McNally and Quinn Records, 1880-1977

James Edwin Quinn, founding partner of the firm McNally and Quinn, was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 17, 1895 to John F. Quinn, a stonecutter of the Quinn and McCue Stone Company. After attending Englewood High School from 1909 to 1913, Quinn began apprenticing as a draftsman in the office of architect Charles J. Bremer. He gained further experience working as a draftsman in the office of architect Eric E. Hall from 1914-1918. It is in Hall's office that Quinn would later meet future partner Frank Angus McNally (born 1884, St. Paul, Minnesota), then working as an architectural and consulting engineer. Quinn continued his architectural studies in the evening at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago from 1914 to 1915. A brief stint in the Navy beginning in June 1918 briefly sidetracked Quinn's architectural career, but when Quinn returned in January 1919, he was quickly accepted back into the offices of Eric E. Hall.

The partnership of McNally and Quinn, Architects and Engineers was formed in September 1921. By 1922, the partners had established permament offices in Holabird and Roche's Otis Building at 10 S. LaSalle St. where they would reside until the firm's dissolution in 1937. McNally and Quinn's first significant commission came in 1923 with the Devonshire Apartments at 6300 N. Sheridan Rd, with more than twenty additional major commissions following before the beginning of the depression in 1930. The firm's most well-known commission, 1500 Lake Shore Drive (completed 1931), was secured through developer Peter F. Reynolds. Though McNally and Quinn's oeuvre includes some commercial and public structures as well as single-family homes both in Chicago and the surrounding metropolitan area, its reputation was established through the construction of quality large-scale apartment buildings and cooperatives along Chicago's lakefront in neighborhoods such as Hyde Park, South Shore, and Rogers Park, and in dense and urban suburbs such as Evanston, Illinois. Due to circumstances currently still unclear, the firm was dissolved in March 1937.

With the demise of his architectural partnership, J. Edwin Quinn founded the firm of Structures Inc., Planners and Builders of Communities and Buildings, in 1937. Working predominantly in the field of modular residential construction with the patented Quinn Modular Plan System) Structures, Inc. produced communities such as the Decatur Homesteads housing project, Decatur, IN, the Purdue Housing Research project, Purdue, IN; and buildings such as the Lumber Industry House. In addition to Structures, Inc., Quinn worked from 1941 to 1965 as chief architect of the Cook County Highway Department while also continuing to accept architectural commissions from old and new clients. As chief architect, Quinn was involved in the development of pre-stressed concrete bridges, most notably for the interstate highway system that cut swathes through many areas of Chicago in the 1950s. Though officially retired in 1965, Quinn maintained his own office until January 1980. In October 1980 he moved into the Little Company of Mary Health Facility in San Pierre, Indiana. J. Edwin Quinn died on February 25, 1981. Little is known of Frank McNally's activities and whereabouts after the dissolution of McNally and Quinn, though records show that he established Frank A. McNally and Associates sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s and continued to work in the Chicago area for some time. It is unclear when and where McNally eventually died.

This collection consists primarily of photographs, printed materials, correspondence, legal and financial documents chronicling the work of architect J. Edwin Quinn through his association with McNally and Quinn, Structures, Inc., the Cook County Highway Department, and his interest in the real estate developments of the City of Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area. Beyond their scope as documentation of the apartment building construction boom in 1920s and 1940s Chicagoland, the McNally and Quinn Records represent a comprehensive view of a typical early 20th century, predominantly urban architectural firm. The bulk of this collection is contained in Building Brochures (Series I), Project Files: Buildings and Investment Papers (Series II), Photographs and Slides: McNally and Quinn Buildings (Series IV) and Photographs and Slides: Transportation (Series V).

