American Design Awards
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Shaver, Dorothy, 1893-1959
label: Collection Donor
content: Shaver, Elsie
setName: label: See more items in
content: Dorothy Shaver Papers
label: See more items in
content: Dorothy Shaver Papers / Series 2: Professional Papers
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1945-1958
label: Date
content: undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0631, Subseries 2.3
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Thi subseries includes papers associated with the American Design Awards, an annual event established by Lord &Taylor in 1937 to highlight the achievements of American fashion and industrial designers.  In the 1940s, the focus of the awards changed to highlight innovations related to the war effort and, later, world affairs and research initiatives.  This subseries includes correspondence, notes, planning documents, lists of organizing committee members, invitations, event programs, seating lists, speeches, press releases, souvenir publications, and clippings associated with this event.

Of special note is the 1955 American Design Awards luncheon which was themed "The Story of New York."  At this ceremony, Shaver delivered a speech accompanied by images of New York City that focused on its energy and vitality.  This presentation was so well received that the text of her speech and the images were published in book format by Thomas J. Watson, Sr. (former president of International Business Machines) and given to various organizers and attendees of the event as a souvenir.  A copy of this publication is in the collection.  Items in this subseries are arranged chronologically.  Photographs taken at these events can be found in Series 4.