Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association records
Scope and Contents
The collection provides insight into the interests, activities, and business that the Association dealt in. Grand Rapids, Michigan is historically known as the “Furniture City” and for the high quality of design from the professionals who have been part of this Association.
The collection contains materials from the group's inception in 1917 through the 1990s. The bulk of the collection is scrapbooks and the magazine and newspaper articles provide access to locally printed design literature. The materials show how the designers influenced the furniture market and depict styles and trends. Photographs depict business and professional activities of the membership, but primarily their annual dinners and picnics. Some biographical information on local furniture designers is also included. A name index to scrapbook pages, using the inverted form of the name, is available for some scrapbooks.
Dates
- 1917-1978
Creator
- Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association (Organization)
Biographical / Historical
The Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association was formally organized October 25, 1917. The group's purpose was to help maintain high standards in the furniture designing profession and to promote and sponsor educational development in its field. To this end the Association helped found the Kendall School of Design in 1928, where a number of the Association members taught classes, and which is still functioning today. Members of the Association were credited with helping to set industry styles, trends and designs.
Lying dormant during the late part of World War I and the totality of World War II, the Association was reorganized during both 1920 and 1949. Membership was limited to those professionally engaged in the art of furniture design. At its inception, membership was also limited to those designers who resided in the Grand Rapids area. As some members work locale changed, in later years this rule was not enforced. The Association met four times a year, three of the meetings consisting of dinners followed by business sessions. They also engaged in a number of annual outdoor outings and other events, such as the annual December Ladies Parties at the Peninsular Club.
The Association elected four officers annually. The group's prestige can be illustrated in that President Hoover in 1925 appointed several members of the Association to report on the Exposition of Modem Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. The group was active in promoting knowledge of furniture design and the industry and also in protecting designer's copyrights. The collection dates to the early 1970s, but the Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association continues in 2008.
Extent
4.8 Linear Feet (11 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association (Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an organization of furniture designers dedicated to maintaining high standards in the design profession. The collection contains materials from the group's inception in 1917 through the 1990s. The bulk of the collection is scrapbooks and the magazine and newspaper articles provide access to locally printed design literature. The materials show how the designers influenced the furniture market and depict styles and trends. Photographs depict business and professional activities of the membership, but primarily their annual dinners and picnics. Some biographical information on local furniture designers is also included.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association, via the Grand Rapids Public Library Reference/Rare Book Department. Accession numbers 1996.005, 1996.025 and 1996.018
