E. Alfred Picardi Papers, 1949-2011
- IdentificationPUBLIC "-//The Art Institute of Chicago::Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives//TEXT(US::ICA::2014.3::E. ALFRED PICARDI PAPERS, 1949-2011 (BULK 1965-1975)//EN)" "ica201403.xml"
- TitlePicardi, E. Alfred, Papers, 1949-2011 (bulk 1965-1975)
- PublisherArt Institute of Chicago Archives, Research Center, The Art Institute of Chicago,
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Language
- English.
- English
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Date
- 1949-2011
- (bulk 1965-1975)
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Physical Description
- 0.5 linear feet (1 box)
- Printed papers, typescript papers, correspondence, presentation portfolio, map, slides; and black and white, toned and color photographic prints.
- 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
- AbstractCorrespondence, photographs, printed matter, personal and project papers documenting the career of the engineer Egidio Alfred Picardi.
- OriginationPicardi, E. Alfred, 1922-2010.
- LocationThe collection is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago Archives’ on-site stacks.
Born in Corona, New York on March 6, 1922, Egidio Alfred Picardi was introduced to the construction field by his father at a young age. After working in the Operations Research Group of Navy Office of Scientific Research and Development, he received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, class of 1944. After graduation he was employed by the Crandall Engineering Company of Boston, Massachusetts to do structural analysis for the Long Island Viaduct in Boston Harbor. His achievements as a civil engineer also included the design of the solar telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona and tenure as chief engineer at the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, where he introduced the shell structure concept in high-rise building design as originally proposed for the John Hancock Center. Picardi left SOM in 1967 for Perkins & Will, where he designed the Standard Oil of Indiana building in Chicago (now the Aon Center). Picardi was a lauded engineer, receiving many awards and accolades for his architectural achievements. He died on August 14th, 2010 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The E. Alfred Picardi Papers are comprised predominantly of newspaper articles and photographs regarding Picardi's work and achievements with the Chicago architectural and engineering firms Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill and Perkins & Will, from the mid 1960s to mid 1970s, the primary focus of the articles and photographs being Picardi's work on notable Chicago buildings such as the John Hancock Center and the Standard Oil of Indiana Building (now the Aon Center). Other notable materials include: slides, maps and photographs of other projects such as the Long Island Viaduct (c.1949), the Kitt Peak Solar Telescope in Tuscon, Arizona (c.1965); his submission on welded structural systems in high-rise office buildings to the 1974 Lincoln Foundation Award Program; and correspondence regarding his lectures at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, various resumes, and additional writings.
SERIES I: PHOTOGRAPHS AND SLIDES. Arranged first into two subseries: The John Hancock Center and Standard Oil Building. Original arrangement has been retained, which is predominantly chronological.
SERIES II: PROJECT PAPERS. Arranged first into four subseries: The John Hancock Center, Kitt Peak Solar Telescope, Long Island Viaduct, and Standard Oil of Indiana Building. Chronological arrangement within each subseries.
SERIES III: CORRESPONDENCE. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES IV: PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL PAPERS. Arranged first into four subseries: Professional Records, Honors and Awards, Writings, and Printed Materials. Chronological arrangement within each subseries.
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Names
- Picardi, Egidio Alfred, 1922-1910.
- Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill.
- Perkins & Will.
- John Hancock Center (Chicago, Ill.)
- Standard Oil Building (Chicago, Ill.)
- Crandall Engineering Company.
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Subject
- Skyscrapers--Designs and plans.
- Skyscrapers--United States.
- Structural engineering.
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E. Alfred Picardi Papers, Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago.
This collection was donated by Egidio Alfred Picardi's son, Alfred Philip Picardi, March 2014.
The collection was processed by Jessica Gradolf in 2015.