Gordon Coster visual materials

  • Collection ID 1989.0891 & 1993.0029
  • Creator Names Coster, Gordon H., 1906-1988, photographer.
  • Title Gordon Coster visual materials, [graphic] ca. 1920-1985.
  • Physical description
    • ca. 8,000 photographic prints : b&w, contact print ; 4 x 5 in. or smaller.
    • ca. 12,000 photographic prints : b&w ; 11 x 14 in. or smaller.
    • ca. 5,500 photographic prints : b&w ; 11 x 14 in. or smaller.
    • 1 photographic print : b&w ; 25 x 20 in.
    • 1,778 negatives : cellulose nitrate ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.
    • 69 negatives : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.
    • ca. 56,350 negatives : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. or smaller.
    • 1 6-drawer unit (ca. 10,2000 negatives) : b&w ; 35 mm.
    • ca. 1,200 negatives : b&w ; 35 mm.
    • ca. 147 transparencies : lantern slide ; 9 x 11 cm (3 3/4 x 4 1/2 in.)
    • 3 photographic prints : col. ; 11 x 14 in. or smaller.
    • 1 box of photographic prints : col. ; 16 x 20 in. or smaller.
    • ca. 14,850 transparencies : col. ; 8 x 10 in. or smaller.
    • 135 transparencies : col. ; 8 x 10 in. or smaller.
    • 22 motion picture film reels : b&w ; 35 mm. or smaller.
    • 1 box of non-graphic material.
    • 5 linear feet, including approximately 6000 images (17 boxes). Unprocessed accrual.
  • Collection arrangement
    • For Part 1 (accession 1989.0891): Series: 1. Photoprints (8 x 10 in. or smaller), Series 2. Photoprints (11 x 14 in.), Series 3. Photoprints by others, Series 4. Card photographs, Series 5. Negatives (8 x 10 in.), Series 6. Negatives (5 x 7 in. to 4 x 5 in.), Series 7. Strip negatives (2 1/4 x 2 1/4 in., 35 mm.), Series 8. Slides and transparencies, Series 9. Lantern slides, Series 10. Coster's early work including glass negatives and nitrate negatives, Series 11. Color photoprints, Series 12. B&w photo 25 x 20, Series 13. Non-graphic material.
    • For Part 2 (accession 1993.0029): Series 1. Photoprints (8 x 10 in.), Series 2. Color photoprints, Series 3. Photonegatives, Series 4. Color transparencies and slides, Series 5. Moving image material.
  • Access and usage restrictions
    • To consult negatives, transparencies, lantern slides, glass negatives, or color material in the Research Center it is necessary to make an advance appointment (email: research@chicagohistory.org).
    • Nitrate negatives restricted from access, see reference copies instead.
    • In order to view an original motion picture film, it is necessary for a research copy to be made.
    • Duplicates in 1989.0891 are unprocessed. Contact research@chicagohistory.org for access to unprocessed portions. Staff will typically respond to your inquiry within two weeks. However, due to the high volume of inquiries and depending upon the nature of your request additional time may be required to respond. Please note that not all material will be available for researcher access due to condition, location, staff availability, confidentiality and/or other factors. Scheduling an appointment to view available material may require several additional weeks.
  • Collection summary Photographs, primarily by commercial photographer Gordon Coster of Chicago (Ill.). Includes advertising work for Marshall Field & Company, documentary photography for magazines such as Time, Life, Fortune, Holiday, Ladies Home Journal, Scientific American, and a number of corporate publications. Notable topics include animals used in science experiments, burlesque dancers, Chicago, the Chicago Board of Trade, 4-H conventions, industry (automobile, lumber, mining, oil, steel), the National Road, wheat farming, and the YMCA / YWCA. Also includes many photographs of unidentified people: mostly women but also men, children, includes a few African Americans, photographed for commercial or fashion assignments. In addition to Coster's work, the collection contains some work by students at the Institute of Design under Coster's tutelage (ca. 1946-1960) and professional photographers such as Robert Capa, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Andreas Feininger, George Hurrell, and Wallace Kirkland. A small component includes nineteenth and early twentieth century card photographs, such as cartes de visite, cabinet cards, and stereographs.
  • Terms Governing Use and Reproduction Credit photographer.
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available online.
  • Acquisition information Gift of Peter Coster, Gordon Coster's son (1989.0891; 1993.0029).
  • Names
    • Coster, Gordon, 1906-1988 Portraits.
    • Illinois Institute of Technology. Institute of Design Photographs.
    • Institute of Design (Chicago, Ill.) Photographs.
    • Chicago Board of Trade Photographs.
    • 4-H Clubs of America Photographs.
    • Young Men's Christian Association (Willoughby, Ohio) Photographs.
    • Coster, Peter, donor. dnr
    • Illinois Institute of Technology. Institute of Design.
    • Institute of Design (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Chicago History Museum. Research Center. Institute of Design Collection.
  • Subjects
    • African Americans Illinois Chicago 1920-1989.
    • Animals 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Automobile industry Michigan 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Burlesque (Theater Illinois Chicago 1920-1959. lctgm
    • Children Clothing & dress United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Farming United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Lumber industry United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Men Clothing & dress United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Mining Canada 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Mining United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Organizations United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Petroleum industry United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Roads United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Steel industry United States 1920-1989. lctgm
    • Women Clothing & dress United States 1920-1989. lctgm
  • Geographic coverage
    • Baltimore (Md.)
    • Chicago (Ill.) 1920-1989.
    • New York (N.Y.)
  • Genre
    • Card photographs. gmgpc
    • Cellulose nitrate negatives. gmgpc
    • Film negatives. gmgpc
    • Glass negatives. gmgpc
    • Motion pictures.
    • Photographic prints Color. gmgpc
    • Gelatin silver prints. gmgpc
    • Lantern slides. gmgpc
    • Slides Color. gmgpc
    • Film transparencies Color. gmgpc
  • Geographic name United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.
  • Finding aid URL