Name index (scrapbooks)
(Box-folder-page)
Alessandrini, Guido (Mr. and Mrs.): 6- v.3- 55
Balbach, William R.: 7- v.5- 18
Barnes, Victor S.: 3- 7- 78
Baxter, Bob: 3- 3- 29, 3- 7- 61
Bevelacqua, Aurelio: 7- v.5- 37
Berg, Hans: 7- v.5- 24
Bjorncrantz, Carl: 3- 3- 25, 3- 8- 77, 3- 8- 79
Blickley, Ed: 3- 4- 33, 3- 8- 72, 3- 8- 77
Borneman, Louis.: 7- v.5- 5
Boukma, John: 3- 2- 13
Briggs, Sandy: 3- 3- 25, 3- 4- 40
Brower, John: 3- 2- 15, 7- v.5- 8
Burton, Frank: 3- 3- 29, 3- 8- 73, 3- 8- 79, 7- v.5- 38
Buzzitta, Giacomo "Jack": 3- 2- 14, 3- 4- 33, 3- 4- 40, 3- 1- 6, 3- 8- 72, 7- v.5- 47
Cameron, Thomas: 7- v.5- 14
Chatfield, Charles B.: 7- v.5- 3
Clark, Earl: 3- 2- 15
Clingman, J. Stuart: 7- v.5- 27
Colleen, Mrs. Robert: 6- v.3- 48
Colleen, Robert: 6- v.3- 6
Davidhazy, Mrs. Frank: 6- v.3- 56
Deryke, Donald: 3- 2- 12
DiFiglia, Joseph (Mr and Mrs): 4- 12- 230
Dryden, E.E: 7- v.5- 4
Eddy, George: 3- 3- 29, 3- 4- 39, 3- 6- 57, 7- v.5- 39
Eggebrecht, Carl: 3- 4- 37, 6- v.3- 42, 6- v.3- 43, 6- v.3- 6
Eggebrecht, William: 3- 6- 59, 7- v.5- 30
Ford, Dale: 3- 2- 19, 6- v.3- 52, 6- v.3- 56
Ford, Mrs.: 6- v.3- 52
Frankforter, W.D.: 6- v.3- 52
Fry, Frank: 3- 2- 14, 3- 7- 63, 3- 1- 9
Fry, Frank (Mr and Mrs): 4- 9- 191
Goebel, Jack: 3- 5- 41
Graham, Charles: 7- v.5- 31
Green, Stanley: 3- 1- 9
Hall, Harvey: 7- v.5- 17
Hall, Leon: 4- 12- 223, 7- v.5- 41
Handley, Tom: 7- v.5- 9
Hawk, Clayton: 7- v.5- 25
Hill, Fredrick: 7- v.5- 20
Hoffman, William: 7- v.5- 26
Hohnberg, Herman: 3- 7- 61, 7- v.5- 45
Holt, William: 7- v.5- 11
Hompe, Alexander: 7- v.5- 12
Jiranek, Otto: 7- v.5- 10
Johnson, Phil: 3- 4- 35, 3- 8- 73
Johnson, Thomas: 7- v.5- 35
Kendall, David W.: 7- v.5- 6
Kimerly, William L: 7- v.5- 21
Kirkpatrick, James Russell: 3- 2- 13, 3- 4- 37, 3- 5- 41, 3- 1- 7, 7- v.5- 16, 7- v.5- 46
Kirkpatrick, Marie: 3- 1- 9
Kirkpatrick, Mrs.: 6- v.3- 55
Kleaver, William: 3- 6- 57, 3- 1- 9
Kohlstedt, Donald: 7- v.5- 44
Krause, Max: 3- 7- 63, 7- v.5- 28
Kuppel, Fred: 7- v.5- 32
Latto, Donald: 3- 2- 12
LeDonne, Gerard: 7- v.5- 23
Loewy, Raymond: 3- 1- 7
Mailloux, Lawrence O.: 3- 2- 19
Margantin, Adrien: 7- v.5- 7
Millington, William: 3- 1- 3, 3- 6- 59, 7- v.5- 36
Morgan, Guy: 3- 3- 25
Morton, John: 7- v.5- 22
Nieuwenhuis, Mike: 3- 4- 31
Orr, Edgar: 3- 1- 10, 3- 2- 14
Pike, George: 3- 4- 35
Pischner, Barry: 6- v.3- 42, 6- v.3- 43, 6- v.3- 6
Ruppel, Fred: 3- 2- 14, 3- 4- 35, 3- 1- 5, 3- 1- 6
Rutili, Renzo: 7- v.5- 43
Sabota, Ray: 3- 2- 15
Samuelson, John: 7- v.5- 40
Schmidt, Karl: 3- 2- 12, 3- 2- 13, 3- 3- 23, 3- 1- 3, 3- 4- 31, 3- 1- 7, 7- v.5- 34
Somes, Edgar: 7- v.5- 15
Stekette, Frank: 3- 2- 15, 3- 5- 41, 3- 6- 59
Stuart, Claude: 3- 3- 25, 7- v.5- 29
Teal, Arthur: 7- v.5- 13
TenHave, Herbert: 3- 4- 31
Thompon, Donald: 6- v.3- 52
Thompon, Mrs. Donald: 6- v.3- 48
Tourre, Steve: 3- 2- 12, 3- 1- 6
VandenBout, Adrian: 3- 3- 23
Veen, James: 3- 4- 33, 3- 4- 39
Veen, Mrs. James Sr.: 6- v.3- 56
Vennell, Jesse: 7- v.5- 19
Warren, Henry: 3- 4- 37, 3- 1- 6, 3- 8- 77, 3- 8- 79, 3- 1- 9, 6- v.3- 42
Westveer, Ray: 3- 3- 23
Widdicombe, Harry: 3- 3- 28, 3- 4- 40
Widdicombe, Ralph: 3- 3- 28, 3- 4- 40, 3- 1- 5, 7- v.5- 33
Witman, Charles: 3- 2- 15, 3- 3- 29, 4- 8- 188, 4- 12- 223, 6- v.3- 6
Witman, Charles (Mr and Mrs): 4- 8- 188, 4- 8- 190, 6- v.3- 55
- Title
- Finding aid for the Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeff D. Detweiler
- Date
- February 1997
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository
Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids Michigan 49503 USA
616-988-5497
localhis@grpl.org