Albert Kahn papers
name: label: Creator
content: Kahn, Albert, 1869-1942
label: Names
content: Bacon, Henry, 1839-1912
label: Names
content: Barlow, Myron, 1873-1937
label: Names
content: Kahlo, Frida
label: Names
content: Kahn, Ernestine Krolik
label: Names
content: Mason, George D.
label: Names
content: Milles, Carl, 1875-1955
label: Names
content: Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957
label: Names
content: Stoughton, Arthur A.
label: Names
content: Toscanini, Arturo, 1867-1957
label: Names
content: Trowbridge, Alexander Buell, 1868-1950
topic: label: Topic
content: Architecture, American
label: Topic
content: Architects -- Michigan -- Detroit
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Albert Kahn papers were donated by Kahn's children, Mrs. Lydia Winston Malbin, Mrs. Rosalie Butzel, and Dr. Edgar A. Kahn, in 1974.
creator: label: Creator
content: Kahn, Albert, 1869-1942
setName: label: See more items in
content: Albert Kahn papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of architect Albert Kahn date from 1875-1970, bulk 1875-1945, and measure 7.02 linear feet. Found within the papers is biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, nine sketchbooks, art work, notes and writings, two scrapbooks, printed material, photographs and photograph albums, artifacts, and motion picture film.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Albert Kahn (1869-1942) of Detroit, Michigan, was an architect, primarily known for designing industrial buildings with the pioneering use of reinforced concrete that allowed large unobstructed interiors.

Albert Kahn was born on March 21, 1869 in Rhaunen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the oldest son of rabbi Joseph Kahn and Rosalie Cohn Kahn. The family immigrated to the United States in 1881 and settled in Detroit, Michigan.

Albert Kahn worked as an office boy in an architect's office and studied drawing in Sunday classes conducted by sculptor Julius Melchers. Melchers found Kahn a position in the architectural offices of Mason and Rice where he worked for several years. In 1890, Kahn won a scholarship to travel in Europe to study architecture and in 1895 he opened his own architectural office, Albert Kahn Associates, hiring his younger brothers, Louis, Moritz, and Felix. In the following year, Kahn married Ernestine Krolik.

In 1903, Kahn was awarded his first two important commissions: to design the University of Michigan's engineering building and the Palm Apartments in Detroit, built with the early use of reinforced concrete. In the following year, he built the first reinforced concrete factory for the Packard Motor Company. Because of the industrial growth in Detroit at that time, Kahn was in demand to design various automobile factories including the General Motors Building, textile, business machine, and chemical plants. He became an authority on concrete construction and by the beginning of the First World War, his firm provided construction for the military aviation section of the Army.

Kahn later moved from using concrete to steel and glass. In 1927, his company finished a large building for the Fisher Brothers of Detroit for which he was awarded a medal by the Architectural League of New York for the year's outstanding contribution to architecture. In the following year his firm was given full charge of the entire heavy industrial building program of Russia's first five-year plan, and they constructed an estimated two billion dollars worth of factories in Russia.

During World War II, Kahn's firm was constantly busy constructing naval air bases, airplane engine plants, tank arsenals including the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, and other government defense projects. In June 1942 Kahn was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts by Syracuse University.

Albert Kahn died on December 8, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 7.02 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1875-1970
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.kahnalbp
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Watercolors
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Renderings
label: Type
content: Lithographs
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
label: Type
content: Notebooks
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Awards
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
label: Type
content: Etchings
label: Type
content: Notes
label: Type
content: Typescripts
label: Type
content: Lectures
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 9 series. Glass plate negative housed separately and closed to researchers.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1896-1945 (Box 1, 6, OV 10; 19 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1891-1970 (Box 1-3, 6; 3.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1891-1943 (Box 3; 7 folders)

Series 4: Art Work, 1890-1936 (Box 3, 6, OV 11-12; 20 folders)

Series 5: Notes and Writings, 1899-1943 (Box 3-4; 29 folders)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1890-1942 (Box 7; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1897-1968 (Box 4-6, OV 10; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs and Moving Images, 1875-1944 (Box 5-6, 8, FC 13-17, MGP 2; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 9: Artifacts, circa 1942 (Box 5, 9; 0.4 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Portions of this collection were previously available on microfilm reels 1110-1114; this film is no longer in circulation. The collection was arranged and described by Jean Fitzgerald in May 2011. Glass plate re-housed in 2015 with a grant provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund. Motion picture film reels were inspected and re-housed in 2016-2017 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Watercolors
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Renderings
label: Genre/Form
content: Lithographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
label: Genre/Form
content: Notebooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Awards
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Etchings
label: Genre/Form
content: Notes
label: Genre/Form
content: Typescripts
label: Genre/Form
content: Lectures
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The papers of architect Albert Kahn date from 1875-1970, bulk 1875-1945, and measure 7.02 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, nine sketchbooks, art work, notes and writings, two scrapbooks, printed material, photographs and photograph albums, artifacts, a sound recording and motion picture film.

Biographical material includes a biographical account, marriage certificate, architect's licenses, calling cards for the Kahns, passports, identification cards, letters of introduction, award certificates and medals, membership cards and certificates, a sound recording concerning Albert Kahn's life, and an address book.

Correspondence consists of letters between Albert Kahn, family members, and colleagues including Myron Barlow, George D. Mason, Carl Milles and Arthur A. Stoughton. There is one letter each from Henry Bacon and Alexander Trowbridge, and condolence letters to Kahn's widow.

Personal business records include records of stocks and income, lists of expenses and receipts for construction, property records, price lists for paintings by others, and miscellaneous receipts.

Art work includes nine sketchbooks and drawings by Albert Kahn, a paper silhouette portrait of Kahn, and drawings, watercolors, etchings, lithographs, and a sketchbook of Cornwall by others.

Notes and writings include Ernestine Kahn's diary, notebooks, guest registers and records concerning Albert Kahn's funeral, and typescripts of speeches and lectures.

Two scrapbooks contain clippings, small drawings, photographs of architecture, and letters of tribute. 

Printed material includes clippings, exhibition catalogs for others, programs, booklets, books, reproductions of art work, travel brochures, picture postcards, and miscellaneous printed material.

Photographs are of Albert Kahn, members of his family, and colleagues including Myron Barlow, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Arturo Toscanini, residences, and travel scenes. Moving images include five reels of 16mm motion picture film of the Kahn family at the farm and at various family gatherings.

Artifacts primarily consist of the tools used by Albert Kahn during his career including t-squares and portable tripod supports for drawing boards used on construction sites.