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Doug Baker collection on Shop One

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: RITArc-0554

Scope and Contents

The Doug Baker collection on Shop one contains fifty photostatic scans of graphic materials designed by Doug Baker for Shop One. The scans include the Shop One logo design for letterhead and other correspondence, scans of the "What's Cooking at Shop One" advertisements, and various announcement postcards and invitations to artist gallery exhibits at Shop One.

Dates

  • Creation: 1952-1976

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

Shop One was a retail craft outlet located in a remodeled carriage house at 77 Troup Street, Rochester, New York. This shop was established by three professors from the School for American Craftsmen at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. Metalsmith John Prip, cabinet maker Tage Frid and ceramist Frans Wildenhain recognized the need for a retail outlet for their work - a shop they could control, but one that did not demand much individual attention. This initial group was later joined by metalsmith Ronald Pearson, a former student of the School for American Craftsmen.

As professors, their time was divided between teaching and producing work, limiting opportunities to sell their work. Shop One provided the best solution to their predicament. Wildenhain acted as a mentor in this endeavor; he had previous experience building and maintaining a small business.

Shop One was the only retail outlet in the Rochester area that exclusively sold handwork. Once the shop was underway, local craftsmen were invited to become associate members. Some of these craftsmen were nationally recognized in their field, such as metalsmith Hans Christiansen. Those represented in Shop One were among the best craftsmen in the Rochester area.

Shop One integrated characteristics of an elegant apartment into a gallery setting. In this environment customers were able to visualize these unique objects in their own homes. Prip, Pearson, Frid and Wildenhain hoped this would establish a connection between object, maker and customer.

One of the rooms in Shop One housed jewelry and raised silver, most of which was produced by Ronald Pearson and John Prip. Due to the large quantity of custom jewelry work, they established a studio in the same building, making them more accessible to customers, yet independent of the store. Prip and Pearson designed their jewelry to maintain a steady turnover. Merchandise that did not sell in Shop One was sold to out-of-town stores.

Shop One opened in 1952 and remained in business until 1976.

Doug Baker designed advertising materials for Shop One including the logo, letterhead, postcards, business cards, ads, etc. as well as the poster for Shop One's Alexander St. location.

Extent

2.38 Linear Feet (1 large flat box)

Language

English

Overview

The Doug Baker collection on Shop One contains materials about the retail store, Shop One, that featured handmade crafts by RIT professors, as well as other craftsmen in the Rochester area and beyond. Included are copies of his designs for Shop One related materials including letterhead, logos, invitations, and advertisements.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged in three folders: logos, advertisements, invitations.

Physical Location

C.S. South, Shelf 331

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated to the RIT Archives by Doug Baker in 2015. Accession number(s): 2015:011

Processing Information

Finding aid created by Lisa Witt in February 2015.

Title
Doug Baker collection on Shop One
Status
Published
Subtitle
RIT Archives
Author
Lisa Witt
Date
02 February 2015
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the RIT Archives Repository

Contact:
Rochester NY 14623 USA