Building Brochures (Series I) contains promotional materials used to advertise real estate developments throughout the greater Chicagoland area (and beyond) from the 1920s through the 1970s. These materials represent both residential and commercial developments. Project Files: Buildings and Investment Papers (Series II) contains documentation of projects for several architectural firms: Eric Hall, architect; McNally and Quinn, Architects and Engineers; and Structures, Inc. These works range from McNally and Quinn's completed large-scale apartment buildings like 1500 Lake Shore Drive and 1100 North Dearborn Parkway to single family residences such as the Badger residence in Chicago and housing projects such as the Decatur Homestead in Decatur, Indiana. Also included are documents pertaining to dozens of unbuilt projects and proposals that suggest the firm was pursuing much larger commercial and residential structures. This series includes information on many buildings in which Quinn was an investor as well as some for which his involvement is unspecified or undetermined. Project Files: Transportation (Series III) contains maps, legal documents, land procurement data, and newspaper and magazine items dealing with the demolition and construction of the comprehensive interstate highway system for the City of Chicago and Cook County. There is also information on many other highway and turnpike developments throughout the United States as well as papers relating to the construction of O'Hare International Airport and streetcar design.

Photographs and Slides: McNally and Quinn Buildings (Series IV) contains renderings, construction views, interior and exterior views of many McNally and Quinn projects. Series V, Photographs and Slides: Transportation, contains maps, renderings, aerial views, and construction views of various highways (predominantly Cook County) as well as views of bridges and support buildings. One notable aspect of this series is the inclusion of land procurement photographs and data sheets of buildings in the Congress Street (Eisenhower) Expressway right of way, from California Avenue west to Pulaski Avenue. These photos include information used to assess value on properties, including owner and architect information, original construction dates, and interior style and amenity data. There are also images of other highways and subway systems from New York and Los Angeles. Photographs and Slides: General and Personal (Series VI) primarily contains photographs of Chicago and the greater Chicagoland region. Notable photographs include landscape views of many of the communities around Chicago prior to the completion of the Cook County comprehensive highway system. This series also includes images of other architects' works in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles along with photos of historic locations throughout Europe, as well as some J. Edwin Quinn photos of family and travel. Series VII, Postcards, contains postcards from multiple locations in the United States and internationally.

Publications (Series VIII) contains a variety of publications dealing with construction news, general architectural topics, and the development of cooperative apartment buildings. This series also includes technical publications and product literature relating to new building materials, appliances, and manufacturing processes. Office and Professional Papers (Series IX) contains historical summaries, correspondence, legal and financial documents, project ledgers (including project lists, drawings lists, sketch lists, and financial data), office ledgers (including employee information), articles of incorporation, and annual reports. This series also includes printed articles written by or about McNally and Quinn and Structures, Inc. This series is notable due to the exhaustive nature of J. Edwin Quinn's bookkeeping; income statements and budget ledgers are available for the entirety of the firm's existence. Series X, J. Edwin Quinn Personal Papers, contains correspondence, Quinn's earning and tax records, and documentation of his multiple corporate investments. Also included are records on corporations where Quinn was a member of the Board of Directors, such as the Peter F. Reynolds Corporation and the Ryan Construction Company. Series X, Negatives, are restricted. from patron use.

SERIES I: BUILDING BROCHURES. Materials are arranged alphabetically according to the name of city in which a building or project is located. Within each city, materials are arranged alphabetically by project name or address, with numbered addresses listed first. Unidentified projects with known locations file at the rear of the city; unidentified projects lacking location information file at the end of the series. N.B. Researchers are encouraged to keep in mind that projects may be filed under a building name, street address or address approximation (i.e., Clark St. and Monroe St. or Clark St. near Monroe St.), depending on how much information is available in each group of documentation. For example, a researcher attempting to search for documentation on the Edgewater Tower building in Chicago should first look under the building's proper name but then might also check for papers listed under its address, 5861 N. Sheridan Rd. and finally, might look for materials listed under Sheridan Rd. near Thorndale Ave. or Sheridan Rd. near Ardmore St. which are the two nearest intersecting streets

SERIES II: PROJECT PAPERS: BUILDINGS AND INVESTMENT PROPERTIES. Materials are arranged according to the same scheme as Series I. Similarly, the same caveats regarding building names and addresses apply here as well.

SERIES III: PROJECT PAPERS: TRANSPORTATION. Materials pertaining to a particular Cook County Highway branch are arranged alphabetically according to highway name. Note that the original highway names (i.e., Congress Street Expressway) rather than the names currently in use today (i.e., Eisenhower Expressway) or the generic interstate numbers are used to organize these materials. Within each highway group, materials are separated into the following document types: Maps and Drawings, Land Procurement, Contracts, Specifications, General Correspondence, General Notes, and Printed Materials. Materials not pertaining to a particular Cook County Highway branch are organized into five subseries: Highways (Cook County Comprehensive), Cook County Highway Office Buildings, Cook County Highway Road Improvements, Highways (Non-Cook County), and Cook County Highway Miscellaneous.

