Project Files
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Saarinen, Lilian Swann, 1912-1995
setName: label: See more items in
content: Lilian Swann Saarinen papers
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.7 Linear Feet (Boxes 5-6, 8, OVs 17-19)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1931-1966
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.saarlili, Series 5
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Project files are arranged alphabetically by name of project.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Series is scanned in entirety.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Project files document Saarinen's work on a variety of commissions including those for book cover designs, federal government buildings, post offices, schools and playgrounds (particularly the Crow Island School reliefs), companies such as KLM (then Royal Dutch Airlines), businesses such as Toffenetti's restaurant in Chicago, and private clients, including sister-in-law, Pipsan Saarinen. The majority of the projects documented here resulted in fully realized commissions for Saarinen, although several represent ideas and proposals. 

Project files typically contain any and all of the following: correspondence and notes, many preliminary sketches, plans and blueprints, and photographs of artwork and project sites, with the bulk of the material being in the form of sketches. Sketches are primarily in graphite, although some are hand-colored with ink and/or paint.

Crow Island school sketches are arranged alphabetically by subject, primarily animals.