quantity, media type, and format of images.

 

Stock photographs are typically associated with job-files, as the stock images may have been commissioned originally by clients; may have been photographed at the same time as--but outside the scope of--commissioned jobs; or may have been photographed by Hedrich-Blessing solely for commercial purposes. Therefore, a stock photograph may be filed either with an original-job file, or with the stock-file, or in both locations. Within each stock-file, each photograph is labeled and arranged numerically by its original job-number, if applicable. The catalog record for each stock-file includes the original job-numbers, so that researchers may consult related materials. Stock-files may include images from one or more job-files.

 

The overall collection contains 266 linear feet of photographic materials, consisting of approximately 266,000 individual items: black-and-white and color photographic prints, negatives, transparencies, and slides, chiefly measuring 8 x 10 inches and smaller. Black-and-white photographic prints and negatives account for more than half of materials in the collection, color transparencies and slides for more than a third, and color photographic prints for less than ten percent. Common condition problems include fading of color materials; silvering of black-and-white negatives; buckling of film; creased, cut, and torn prints; and residue from labels and tape remaining on images.

 

The great majority of job-files in this collection were commissioned and photographed between 1970 and 1979 although a few job-files include photographs made in 1969 or in the 1980s. The collection indicates the large quantity and variety of work performed by Hedrich-Blessing in the 1970s, but it is not a complete record of the firm's output. Hedrich-Blessing sent some photographic materials to clients and potential clients on speculation, some of which were never returned, and clients may have retained materials for their own archives.

 

Collection materials are separated by medium for storage in controlled climates and packaging that help preserve them. Therefore, an advance appointment is required in order to view color materials because the color photographs are stored in a cold climate and need time to warm up gradually to the temperature of the Research Center reading room.

 

 

Detailed description of selected series in the collection:

The following 35 series descriptions relate to some major clients that commissioned Hedrich-Blessing to perform photography jobs or to firms whose work is shown in the photographs (even though they were not Hedrich-Blessing's client for that particular job). For example, photographs of a new building sometimes were commissioned by a magazine publisher rather than by the architectural firm that designed the building.

 

Many clients and topics are not described here, but all are described in the online catalog records for the individual job-files.

 

List of series descriptions:

A. Epstein and Sons International series

Alfred Shaw & Associates series

All-Steel Inc. series

Austin Company series

Bertrand Goldberg Associates series

C.F. Murphy Associates series

Celotex Company series

Chicago City Government series

Coder Taylor & Associates series

Consoer & Morgan Architects series

Cowed Corporation series

David Haid Associates series

Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy series

Fujikawa, Conterato, Lohan and Associates series

Gerald D. Hines Interests series

Graham, Anderson, Probst & White series

Hammond Beeby & Associates

Harry Weese & Associates series

Jensen & Halstead series

Loebl, Schlossman, Bennett & Dart series

Marshall Field & Company series

Meredith Publishing Services series

Office of Mies van der Rohe series

Perkins & Will series

PPG Industries series

Roper-IBG series

Sargent & Lundy series

Schipporeit, Inc. series

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill series

St. Charles Manufacturing Company series

Super Sky Products Company series

United States Gypsum Company series

Vickrey/Wines Associates series

Walter Scholer & Associates series

Wendt, Cedarholm & Tippens series

 

A. Epstein and Sons International series, 1967-1981 (in ca. 172 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, educational, government, health care, industrial, and office facilities designed, engineered, and/or constructed by A. Epstein and Sons International. Projects include banks, department stores, detention facilities, hospitals, hotels, industrial facilities (including food packaging and warehouse facilities), office buildings, and schools, colleges, and universities. Some job-files contain views of Cook County Department of Corrections detention facilities and Cook County Jail guard towers, the Hyatt Regency Chicago hotel, and the McCormick Inn hotel, all located in Chicago (Ill.). Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.). Includes also projects located across the United States and in France.

 

Alfred Shaw & Associates series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 34 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, government, office, residential, and transportation facilities designed by Alfred Shaw and Associates and the predecessor firm Shaw, Metz & Associates. Projects include banks, a fire station, a high school, a museum, office buildings, and a trading room. Some job-files contain views of the Chicago Historical Society, the Chicago Board of Trade, and Mid-Continental Plaza in Chicago (Ill.). Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.).

