Guide to using the SVA and Glaser Design Archives: Home
About the Archives
The Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives and the SVA Archives are unique resources that give visitors access to rare and original materials. The Glaser Design Archives is dedicated to preserving and making accessible significant works by many designers, illustrators and art directors who have close ties to SVA. The collections represent the artistic and intellectual vitality of the SVA community and provide an invaluable resource to students, designers and researchers who wish to study the breadth of a designer's work. Among the media available are sketches and original art, posters, printed samples and ephemera, audio and video recordings and photographic material.
The School of Visual Arts Archives documents the history of the College and provides source material for those who seek to evaluate the impact of its activities within the context of the institution as well as on the art and design communities at large. Materials in the SVA Archives collections include posters, announcements, departmental and student publications, and other printed ephemera and artifacts, dating back to its founding in 1947.
The Archives are located in the SVA Library. We're open to all members of the SVA community, plus outside students and researchers.
Please note an advance appointment is required for all visitors. Unlike library stacks, the Archives' collections are not browsable; we pull materials for you ahead of your visit. To schedule a visit or ask a question, email us at archives@visualartsfoundation.org.
Understanding Our Collection Guides
Collection descriptions and guides can be found here for the Glaser Archives and here for the SVA Archives. Each collection page contains tabs for the collection guide and sample images. (If no collection guide is available, contact the Archives for more information.)
The collection guides contain detailed information about each collection. They are typically organized by format (posters, book jackets, album covers, etc) and will provide you with artist, title, client, date, and location information. If you have a specific research request, please supply those details to an archivist.
If you're not sure what you're looking for, or are interested in visiting for inspiration, just get in touch with us. We can make selections for you, or help you narrow your search.
Glaser Design Collections
Archivist
Contact Us
Have a research question or want to arrange a visit? Email us at archives@visualartsfoundation.org. Class visits are welcome.
Archival Research Beyond SVA
We've compiled a guide to design archives resources. It contains a wealth of sites for remote research, including lots of high quality images in a wide range of subject areas. Take a look!