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Finding aid created by: MRC
Date: 22 Mar 2010
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| 10 May 2022 | media updated (RMH) |
Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Myers, C. Stowe (Charles Stowe). |
| Title: | C. Stowe Myers Papers |
| Dates: | 1930-1995 |
| Quantity: | 6 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | American industrial designer. Correspondence-subject files, memorabilia, photographs, audio and video recordings, and slides. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Charles Stowe Myers (1906-1995) was an American industrial designer. Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1930 and went to work for Norman bel Geddes in 1932. In 1934 he joined Walter Dorwin Teague; while with Teague he worked on exhibits for the New York World's Fair (1939-1940) as well as several military designs. In 1950 he joined Raymond Loewy and by 1952 was managing Loewy's Chicago office. In 1954 he left to open his own firm, Stowe Myers Design, in Evanston, Illinois. Between 1954 and 1970 the firm's projects ranged from Tinkertoy packaging to exhibits at the 1959 International Trade Fair in Casablanca. Myers was a founding member of the the West Coast Chapter of the Society of Industrial Designers and active in SID's New York and Chicago chapters as well. After retiring in 1976 he turned to painting, and was named official artist of the US Air Force in 1978.
The C. Stowe Myers Papers consists of correspondence-subject files, memorabilia, photographs, recordings, and slides.
Correspondence-subject files include correspondence with other designers such as Rayond Loewy and Walter Dorwin Teague, material from organizations such as the American Society of Industrial Designers, and topical folders including trade fairs in Tripoli and Washington, D.C. and military ordnance manuals for projects in which Myers was involved.
Memorabilia contains assorted material relating to Myers' career, including awards and certificates, career information, stationery (business letterhead, envelopes, business cards, etc.), and a design portfolio. The portfolio was originally housed in a battered and non-descript black case; it has been removed from the case and placed into archival boxes.
The bulk of the Photographs are professional in nature, including Walter Dorwin Teague's offices in New York and Los Angeles, and various design projects. There are a few candid photos of Myers, and two folders of photographs of his watercolor artwork.
Recordings contains interviews with Myers and a piece (possibly a speech) on early industrial design.
A considerable number of Slides completes the collection. Most are unlabeled, and remain in original containers and original order.
All series are arranged alphabetically by type or topic.
Access Restrictions:
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions:
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Persons
Loewy, Raymond, 1893-1986.
Myers, C. Stowe (Charles Stowe)
Teague, Walter Dorwin, 1883-1960.
Corporate Bodies
Industrial Designers Society of America.
New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)
Subjects
Industrial design -- United States.
Industrial designers -- United States.
Packaging -- Design.
Genres and Forms
Brochures.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Photographs.
Posters.
Renderings (drawings)
Slides (photographs)
Occupations
Industrial designers.