 

All-Steel Inc. series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 64 job-files)

Includes views of office furniture by All-Steel Equipment Company and the successor firm All-Steel Inc. Products depicted include chairs, desks, filing cabinets, partitions, shelving, and tables. Products shown in studio settings, at the All-Steel Inc. offices and plant in Aurora (Ill.), and in locations across the United States.

 

Austin Company series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 42 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, health care, industrial, and office facilities designed, engineered, and/or constructed by Austin Company. Projects include a bank, hospitals, industrial facilities (including gas and electric companies, and food industry plants and warehouses), laboratories, and office buildings. Some job-files contain views of Austin Company facilities in Des Plaines (Ill.). Projects located across the United States and in Cobourg (Ont.).

 

Bertrand Goldberg Associates series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 54 job-files)

Includes views of hospital and mixed-use residential facilities designed by Bertrand Goldberg Associates. Projects include Affiliated Hospitals Center in Boston (Mass.), Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix (Ariz.), Health Sciences Center at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (N.Y.), Marina City and Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago (Ill.), St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee (Wis.), St. Joseph Hospital and Tacoma Towers Medical Center in Tacoma (Wash.), and Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto (Calif.).

 

C.F. Murphy Associates series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 40 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, government, health care, office, residential, and sports and recreation facilities designed by C.F. Murphy Associates. Projects include banks, convention facilities, hospitals, hotels, justice facilities, and colleges and universities. Some job-files contain views of Chicago Civic Center (later known as Richard J. Daley Center), Cook County Juvenile Center, First National Bank of Chicago Building, and McCormick Place. Projects located in and around Chicago (Ill.) and California, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, and Utah.

 

Celotex Company series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 112 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, industrial, office, and residential facilities featuring installations of ceiling and roofing materials manufactured by Celotex Company. Facilities include banks, hospitals, hotels, offices, residences, restaurants, schools, colleges and universities, and stores. Includes facilities located across the United States.

 

Chicago City Government series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 82 job-files)

Includes views of municipal building projects in Chicago (Ill.). Projects include community centers, fire stations, a health center, parks, playground, police stations, public library branches, schools, and train and bus stations. Some job-files contain views of Navy Pier and the Richard J. Daley Memorial at Richard J. Daley Center.

 

Coder Taylor & Associates series, 1970-1977 (in ca. 21 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, government, health care, residential, and sports and recreation facilities designed by Coder Taylor & Associates. Projects include a bookstore, a fire station, a village administration facility, housing developments, a medical office building, a restaurant, and park and recreation facilities. Some job-files contain views of Kroch's & Brentano's bookstore, office, and showroom in Chicago (Ill.), the Village Administration Building and Park District facilities in Wilmette (Ill.), and housing developments located primarily in the Upper Peninsula (Mich.). Projects located in and around Chicago (Ill.) and in Michigan.

 

Consoer & Morgan Architects series, 1971-1977 (in ca. 31 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, government, health care, and industrial facilities designed by Consoer & Morgan Architects and/or engineered by the parent firm Consoer, Townsend & Associates. Projects include a city hall, hospitals, nursing homes, and water treatment plants. Some job-files contain views of Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago (Ill.). Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.). Includes also projects located across the United States.

 

Cowed Corporation series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 89 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, educational, industrial, office, and transportation facilities featuring installations of ceiling products and wooden office furniture manufactured by Conwed Corporation. Facilities include airline industry facilities, banks, libraries, manufacturing facilities, offices, restaurants, stores, schools, and colleges and universities. Some job-files contain views of the Conwed Corporation showroom at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago (Ill.) and the Conwed Corporation offices in St. Paul (Minn.). Includes facilities located across the United States.

 

David Haid Associates series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 38 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, and office facilities designed by David Haid and David Haid Associates. Projects include banks, a library, offices and office buildings, residences, and a school. Some job-files contain views of Hedrich-Blessing offices in Chicago (Ill.), Jenner & Block law offices in Chicago (Ill.), and the Ben Rose residence in Highland Park (Ill.). Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.).

 

Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 84 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, educational, government, health care, residential, and transportation facilities designed by Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy. Projects include apartment buildings, a clinic, a clothing store, a college, an elevated railroad station, a fire station, a nursing home, and schools. Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.). Includes also images of railroad and mass transit facilities, artwork, and objects, both historic and modern. Many images depict items from the collection of Arthur Dubin.

