Artkraft Strauss records
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Abstract
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.
Dates / Origin
Date created: 1915