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Walter Dorwin Teague Papers

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MB
Date: 17 Sep 1979

Biographical History

Walter Dorwin Teague (1883-1960) was an American industrial designer and founder of Walter Dorwin Teague Associates. For more than eighty years, the company -- known today simply as "Teague" -- has designed everything from aircrafts to gas stations to cameras, in some cases maintaining a decades-long relationships with satisfied clients (their work for Boeing spanned sixty years and four aircraft models). Today, the company lists Hewlett Packard, Nike, Microsoft and other major corporations among their clients.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Walter Dorwin Teague Papers is divided into eight series.

Source material contains original and reproduced works of others — art, printing, and lettering.

Designs comprises posters, pamphlets, illustrations, advertisements, border designs, product and package designs, and architectural designs.

Files is subdivided into four sections: Ritter Company, Boeing, U.S. Air Force, and General. Because the collection has received minimal processing, the General section also contains material related to the three named companies; the researcher is advised to read the inventory carefully to ensure location of all relevant items. The Boeing material includes shop drawings at the end.

The bulk of Memorabilia consists of samples — fabric, hardware, paneling. Other items include metal models and equipment order catalogues.

Writings is subdivided into published material, much of which has been removed for separate cataloging, and typescripts. Most relates to Teague's books. It includes articles and speeches by Teague.

By far the largest segment of the collection, the U .S. Air Force Academy series, concerning the Colorado Springs complex built in the late 1950s, contains specifications, construction drawings, files, correspondence, and equipment design catalogues.

Miscellaneous material (a scrapbook of news clippings, a model cash register, a crude model of the DNA molecule) completes the collection.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection has received minimal processing. It is in rough order by series and within each series is roughly alphabetical.

Other Related Finding Aids

A finding aid for the microfilm collection is also available (hard copy only). Please contact the repository listed above for more information.

Restrictions

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.

Care should be taken when handling the material, as much of the paper is fragile/brittle.

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.

Related Material

Some published items have been removed from the collection and transferred to Rare Books for cataloging. Please see the Writings section of the inventory below for more information.

Subject Headings

Persons

Teague, Walter Dorwin, 1883-

Subjects

Industrial design -- United States.
Industrial designers -- United States.

Genres and Forms

Architectural drawings (visual works)
Articles.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Manuscripts for publication.
Pamphlets.
Photographs.
Posters.
Sketches.

Occupations

Industrial designers.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Walter Dorwin Teague Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Majority, gift of Mrs. Walter Dorwin Teague (Ruth), 1965.

Table of Contents

Source material - other artists

Designs

Files

Memorabilia

Writings

U.S. Air Force Academy (AFA)

Miscellaneous

Oversize material

Inventory