 

Fujikawa, Conterato, Lohan and Associates series, 1975-1979 (in ca. 49 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, government, office, residential, and transportation facilities designed by Fujikawa, Conterato, Lohan and Associates. Projects include banks, convention facilities, fire station, office buildings, a parking garage, a rail station, residences, and schools. Some job-files contain views of Illinois Center, including Three Illinois Center, Columbus Plaza, Boulevard Towers, and a fire house, in Chicago (Ill.) and the McDonald's Corporation corporate headquarters in Oak Brook (Ill.). Projects located primarily in Chicago (Ill.). Includes also projects in New York, Vermont, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates.

 

Gerald D. Hines Interests series, 1977-1979 (in ca. 34 job-files)

Includes views of office buildings and cityscapes for the real estate and development firm Gerald D. Hines Interests. Some job-files contain views of Central Trust Center in Cincinnati (Ohio), First International Plaza in Houston (Tex.), Itel Building in San Francisco (Calif.), Pillsbury Center in Minneapolis (Minn.), Seafirst Fifth Avenue Plaza in Seattle (Wash.), Seafirst Financial Center in Spokane (Wash.), Texas Commerce Tower in Houston (Tex.), and Three First National Plaza in Chicago (Ill.). Includes composite images of architectural models and building sites.

 

Graham, Anderson, Probst & White series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 36 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, educational, government, health care, industrial, and office facilities designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. Projects include a bank, hospitals, an industrial plant, office buildings, and university facilities. Some job-files contain views of CNA Center in Chicago (Ill.). Projects located in and around Chicago (Ill.).

 

Hammond Beeby & Associates, 1971-1979 (in ca. 75 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, health care, industrial, office, and religious facilities designed by Hammond Beeby & Associates and the successor firm Hammond, Beeby, and Babka. Projects include banks, a college, hospitals, libraries, an observatory, office buildings, residences, shopping centers, and a synagogue. Some job-files contain views of public libraries in Barrington, Champaign, Northbrook, Oak Park, and Skokie (Ill.). Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.). Includes also projects located in Champaign (Ill.), Michigan, and Wisconsin.

 

Harry Weese & Associates series, 1972-1979 (in ca. 54 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, government, industrial, office, and residential facilities designed by Harry Weese and Associates. Projects include apartment buildings, banks, correctional facilities, hotels, office buildings, residences, shopping centers, and universities. Some job-files contain views of the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the office building 180 North LaSalle Street, and the offices of Harry Weese and Associates in Chicago (Ill.). Includes also views of Crown Center hotel in Kansas City (Mo.). Projects located primarily in Chicago (Ill.). Includes also projects located across the United States and in Saudi Arabia.

 

Jensen & Halstead series, 1971-1979 (in ca. 33 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, government, health care, and religious facilities designed by Jensen & Halstead. Projects include a bank, a church, a courthouse, hospitals, and a nursing home. Some job-files contain views of Chicago Read Mental Health Center in Chicago (Ill.), Edward Hospital in Naperville (Ill.), and South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest (Ill.). Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.).

 

Loebl, Schlossman, Bennett & Dart series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 52 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, educational, government, office, and residential facilities designed by Loebl Schlossman Bennett & Dart and its successor firms Loebl Schlossman Dart & Hackl and Loebl Schlossman & Hackl. Projects include apartment buildings, banks, department stores, hospitals, office buildings, police stations, shopping centers, and university facilities. Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.).

 

Marshall Field & Company series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 94 job-files)

Includes views of the Marshall Field & Company flagship store at 111 North State Street in Chicago (Ill.). Includes also views of department store branches, both freestanding and in shopping centers, at Water Tower Place in Chicago (Ill.), in suburban Chicago (Ill.), and across the United States. Some views show department store chains owned by Marshall Field & Company, such as Crescent in Spokane (Wash.), Frederick & Nelson in Seattle (Wash.), and Halle in Akron, Canton, and Cleveland (Ohio). Views feature holiday decorations, merchandise displays, and window displays. Some views show merchandise departments and detail views of products.

 

Meredith Publishing Services series, 1969-1980 (in ca. 933 job-files)

Includes view of private residences featuring furnishings and interior decoration. Includes some views of room settings and showrooms in commercial spaces. Room types depicted include bathrooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, and kitchens. Some views of gardens, table settings, and food. Residences located across the United States, many in and around Chicago (Ill.).