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
C. Stowe Myers Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Charles Myers, 1997.
Correspondence-subject files
Memorabilia
Photographs
Recordings
Slides
| Correspondence-subject files | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Aarnio, Reino 1957, 1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | American Society of Industrial Designers (ASID) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Articles and press releases 1947-1963 - a few about Myers, most about other designers, products, etc. (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Bethlehem Steel descriptive specifications 1941 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Dreyfus, Henry 1963 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Gun Director Mark 37 and Mods 31 manual Mar 1945 - includes copy of congratulatory letter to Myers from Bureau of Naval Ordnance | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | IDSA - includes bylaws, newsletters, etc. | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Koeber, Theodore 1961 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Loewy, Raymond 1952-1954 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Lueloff, Jorie (NBC) 1980 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Mackie, David 1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Mox, Dana 1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Product announcements, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Rheem design book to 1957 - 3-ring notebook of plumbing designs | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | River Rouge/Teague article | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Rutter, Sheldon 1958, 1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Speech, "Industrial designers and their clients" by Myers 1950 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Swedish Embassy 1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Technical Information Manual for the type T5 ski mount for the 75mm howitzer carriage M3A3 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Teague, Walter Dorwin 1948, 1953-1957, 1961-1962, 1981 - includes announcement of Myers' partnership | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Tripoli Trade Fair 1962 | ||||||||||
| See also Photographs : Trade Fair photobook, Tripoli. | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Twyeffort, Elizabeth 1980 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | University of Pennsylvania 1930, 1979 - includes Myers' grades | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | War - personal 1942-1943 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Washington, DC 1959 - most appears to pertain to a trade show; correspondents include "Mike" and "Tubby" | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Western Museum Conference 1947 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | White, Roger G. 1960 | ||||||||||
| Memorabilia | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Awards and certificates 1945, 1957 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Career synopsis, cv's, obituaries | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Design portfolio - originally in attache case; removed | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3 | Design portfolio (cont.) | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Living Legends of Chicago Design | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Stationery - includes business cards, letterhead | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Stationery - includes business cards, letterhead | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Stowe Myers ID promo - branding ideas for firm; includes correspondence with Mike Joss, IDSA | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Photographs | |||||||||||
| Box 3 | Air Force artwork - Stowe's paintings | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Design snapshots, miscellaneous - plastio comb-bound book | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Linear Syntec design | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Loewy | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Navy gunport seal and gun director work with Teague office | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Portraits of Stowe Myers taken in 1990 by his son, Charles S. Myers III 1990 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Renderings - photographs of | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | River Rouge photo book 1937-1938 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Teague office, Los Angeles - includes innovative gas station | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Teague office, New York City | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Teague office, New York World's Fair 1939-1940 | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4 | Trade Fair photo book, Casablanca and Tunis 1959 | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4 | Trade Fair photo book, Tripoli 1962 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Watercolors - Stowe's personal artwork | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Miscellaneous - unidentified photos | ||||||||||
| Recordings | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | C. Stowe Myers - Bio and I.D. Career 02/08/1989 - Stowe recorded this tape for Mr. Lou Taylor, Editor and Chief of the Air Force Artists Newsletter, as an article on Stowe was planned (Audio cassette; running time 90) (ID#: myers_cs_004) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | C. Stowe Myers - Early ID For NEA Archive 06/05/1987 - This tape was recorded pursuant to a speech he gave to the White Hall Hotel in Chicago on June 5th, 1987. He was attending the annual American Professional Design Firms Dinner Meeting. He received a standing ovation for his speech but unfortunately it wasn’t taped. One of the organizers later asked if he would recreate for them. (Audio cassette; running time 90) (ID#: myers_cs_005) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Stowe Myers interview by Vicki Matranga - Syracuse Copy (tape 1 of 2) 02/10/1995; 02/11/1995 - interview of C. Stowe Myers by author Victoria Kasuba (Vicki) Matranga (VHS; running time 120:00) (ID#: myers_cs_001) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Stowe Myers interview by Vicki Matranga - Syracuse Copy (tape 2 of 2) 02/11/1995 - interview of C. Stowe Myers by author Victoria Kasuba (Vicki) Matranga (VHS; running time 120:00) (ID#: myers_cs_002) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Teague Office and their Xmas Parties in the 40's filmed by Stowe Myers ; also miscl. personal (Syracuse Copy) - Teague office and xmas parties filmed by Charles Stowe Myers (VHS; running time 120:00) (ID#: myers_cs_003) | ||||||||||
| Slides | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Argus box of 4 slide trays | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Argus 80 slide tray | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Argus 80 slide tray | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Filmdex slide keepers 1939 - NY World's Fair (3 boxes) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Grey metal slide box | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5 | #1 Air Force, Parker Pen, CMI Gibson, Watertower Place signage, Tinkertoy, Ency. Brit. - 3-ring binder | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6 | #2, Air Force, Ency. Brit. - 3-ring binder | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Rheems Topics, blue plastic box | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | White metal lid slide box | ||||||||||