Research Catalog

Title

Artkraft Strauss records, 1915-2011.

Author

Artkraft Strauss Sign Corporation.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Starr, Jonathan.
• Starr, Tama.

Description

168.31 linear feet (307 boxes, 37 volumes, 18 oversize folders, 93 tubes); 120 video files; 11.76 gb (3613 computer files)

Summary

The Arkraft Strauss Sign Corporation was New York City's preeminent sign designer and manufacturer in the 20th century, responsible for creating some of the great icons in American advertising. Particularly known for their "spectaculars"—giant illuminated signs often incorporating special effects and moving parts—Artkraft Strauss' most famous works include the "smoking" Camel Cigarettes sign, the "flying" Anheuser-Busch eagle, and the Coca-Cola sign at 2 Times Square. The company was also responsible for the New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square, a tradition they began in 1907, until 1996. The records of Artkraft Strauss document over seventy years of operations of this family-owned and family-operated business. The records date primarily from the mid-1930s through 2005; little material pertaining to its early decades is present. The collection contains executive office files; management correspondence; electrical division records; ledgers; press and promotional material; photographs; and, most notably, job files, which document the creation of many of Artkraft Strauss’ projects in New York City, Atlantic City, Boston, and elsewhere, from 1936 to 2007. Work represented includes numerous projects for the Anheuser-Busch Company, such as breweries, stadium signage, and multiple Budweiser spectaculars; a British Air spectacular in Times Square involving a half-size scale model of a Concorde jet; theater marquees; and movie signage.

Subjects

• Advertising, Outdoor > United States
• Neon signs > United States
• Signs and signboards > United States
• Electric signs > United States
• Video recordings
• Advertisers
• Billboards > New York (State) > New York
• Account books
• Photographs
• Times Square (New York, N.Y.)
• Blueprints
• Family corporations
• Artkraft Strauss Sign Corporation

Genre/Form

• Account books.
• Blueprints.
• Photographs.
• Video recordings.

Access (note)

• Advance notice required. Apply at http://www.nypl.org/mssref

Terms of Use (note)

• Copyright retained by any document's creator.

Call Number

MssCol 17768

OCLC

774052759

Author

Artkraft Strauss Sign Corporation.

Title

Artkraft Strauss records, 1915-2011.

Restricted Access

Advance notice required. Apply at http://www.nypl.org/mssref

Terms Of Use

Copyright retained by any document's creator.

Connect to:

NYPL Digital Collections

Finding aid

Occupation

Advertisers.

Added Author

Starr, Jonathan.

Starr, Tama.

Research Call Number

MssCol 17768