 

Office of Mies van der Rohe series, 1969-1980 (in ca. 55 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, office, and residential facilities designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the Office of Mies van der Rohe. Projects include apartment buildings, a bank, a college, a library, museums, office buildings, and shopping centers. Some job-files contain views of the IBM Building and Illinois Center in Chicago (Ill.). Projects located primarily in Chicago (Ill.). Includes also projects located across the United States, Canada, and Germany.

 

Perkins & Will series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 84 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, educational, government, health care, and office facilities designed by Perkins & Will. Projects include banks, hospitals, libraries, office buildings, schools, and universities. Some job-files contain views of First National Bank of Chicago, First National Bank Plaza, Northern Trust Center, and the Standard Oil Building in Chicago (Ill.), and Crow Island School in Winnetka (Ill.). Projects located in and around Chicago (Ill.) and across the United States. Includes also projects in Canada and Mexico.

 

PPG Industries series, 1971-1979 (in ca. 33 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, office, and residential facilities featuring installations of glass products manufactured by PPG Industries. Facilities include banks, office buildings, and residences. Facilities located across the United States.

 

Roper-IBG series, 1970-1976 (in ca. 52 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, office, sports and recreation facilities featuring installations of greenhouses and skylights manufactured by Roper-IBG. Facilities include hotels and motels, museums, office buildings, restaurants, shopping malls, swimming pools, schools, and colleges and universities. Facilities located across the United States.

 

Sargent & Lundy series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 62 job-files)

Includes views of power plants designed and/or engineered by Sargent & Lundy. Power plants located across the United States, including Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Includes also views of construction at Mid-Continental Plaza in Chicago (Ill.), likely the offices of Sargent & Lundy.

 

Schipporeit, Inc. series, 1970-1976 (in ca. 23 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, office, residential, and transportation facilities designed by Schipporeit & Heinrich and the related firm Schipporeit, Inc. Projects include apartment buildings, a housing development, office buildings, parking garages, and a shopping center. Projects located in and around Chicago (Ill.) and Indiana, and unidentified locations.

 

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 91 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, health care, industrial, office, residential, and transportation facilities designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Projects include an airport terminal, banks, a hospital, housing developments, libraries, office buildings, train stations, and university facilities. Some job-files contain views of the Apparel Center, Sears Tower, and Three First National Plaza in Chicago (Ill.). Includes projects located across the United States, many in Chicago (Ill.). Includes also projects in Algeria and Saudi Arabia.

 

St. Charles Manufacturing Company series,1970-1977 (in ca. 25 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, educational, health care, and residential facilities featuring kitchens with cabinets by St. Charles Manufacturing Company. Facilities include a hospital, a high school, laboratories, residences, and showrooms. Many job-files contain views of the St. Charles Manufacturing Company showroom in St. Charles (Ill.). Facilities located primarily in St. Charles (Ill.) and throughout Illinois. Includes also facilities in Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, and Rhode Island.

 

Super Sky Products Company series, 1970-1980 (in ca. 94 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, government, office, and residential facilities featuring installations of skylight and window products manufactured by Super Sky Products Company. Facilities include banks, churches and synagogues, city halls, colleges and universities, conservatories, hotels, libraries, museums, and shopping centers. Includes facilities located across the United States, primarily in the Midwest.

 

United States Gypsum Company series, 1968-1980 (in ca. 328 job-files)

Includes views of United States Gypsum Company products used in the construction and remodeling of buildings. Includes also products and construction projects related to the associated firm Canadian Gypsum Company. Product shown in finished buildings, buildings under construction, and in studio settings. Products include adhesives, ceiling tile, cement, furniture, plaster, and wallboard. Buildings located across the United States, many in Chicago (Ill.), and in Canada.

 

Vickrey/Wines Associates series, 1970-1978 (in ca. 33 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, health care, industrial, office, religious, and transportation facilities designed by Vickrey/Wines Associates. Projects include banks, cemeteries, churches, convention facilities, hospitals, a library, manufacturing facilities, office buildings, residences, transportation facilities, schools, and universities. Some job-files show the Edgewater branch of the Chicago Public Library in Chicago (Ill.) and tourism facilities in Florida. Projects located primarily in and around Chicago (Ill.) and Orlando (Fla.).

 

Walter Scholer & Associates series, 1970-1979 (in ca. 25 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, educational, industrial, office, and recreational facilities designed by Walter Scholer & Associates. Projects include banks, hospitals, libraries, manufacturing facilities, office buildings, schools, and universities. Some job-files contain views of administrative, classroom, library, and residential facilities at Ball State University in Muncie (Ind.) and on the campuses of Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Hammond, West Lafayette, and Westville (Ind.). Projects located primarily in Indiana.

