Archival Storage of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection of 19th- and 20th-Century Posters

FAIN: PG-51310-11

RIT (Rochester, NY 14623-5698)
Amelia Hugill-Fontanel (Project Director: May 2010 to October 2012)

The purchase of storage furniture to rehouse a collection of approximately 2,000 19th- and 20th-century posters in the Cary Graphic Arts Collection. Improved storage will make it easier for faculty and students to view the posters safely. Highlights include posters by the American artist Edward Penfield used to promote "Harper's Magazine" from 1896 to 1899; government-issued posters from both World Wars encouraging public support; and graphic design posters from the Lester Beall, Will Burtin, Cipe Pineles, and Chermayeff and Geismar collections.

The grant will support the purchase of storage furniture to relocate the late nineteenth and twentieth century poster collections in the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection. These significant collections, numbering some 2,000 posters, are used for instruction, exhibition, and scholarly research. As a collective resource, the posters document trends in historical events, graphic design, communications, advertising, and printing technologies. New flat files will be purchased to increase storage area and thus improve crowded storage conditions. The ability to store manageable quantities of posters in each drawer will foster safe handling of these oversize artifacts. The methodical transfer of the posters to new storage drawers will begin in January 2011 and be completed by June 2012.