SERIES IV: PHOTOGRAPHS AND SLIDES: MCNALLY AND QUINN BUILDINGS. Materials are arranged according to the same scheme as Series I. Similarly, the same caveats regarding building names and addresses apply here as well.

SERIES V: PHOTOGRAPHS AND SLIDES: TRANSPORTATION. Materials are arranged according to a scheme very similar to Series III; those pertaining to a particular Cook County Highway branch are arranged alphabetically according to original highway name. However, in this series, photographic groups which may relate to more than one of these highways may be found alphabetized under Chicago, Metro Area, Cook County Highway System, General or near the end of the series under Multiple Highway Projects. Following these subseries are materials relating to highways outside Illinois (Highways, Non-Illinois), miscellaneous and unidentified highways (Unidentified Locations), and subways in New York City and Chicago.

SERIES VI: PHOTOGRAPHS AND SLIDES: GENERAL AND PERSONAL. Materials are arranged into four subseries: Buildings and Structures, United States; Buildings and Structures, International; Architecture and Design Products; and Miscellaneous. Photographs of buildings in the United States are arranged alphabetically by city name and then address, while international photos are arranged alphabetically according to country, then city.

SERIES VII: POSTCARDS. Materials are arranged into three subseries: United States, International, and Miscellaneous. Postcards of places in the United States are arranged alphabetically by state name, while international postcards are arranged alphabetically according to country.

SERIES VIII: PUBLICATIONS. Materials are arranged into three subseries: General Publications, Technical Publications, and Product Literature. General Publications are arranged alphabetically by title. Both Technical Publications and Product Literature are organized according to Sweet's catalog file.

SERIES IX: OFFICE AND PROFESSIONAL PAPERS. Materials are arranged into six subseries, including four for the companies and corporations which J. Edwin Quinn either formed or worked for: McNally and Quinn, Architects and Engineers; Structures, Inc.; Peter F. Reynolds Corporation; and the Ryan Construction Company. Within these groups, materials are arranged according to document type: Manuscripts, General Correspondence, Legal Documents, Financial Documents, Office Papers, Printed Materials, and Bound Ledgers. The final two subseries are J. Edwin Quinn, General Professional Papers (arranged by document type) and Urban Renewal Data Files (arranged by project).

SERIES X: J. EDWIN QUINN PERSONAL PAPERS. Materials are arranged into four subseries: General Financial Papers, Personal Investment Papers, Publications, and Miscellaneous. The General Financial Papers are arranged by document type (earnings records, tax records, receipts, etc.); the Personal Investment Papers are organized alphabetically according to company name.

SERIES XI: NEGATIVES. This series is restricted and is unavailable for patron use. Prints are available in Series IV, V, and VI. Please consult the Archivist with any questions.

• Names
  • McNally and Quinn.
  • Quinn, J. Edwin, 1895-1981.
  • McNally, Frank, 1884-?
• Subject
  • Apartment houses--Illinois--Chicago.
  • Apartment houses--Illinois--Cook County.
  • Apartment houses--Design and construction.
  • Apartment houses--Designs and plans.
  • Apartment houses, Cooperative United States.
  • High-rise apartment buildings--Illinois--Chicago.
  • Prefabricated apartment houses.
  • Architects--Illinois--Chicago--Archives.
  • Architecture--Illinois--Chicago--20th century--Sources.
  • Express highways--Illinois.

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Drawings by McNally and Quinn and J. Edwin Quinn are held in the permanent collection of the Department of Architecture at The Art Institute of Chicago.

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.

McNally and Quinn Records, Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago.

The collection was a gift from J. Edwin Quinn to the Ryerson and Burnham Archives in 1980. Additional materials were added to the collection in 2011.

This collection was processed by Jeffrey Massanova in 2003 and 2004 with some additional processing by Nathaniel Parks and Mary Woolever in 2004 and 2005.

Restricted items in Series III or XI may have photographic print or digital file surrogates available, as noted in the series inventories. Digital surrogates for the lantern slides and glass negatives in Series III are the Archival Image Collection database which may be accessed here.