AIGA archives and special collections
The archives of AIGA serve to identify, preserve and make
available records of enduring value. AIGA's aim is to make
conditions suitable for access and to support research that will
add to the literature of design and to safeguard its legacy.
The collections
AdamsMorioka Archives Vault
The AdamsMorioka
Archives Vault at the AIGA National Design Center is an
invaluable resource for AIGA members and design scholars. Including
works from 1914 to the present, the vault's artifacts serve as the
memory of the organization's extensive history and association with
the century's most influential designers.
More than 1,500 unique items are housed in this archive. The
bulk of the collection consists of printed records created by and
for AIGA, including: exhibition catalogues and design annuals
documenting the selections from AIGA competitions since 1915;
newsletters and journals published since 1922; AIGA conference
materials produced since 1985; and a flat file for the works of
AIGA medalists. The vault complements the online AIGA Design Archives, as well
as the physical archives of AIGA design competition entries dating
back to 1980, which are housed at the Denver Art Museum.
Hours
Monday–Friday
11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., by appointment
Closed on weekends, national holidays and during AIGA's biennial
design conference.
Use of the vault is a benefit of AIGA membership and is also
made available to nonmembers whose focused research into the
history of AIGA, the profession or design may be assisted by this
resource.
AIGA Design Archives
AIGA Design
Archives is one of the richest online resources available
to those who practice, study and appreciate great design. It
represents the quality of work being created, as well as shifting
aesthetics and sensibilities of the designers of the day. Included
in this resource are more than 20,000 selections from AIGA's annual
juried design competitions dating from 1924 through the present. In
addition, it features special collections of major American design
firms and practitioners whose design accomplishments might
otherwise not be preserved online or made available to the public.
These now include the work of Chermayeff & Geismar (1960–2006),
Vignelli Associates (1962–2008) and the Push Pin Graphic
(1960–2005).
The online experience, initially developed and recently
redesigned by Second Story Interactive Studios, features easier and
deeper searches, faster results, live filtering, improved
navigation, new presentation modes and the ability to share
inspiration on social networking sites.
View all available works at designarchives.aiga.org.
AIGA Archives at the Denver Art
Museum
Since 1980, AIGA has produced an annual publication documenting
AIGA's activities and competitions. More than 6,000 of the physical
artifacts selected in these competitions are now a permanent part
of the AIGA Archives at the Denver Art Museum, with a dedicated
AIGA curator. This collection will be available for study and
exhibition and will grow by approximately 300 selections a year.
AIGA National Design Archives
at the Denver Art Museum from Charles R. Carpenter on Vimeo.
Butler Library's Rare Book and Manuscript Library
A collection of more than 4,000 books dating back to 1923 is
housed in the Rare
Book and Manuscript Library within Columbia University's
Butler Library, in New York. These books were selected from AIGA's
longest running competition, “Fifty Books of the Year,” now known
as “AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers.” Each year's selections are added to
the collection and are available for research. Access restrictions
may apply.
Schedule an appointment or learn more
about the AIGA archives
If you would like to make an appointment to view the archives at
the AIGA National Design Center or would like more information
about the Denver and Butler Library collections, contact AIGA
archivist Heather Strelecki at 212 710 3145 or send her an email.