About this artwork
In 1910, John D. Van Allen commissioned Louis Sullivan to design a new department store for his family business in Clinton, Iowa. By this date Sullivan had few commissions and thus spent considerable time attending to his immediate projects. In frequent letters to his client (occasionally daily), Sullivan wrote of his design, guiding and persuading the client toward Sullivan’s desired end. In addition to more than one hundred letters, the collection includes financial documents and rare construction photographs.
<a href=”“http://digital-libraries.artic.edu/cdm/search/collection/findingaids/searchterm/Sullivan%252FVan%20Allen%20Building%20Collection/field/title/mode/all/conn/and/cosuppress/1”“>View finding aid.
<a href=”“http://digital-libraries.artic.edu/cdm/search/collection/mqc/searchterm/Sullivan%252FVan%20Allen%20Building%20Collection/field/subcol/mode/all/conn/and/cosuppress/1”“>View selected images from this collection.
<a href=”“http://digital-libraries.artic.edu/cdm/search/collection/mqc/searchterm/van%20allen%20sullivan/order/title”“>Find all Van Allen Building digital images.
See also: <a href=”“https://www.artic.edu/node/1055”“>Louis Sullivan Collection
See also: <a href=”“https://www.artic.edu/node/1315”“>Louis Sullivan Buildings Extant in Chicago
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 <a href=”“https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/contact-usage-and-faq”“>the FAQ.
<a href=”“https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/finding-aids”“>Finding aids by subject
<a href=”“http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/findingaids”“>Browse all finding aids
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<a href=”“https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/oral-histories”“>Oral histories
Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives:
(312) 857-7676
archives@artic.edu
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- AIC Archives
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Artist
- Louis H. Sullivan (Architect)
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Title
- Sullivan/Van Allen Building Collection
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Place
- Clinton (Place depicted)
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Date
- Made 1910–1989
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Medium
- Printed papers, typed correspondence, black and white photographic prints, and glass negatives.
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Dimensions
- 1 oversize portfolio and flatfile materials: H.: 15.3 cm (6 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of John B. Van Allen, 1970; Elizabeth K. Van Allen Trust, 2012; anonymous, c.2015.
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Reference Number
- 1970.1
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
