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Illinois Institute of Technology. Institute of Design

 Organization

Biography

The Institute of Design was established in 1939 by László Moholy-Nagy as the School of Design in Chicago. Moholy-Nagy was one of the early masters of the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau, Germany. In 1937, a group of Chicago business people representing the Association of Arts and Industries enticed Moholy to come to Chicago from London with their offer to establish a school to carry on the work of the original Bauhaus. The New Bauhaus: American School of Design opened its doors in October 1937, in the remodeled former Marshall Field mansion at 1905 South Prairie Avenue. From the venue of the New Bauhaus in Chicago, Moholy-Nagy championed Bauhaus methods even as he adapted them in his creative output of paintings, photographs, sculptures, photograms, and films as well as in professional design assignments undertaken for private industry and government, and in developing course curricula for the school's classes. The school closed a year later due to a lack of funding, but in February, 1939, László Moholy-Nagy opened his own school, the School of Design in Chicago. Its first campus was at 247 East Ontario Street. In 1944 the school was reorganized as the Institute of Design in Chicago (ID).

In November, 1946, Moholy-Nagy died of leukemia, and was succeeded as director by the architect, Serge Chermayeff. Vision in Motion, the definitive statement of Moholy's educational philosophy, was published posthumously in 1947. In 1949, the Institute of Design merged with Illinois Institute of Technology and the school initially remained at its downtown location. In 1955, it moved into S. R. Crown Hall, the building Mies van der Rohe had designed for IIT's architecture program, which he headed. Today, the Institute of Design is an integral part of IIT, offering a graduate level program and functioning as a college of the university.

Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:

Allen Porter papers, 2005-2007

 Collection
Identifier: 008.05.05
Description of the Collection

Materials related to Allen Porter's recollections of the early years of the Institute of Design, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and Porter's career as a designer.

Dates: 2005-2007

Dan Kuruna collection, 1960-2010

 Collection
Identifier: 008.05.08
Description of the Collection

Collection consists of three series: 1) Historic Institute of Design poster images digitized by Dan Kuruna for preservation purposes; 2) Material related to an ID class taught by Dan Kuruna in 1997; 3) Digital recordings made by Dan Kuruna of interviews conducted in connection with the 2009-2010 "Living Modern" exhibit at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (co-sponsored by Illinois Institute of Technology).

Dates: 1960-2010; Majority of material found within 1960-1969

Institute of Design records, 1937-ca. 1962

 Collection
Identifier: 008.01.01
Abstract This collection documents the activities of Institute of Design and its predecessor schools, ca. 1937 to ca. 1955. It encompasses the academic and creative materials of the New Bauhaus, Chicago School of Design, and the Institute of Design. The collection includes academic catalogues, class and school activities announcements, biographical materials on faculty and students, examples of artistic works, exhibit catalogues and announcements of student, alumni professional activities,...
Dates: 1937-1962

Jay Doblin papers, 1946-1988

 Collection
Identifier: 008.02.03
Description of the Collection The Jay Doblin collection is heavily composed of graphic materials and photo prints, much of it generated in support of his “One Hundred Great Product Designs” research (and subsequent books). But it also amply documents the Institute of Design, with files on student projects/theses, various courses (including some syllabi), space station designs from 1986, Ken Isaccs and his Knowledge Box, and clipping files (mainly from Chicago newspapers) on notable ID achievements (especially student...
Dates: 1946-1988

Filtered By

  • Subject: Modernism (Art) X

Additional filters:

Subject
Bauhaus 2
Design 2
Education--Curricula 2
Industrial design 2
Photography 2

Paul V. Galvin Library

35 West 33rd Street | Chicago, IL | 60616
312.567.6847 library@iit.edu