Alfred L. Mell Papers

Alfred Lorenz Mell (1905–1972) graduated from Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago with a degree in architecture in 1931. Appointed an instructor of architectural design there in 1936, Mell continued to hold that post after Armour was reshaped as Illinois Institute of Technology in 1940. Key to Mell’s role at IIT was the arrival in 1938 of German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, for whom Mell served as a translator. In the late 1940s, Mell left IIT to work as an architectural designer in several Chicago offices, eventually joining Fox and Fox Architects, where he became chief designer. This collection is comprised mainly of photographs, paper reproductions, and process prints of various architectural projects that Mell designed, primarily while at Fox and Fox. Personal and professional papers, some original graphite drawings, and a few examples of architectural designs by others complete the collection. View finding aid. 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