 

Wendt, Cedarholm & Tippens series, 1969-1979 (in ca. 24 job-files)

Includes views of commercial, cultural, industrial, and sports and recreation facilities designed by the firm Wendt, Cedarholm & Tippens. Projects include community centers, public libraries, restaurants, schools, and sports clubs. Some job-files contain views of pubic libraries in Bloomington, Carol Stream, Deerfield, Highland Park, Itasca, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights, and Villa Park (Ill.). Projects located in Illinois, primarily the suburban Chicago area.

 

 

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

The following headings for this collection (as a whole) were entered in the online catalog.

 

Subjects:

Hedrich-Blessing (Firm)--Archives.

Apartment houses--Illinois--1970-1979.

Apartment houses--United States--1970-1979.

Architects--Illinois--Chicago--1970-1979.

Architectural models--United States--1970-1979.

Architectural photography--Illinois--Chicago--1970-1979.

Architecture--United States--1970-1979.

Building materials--United States--1970-1979.

Commercial facilities--United States--1970-1979.

Commercial photography--Illinois--Chicago--1970-1979.

Dwellings--Illinois--1970-1979.

Dwellings--United States--1970-1979.

Educational facilities--United States--1970-1979.

Furniture--United States--1970-1979.

Government facilities--United States--1970-1979.

Health care facilities--United States--1970-1979.

Industrial facilities--United States--1970-1979.

Interior decoration--Illinois--1970-1979.

Interior decoration--United States--1970-1979.

Office buildings--United States--1970-1979.

Photographers--Illinois--Chicago--1970-1979.

Tall buildings--United States--1970-1979.

Chicago (Ill.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--1970-1979.

Chicago Metropolitan Area (Ill.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--1970-1979.

Chicago Suburban Area (Ill.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--1970-1979.

United States--Buildings, structures, etc.--20th century.

 

Form/genre:

Architectural drawings.

Exterior views.

Film negatives.

Film negatives--Color.

Film transparencies--Color.

Gelatin silver prints.

Interior views.

Photographic prints.

Photographic prints--Color.

Slides--Color.

 

Added entries:

Engdahl, William S.

Harr, Robert H.

Hedrich, James W.

Hedrich, William C., 1912-2001.

Porth, Robert J.

Shimer, Robert.

A. Epstein and Sons International.

Marshall Field & Company.

Meredith Publishing Services (Des Moines, Iowa)

Perkins & Will.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

United States Gypsum Co.

 

 

Overview of call-number patterns for media in the collection:

 

Call#: HB-job-number PPL (in lateral filecabinets), or

Call#: HB-job-number Oversize (in box above HB-40821-cabinet):

ca. 86,100 photographic prints : b&w ; 16 x 20 in. and smaller.

 

Call#: HB-job-number PPN (in cool storage):

ca. 63,700 negatives : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 1,100 transparencies : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 370 transparencies : b&w slide ; 35 mm.

 

Call#: HB-job-number PCO (in cold storage):

Restriction: Advance appointment required to view color materials in cold storage.

ca. 5,400 photographic prints : col. ; 10 x 20 in. and smaller.

            Oversize prints are in last box.

ca. 11,600 negatives : col. ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 55,800 transparencies : col. ; 8 x 10 in. and smaller.

ca. 42,300 transparencies : col. slide ; 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. and smaller.

 

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Collection processing project information:

 

Acknowledgements:

Processing of the Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, 1969-1989 (bulk 1970-1979), was funded by a two-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

The Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, was processed by employees of the Chicago History Museum and a rotating team of interns and volunteers. Leadership for the project was provided by Kathleen Plourd, Andrew W. Mellon Director of Collections, acting as Project Director and Alison Eisendrath, Senior Collection Manager for Special Projects, acting as Project Manager. Project Archivists Sarah Eng, Jennifer Fowle, Benn Joseph, and Rachel Juris provided intellectual access to the collection, overseeing preliminary cataloging by interns and volunteers, finalizing catalog records, and creating the descriptive inventory. Elizabeth Reilly, Collection Manager for Prints and Photographs Special Projects, acting as Project Coordinator, supervised physical processing of the collection by interns and volunteers and ensured appropriate long-term storage of photographic materials. Christine McNulty, Collection Technician, and Elizabeth Reilly contributed cataloging assistance. Carol Turchan, Paper and Photographs Conservator, provided training in the handling of photographic materials and conserved damaged items. Linda Evans, Chief Cataloger, advised Project Archivists on best practices for cataloging photographs and made catalog records accessible to the public via the Research Center's online catalog. Marne Bariso, Volunteer Coordinator, managed project interns and volunteers.

