Finding Aids

Eileen Gray (1878-1976) is considered one of the most important and influential furniture designers and architects of the early twentieth century, inspiring both modernism and Art Deco movements. She was among the vanguard of the International Style in her use and interpretation of geometric forms and industrially produced materials. This collection is a boxed set of postcard-size reproductions of black and white photographs of houses, rooms, and objects designed by her.

Elmer A. Sperry (1860-1930) was an electrical engineer who established the Electric Light, Motor, and Car Brake Company in 1883 and then founded the Sperry Electric Mining Machine Company in 1886. After selling his patents to General Electric, he went to work for the company as a consultant. This collection includes original materials, as well as copy work from other sources and images which show Sperry's inventions; there is some ephemera, family photos, employees, and views of the Sperry Company's Brooklyn drafting rooms.