Burnham Library-University of Illinois Project to Microfilm Architectural Documentation Records

In the early 1950s, the Burnham Library and the University of Illinois co-sponsored a project to microfilm 11,000 architectural drawings by Chicago architects or of Chicago buildings. In the process of borrowing the drawings from architectural firms, building owners and managers, the project director interviewed many elderly architects, including Mr. Elgh, chief draftsman at Burnham & Hammond; George B. Eich, an engineer who worked in the offices of Howard Van Doren Shaw and David Adler; George Elmslie, at age 80; and Richard E. Schmidt, at age 85. The director’s daybooks record these interviews, with their revealing comments about working in various offices, about design responsibilities, contributions and attributions. View finding aid.View BL-UI project architectural drawings and papers (scanned from microfilm). Collection access:Collections may be accessed in the Franke Reading Room of the Research Center at The Art Institute of Chicago, by appointment only. For further information, consult the FAQ. Finding aids by subjectBrowse all finding aidsBrowse images and mediaOral histories Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives:archives@artic.edu