Sullivan/Van Allen Building Collection, 1910-1980s
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- IdentificationPUBLIC "-//The Art Institute of Chicago::Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives//TEXT(US::ICA::1970.1::SULLIVAN/VAN ALLEN BUILDING COLLECTION, 1910-1980s)//EN" "ica197001.xml"
- TitleSullivan/Van Allen Building Collection, 1910-1980s
- PublisherArt Institute of Chicago Archives, Research Center, The Art Institute of Chicago,
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Language
- English.
- English
- Date1910-1980s
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Physical Description
- 0.5 linear feet (2 boxes), 1 oversize portfolio and flatfile materials
- Printed papers, correspondence, black and white photographic prints, color photographic prints, a watercolor on paper and glass negatives.
- RepositoryRyerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago 111 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60603-6110 archives@artic.edu https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections
- AbstractIn 1910 John D. Van Allen commissioned Louis Sullivan to design a new department store for his family business in Clinton, Iowa. By this date Sullivan had few commissions and thus spent considerable time attending to his immediate projects. In frequent letters to his client (occasionally daily), Sullivan wrote of his design, guiding and persuading the client toward Sullivan's desired end. In addition to more than one hundred letters, the collection includes financial documents and rare construction photographs.
- OriginationSullivan, Louis H., 1856-1924. Van Allen, John D.
- LocationThe collection is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago Archives’ on-site stacks.
In 1910 John D. Van Allen commissioned Chicago architect Louis Sullivan to design a new department store for his family business in Clinton, Iowa. In the late 1980s, the Van Allen Foundation was established by Chicago architect Crombie Taylor to purchase and restore the building, which it operated as a museum and gallery featuring Louis Sullivan-related exhibitions. In 1990, the building was purchased by the City of Clinton and stood vacant until 2001, when redevelopment began for commercial and residential use.
The correspondence between John D. Van Allen and Louis Sullivan spans the years 1910-1913, and was continued by the son until 1918. Also included in the collection are some calculations and statements, photographs of the building under construction and completed, and artistic renderings of the completed building.
SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondence from Louis Sullivan to John D. Van Allen and F.H. Van Allen is listed in chronological order. Correspondence from F.H. Van Allen to Sullivan follows, also in chronological order. Miscellaneous correspondence is found at the end of this series, in chronological order.
SERIES II: MISCELLANEOUS. Financial records and memos, listed in chronological order, are followed by product information and handwritten notes.
SERIES III: PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS. Black and white prints are listed in chronological order, followed by the glass plate negatives from which the prints were made. Drawings are arranged last.
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Names
- Van Allen & Son Dry Goods Store, (Clinton, Iowa)
- Sullivan, Louis H., 1856-1924.
- Van Allen, John D.
- Van Allen, F. H.
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Louis Henry Sullivan collection, 1873-1910 (Columbia University, Avery Library).
Louis Henry Sullivan collection, 1873-1910 (Columbia University, Avery Library).
Louis Henry Sullivan collection, 1873-1910 (Columbia University, Avery Library).
Portions of this collection are restricted; wherever possible, surrogate copies are provided for patron use, as noted in the series listings. The remainder of collection may be accessed by users in the Reading Room of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries at The Art Institute of Chicago. Collections maintained on-site are available for patron use without prior arrangement or appointment. Collections maintained in off-site storage will be retrieved with advance notification; please consult the Archivist for the current retrieval schedule. For further information, consult https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/contact-usage-and-faq.
The Art Institute of Chicago is providing access to the materials in the Archives’ collections solely for noncommercial educational and research purposes. The unauthorized use, including, but not limited to, publication of the materials without the prior written permission of the Art Institute is strictly prohibited. All inquiries regarding permission to publish should be submitted in writing to the Director, Art Institute of Chicago Archives. In addition to permission from the Art Institute, permission of the copyright owner (if not the Art Institute) and/or any holder of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) may also be required for reproduction, publication, distribution, and other uses. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of any item and securing any necessary permissions rests with the persons desiring to publish the item. The Art Institute makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the materials or their fitness for a particular purpose.
Sullivan/Van Allen Building Collection, Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago.
The majority of this collection was a gift to the Ryerson and Burnham Archives from John B. Van Allen, grandson of John D. Van Allen, Louis Sullivan's client, in 1970. The watercolor rendering was a gift of the Elizabeth K. Van Allen Trust, in 2012. Color photographs (c.1980s) were donated anonymously c.2015.
This collection was processed by the Ryerson and Burnham Archives before 1986. The finding aid was revised and expanded by Annemarie van Roessel in 2003.
One photograph has an existing AIC copy negative, as indicated in the inventory listing. Copies of this image may be ordered through the Ryerson and Burnham Archives.