 

The project could not have been completed without the assistance of the following interns and volunteers: Stephanie Atwood, Charlotte Cottier, Abigail Creitz, Audrey Cusack, Mari Espinosa, Brittan Fowler, Leigh Gates, Robert Grassel, Kendra Hay, Margaret Klein, Craig Lanum, Kat Latham, Jenny Lockerby, Melissa Marinaro, Brittany Oliver, Scott Petersen, Aimee-Michelle Pratt, Lauren Reno, Amy Rood, Jacob Stickann, Megan Stout, Michelle Thornton, Hilary Thorsen, Susan van der Meulen, and Alexis Zanis.

 

Advisors to the project were: Robert Bruegmann, professor of architecture, art history, and urban planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago; Joan Pomaranc, Program Director at the American Institute of Architects Chicago; and Tim Samuelson, Cultural Historian for the City of Chicago.

 

The Chicago History Museum thanks Hedrich-Blessing for their generous gift, and Jack Hedrich for sharing his knowledge and insight about the collection.

 

Sarah Eng and Rachel Juris

August 2010

 

 

Methodology of the collection processing project:

The Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, was processed to a high level of detail. Catalog records were created for each of the approximately 6,150 job-files in the collection. Job-level catalog records identify the photographers and clients responsible for jobs, and the entities, people, places, and subjects depicted. Special consideration was given to architectural subjects, including, whenever possible, identification of architects, designers, homeowners or tenants, addresses, and building names.

 

Series-level catalog records were created for 35 architects and clients appearing prominently in the collection. Architects and clients represented in 20 or more job-files were deemed prominent. Series records identify building and product types, examples of well-known or historically significant buildings, and locations associated with each of the architects and clients.

 

Finally, a single collection-level catalog record was created to provide a summary of the Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2. All of the catalog records are available in ARCHIE, the online catalog of the Chicago History Museum, Research Center. The collection record is available also in OCLC WorldCat.

 

The descriptive inventory of the Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, is an added resource for researchers seeking to gain an overview of the physical and intellectual contents of the collection. Because the Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection is arranged physically by job-file number, images related to specific architects, clients, and subjects are dispersed throughout the collection. The descriptive inventory provides brief summaries of notable architects, clients, and subjects, organized intellectually by common building or structure type. Furthermore, the descriptive inventory provides contextual information about the business practices of Hedrich-Blessing in the 1970s, describes related materials in the collection of the Chicago History Museum, and supplies index terms, searchable in the online catalog, that link the collection as a whole to the individual catalog records representing component job-files, and to related resources.

 

The appendices to the descriptive inventory contain lists of frequent clients of the firm, including architects, and common topical terms used to describe the collection. The lists enhance the descriptive inventory and are not exhaustive indexes to the collection. Terms found in the appendices are searchable in the online catalog. The appendices include a bibliography of source material about Hedrich-Blessing, a key to the stock file codes used by the firm, a sample catalog record for a job-file, and a complete list of job-files and stock files for which catalog records are found in ARCHIE.

 

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The following appendices are on the Internet as files attached to the catalog record for this collection:

Appendix A: Subject lists:

            List of Chicago buildings frequently photographed in HB part 2.

            List of topical terms frequently used to describe HB part 2.

            List of geographic names frequently used to describe HB part 2:

                        List of locations by state/province.

                        List of Chicago Community Areas.

Appendix B: Clients and photographers lists:

            List of clients by industry frequently represented in HB part 2.

            List of Hedrich-Blessing photographers active between 1970 and 1979.

Appendix C: Selected bibliography about Hedrich-Blessing.

Appendix D: Stock file codes used by Hedrich-Blessing.

 

Appendices A-D are online in this file:

http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/1998/App-A-D.htm

 

Appendix E: List of titles of job-files and stock files in Hedrich-Blessing photograph collection, part 2, 1969-1989 (bulk 1970-1979), in order by HB-number.

            Online in this file: http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/1998/HBappE-list.htm