Historical Archives

Historical Archives

Preserving our past for generations to come.

A collection of materials in a library archive

Over the past 60+ years, IDSA has amassed an extensive collection of printed, pictorial, audiovisual, and digital materials which tell a vivid story of industrial design at its earliest stages of development. In the days well before the internet, IDSA played a central role in creating a space for designers to network, share knowledge, and learn from one another. As a result, our collections contain a rich history of the industrial design profession in the mid-20th century and also of the operations and growth of our professional society. The materials within our archive are primarily housed within two great institutions who are helping to preserve our legacy for generations to come.

IDSA’s archives can be accessed for academic research and editorial purposes. Access to the materials may require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact each institution or IDSA in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Syracuse University Library

IDSA partners with the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) at Syracuse University Libraries to house the historical archives from the organization’s early years. 

The SCRC’s mission is to collect, preserve, and provide access to materials that document the history of Syracuse University and our global society, including rare printed materials, original manuscripts, photographs, artworks, audio and moving image recordings, University records, and more.

IDSA’s collection here include administrative papers from several earlier organizations, including the American Society of Industrial Designers and the Industrial Designers’ Institute, which merged to form the Industrial Designers Society of America in 1965; bound materials, including minutes and scrapbooks; audio-visual materials, including slides, films, and tapes; printed materials and memorabilia. The collection contains materials from 1944 through 1977.

View the archives


Special Collections Research Center (SCRC)
222 Waverly Ave
Bird Library, Room 600
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010

[email protected]

Hagley Museum & Library

IDSA partners with the Hagley Museum and Library through its Hagley Heritage Curators program, which allows corporations to preserve their company archives in a world-renowned library. 

Hagley Museum and Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and a member of the Independent Research Libraries Association (IRLA). Hagley houses the historical records of several thousand business organizations, trade associations, business leaders, and government entities, translating to holdings in excess of 42,000 linear feet (approx. eight miles) of business records and manuscripts, more than 300,000 rare books and published sources, and over 3 million pictorial, audiovisual, and digital artifacts.

IDSA’s collection here comprises published issues of INNOVATION magazine, newsletters, member directories, Board minutes, annual reports, and submission files for winners of the IDEA and Designs of the Decade Awards, including product descriptions and anonymous judge reports. The collection contains materials dating back to 1936 and is richest from the 1980s to today.

Records archives | Audiovisual archives | INNOVATION Magazine archives


Hagley Library
298 Buck Road
Wilmington, DE 19807

[email protected]