Barbara Crane (1928-2019) Collection, 1972-1979

Barbara Crane (1928-2019) was born in Chicago. In 1945, she enrolled in Mills College in Oakland, California, and went on to receive her Bachelor's degree from New York University in 1950. In the 1960s, she enrolled in the Master's degree program at the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Shortly thereafter, Crane began her career as a professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she taught from 1967 to 1995; she was subsequently awarded professor emeritus status.

Throughout her career Crane exhibited work both independently and in group shows. Her photographs were exhibited internationally at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Quebec; the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; The New York Public Library; and the Bazalel Academy of Art & Design, Jerusalem, Israel. Crane also received several prestigious awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts Grant for Photography in 1974 and 1988, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship in Photography in 1979.

Between 1972 and 1979, the Chicago Commission on Historical and Architectural Landmarks commissioned Barbara Crane to photograph numerous buildings being evaluated for possible landmark designation. Crane photographed in many Chicago neighborhoods and included well-known commercial buildings and residences designed by named architects, as well as buildings by lesser-known or anonymous architects and builders. Through this project, she documented many structures that have since been lost to the current trend of teardowns and extensive remodelings.

In 8" x 10" format, the collection contains approximately 500 images selected by Crane as the "master set" of images. Another estimated 500 images are represented in 4" x 5" contact prints. Publications featuring Crane's photographs and other publications from the Commission are also included.

SERIES I: PHOTOGRAPHS. 8" x10" black and white photographic prints, organized alphabetically by project name, street address, or neighborhood. (Street names have been integrated in a single alphabetical sequence with project and neighborhood names.)

SERIES II: PUBLICATIONS. Preliminary texts, as well as published booklets and brochures produced by the Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks that contain Crane's photographs. Other related publications are also found in this series.

SERIES III: CONTACT PRINTS. 4" x 5" contact prints, organized alphabetically by project name, street address, or neighborhood.

SERIES IV: NEGATIVES. This Series is Restricted. 4" x 5" black and white negatives, numbered consecutively.

• Names
  • Crane, Barbara, 1928-
  • Crane, Barbara, 1928--Archives.
• Subject
  • Architecture, Domestic--Illinois--Chicago--Photographs.
  • Architecture--Illinois--Chicago--Photographs.
  • Historic buildings--Illinois--Chicago--Photographs.
  • Architectural photography--Illinois--Chicago.

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Barbara Crane archive, 1946-2013 (University of Arizona, Center for Creative Photography).

Barbara Crane archive, 1946-2013 (University of Arizona, Center for Creative Photography).

The photographic negatives in this collection are restricted from patron use.The remainder of the 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.

Barbara Crane Collection, Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago.

The master set of photographic prints, negatives, proofs, and publications illustrated with her images were donated to the Ryerson and Burnham Archives by Barbara Crane's daughters, Elizabeth Cohen and Jennifer Crane, in 1999.

The collection was processed by Christa Aube, of the Ryerson and Burnham Archives, in 2001.

Selected images have been scanned and digital files and copy prints may be ordered through the Ryerson and Burnham Archives. For assistance, please contact the Archivist.

An alphabetical listing of all negatives designated by Crane as the master set of images and a publication list are available online.