Art--History

Henry Kraus Papers

drice — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:36:01 -0400

Mr. Kraus was the first editor of the UAW's newspaper The United Auto Worker (later changed to Solidarity). He was active in the early attempts by the UAW (first under the AFL and later under the CIO) to organize the auto industry. Files for the late 1920s and early 1930s cover the attempts by groups, including the Auto Workers Union of the Trade Union Unity League, to organize auto workers, and discuss such events as the Murray Body Strike (1929); the Ford Hunger March (1932); and the Briggs Strike (1933). There are many items pertaining to the AFL's work in the auto industry, such as material on the threatened auto strike of March 1934, the Toledo Auto-Lite and Chevrolet strikes of 1934 and 1935, and conferences and conventions of the UAW-AFL. The collection also has many files of the AFL's Detroit office for the early 1930s. Particularly well covered are the activities of the UAW-CIO from 1936 to 1940, including the South Bend Convention, the sit-downs, early attempts to organize Ford, and the Homer Martin controversy (resulting in the split of 1939). The Flint Sit-Down Strike and factionalism in the UAW are particularly well documented. Correspondents include nearly every major AFL, CIO, and UAW leader of the period. Among them are John Brophy, F. J. Dillon, Adolph Germer, William Green, John L. Lewis, Homer Martin, Rose Pesotta, Walter Reuther, and R. J. Thomas. Public figures include Charles Coughlin and Frank Murphy. Nine reels of microfilm complement content in Part I and are described in a separate guide.

Part 3 contains manuscripts, notes and research materials from Kraus’s three major books, as well as materials from his other books and writings including those on medieval art. Also included are transcripts of oral histories from a variety of individuals involved in the labor movement, especially those from the 1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike.

A. Randall Vinitsky Papers

drice — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:47:10 -0400

A. Randall Vinitsky was an advertising artist active from the 1920s to 1950s. He began his career in Detroit at the Franklin Press, but moved on to Oklahoma City in 1920 to work for the Southwestern Advertising Company. He also owned his own company, Vinitsky Art Studio, and was known for creating movie displays at the Criterion and Capitol Theaters. In Oklahoma he belonged to the Oklahoma City Advertising Club, where he headed The Problem Pirates and the Gridiron Committee. In 1925 he moved back to Detroit, first working at Meinzinger Studios and then for Chrysler Corporation where he produced artwork for promotions from the 1930s to 1950s.

The A. Randall Vinitsky collection includes correspondence, newsletters, flyers and articles from Vinitsky’s membership in the Oklahoma City Advertising Club, and samples of his work in advertising and also movie posters and promotions in Oklahoma City from the 1920s. It also includes sales promotions, pamphlets, and ads for Chrysler from the 1930s to 1950s. Of particular note are the war production and war bond propaganda posters he created in the 1940s for use in Chrysler factories. Produced for the Labor-Management Committee and directed at war plant workers, the collection contains black-and-white reproductions and preliminary sketches of the original silk-screened color posters.

Minoru Yamasaki Papers

drice — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:53:56 -0500

Minoru Yamasaki, (1912-1986), best known as the architect of the World Trade Center, New York City, was born into poverty as a second generation Japanese-American in Seattle, Washington. He put himself through the University of Washington and New York University to study architecture, worked in New York for several years, and eventually made his way to Detroit in 1945 where he established his home and his business. He eventually distinguished himself as one of the premier architects of the 20th century with his signature style - tall narrow windows, gothic inspired arches, and open ground level areas. His work in Michigan includes Temple Beth El, Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, and four buildings on the Wayne State University campus (College of Education, McGregor Memorial Conference Center, Helen L. De Roy Auditorium, Prentis Building). Other works include Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (1956), U.S. Science Pavilion, Seattle World’s Fair (1962), Century Plaza Towers, Los Angeles (1975), and Eastern Province International Airport, Saudi Arabia (1985).

The papers of Minoru Yamasaki include correspondence regarding projects, travel, communications with peers and associates, magazine exposure, invitations to speak, and professional organizations. Early architectural drawings, speeches and writings, photographs, awards and doctoral degrees, scrapbooks detailing the progress of his career, and various publications are also included.

Collection Spotlight: UAW Local 174 Mural

eclemens — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 11:49:00 -0400

In 1937, United Auto Workers Local 174 sponsored the creation of a series of murals to enliven their Union Hall and celebrate their rich, if relatively young, history. The resulting work proved to be one of the most memorable pieces of Detroit’s New Deal-era artwork. read more »

Gallery Announcement: The Industrial Workers of the World Graphic Materials and Artifacts

eclemens — Fri, 01 May 2020 11:58:44 -0400

In celebration of May Day, the Reuther Library is pleased to share a new image gallery: Industrial Workers of the World Graphic Materials and Artifacts. read more »

(28887) Marshall Fredericks, Sculptor, Royal Oak, 1960s

eclemens — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:24:24 -0400

Marshall Fredericks poses with models of some of his sculptures, including the Spirit of Detroit. Photo was taken at the artist’s studio.

(31875) Emiliano Zapata, Tierra Y Libertad, Méndez

eclemens — Thu, 29 May 2014 09:18:28 -0400

“Tierra y Libertad” [Land and Liberty].

A print of a Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata standing behind a banner that reads "Tierra y Libertad." Printed along the top and bottom are the words "Solidarity" and "Farmworkers," along with the UFW eagle.

The central image of the print is by Leopoldo Méndez (1902-1969), the master Mexican printer associated with El Taller de Gráfica Popular [People’s Graphic Workshop]. The message in support of the UFW was, presumably, added after the fact.

(35325) Local 174 Mural, "Untitled" 1937

eclemens — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:09:01 -0400

A view of the Walter Speck mural, “Untitled.” The mural, painted in 1937 for UAW Local 174, depicts scenes from the union’s history. The mural was donated to Wayne State University in 2015 and is currently on display in the Reuther Library’s Reading Room.

[Podcast] Detroit Industry and 'The Mural'

teller — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 09:14:58 -0400

Dr. Jay Cephas considers two Depression-era murals in Detroit and their contrasting messaging about workers, labor, and power. read more »