Skip to main content

Ralph Avery lithographs

 Collection — Box: 3 (AOC)
Identifier: RITArt-0014

Scope and Contents

Ralph Avery lithographs contains five sets, each depicting scenes of mid-twentieth century downtown Rochester, New York. Three of the five sets are titled: Rochester's "Mercury" (circa 1951), Old Third Ward, and Rochester's Midtown Plaza (1962), with all lithographs in these sets printed in black and white. Of the last two sets, one is from 1950, with each lithograph titled:



  • Old World Charm


  • Exchange Street


  • A Vista Vanishes


  • Mercury


  • When Shadows Fall


  • A Living River by the Door
  • Dates

    • Creation: circa 1930-1965

    Creator

    Conditions Governing Access

    This collection is open to researchers.

    Biographical / Historical

    Watercolor artist Ralph Avery (1906-1976) graduated from RIT in 1928 and taught in the Applied Art Department at RIT for 25 years. He lived in Rochester for most of his adult life and frequently painted scenes from the local area – gray, foggy views of the downtown skyline, portraits of elegant old city homes, and abstractions of natural areas from the surrounding landscape. Avery was also a well-known illustrator, working for clients such as General Motors, Reader's Digest, and other popular magazines.

    Extent

    1.67 Linear Feet (1 Oversize lid box)

    Language

    English

    Overview

    Ralph Avery lithographs contains 5 sets, mainly depicting scenes of Rochester, New York.

    Arrangement

    Lithographs are arranged by set.

    Physical Location

    C.S. North, Shelf 87, Box 3 (with Art on Campus collections)

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Accession number(s): 2009:026

    6 lithographs: Old World Charm, Exchange Street, A Vista Vanishes, Mercury, When Shadows Fall, and A Living River by the Door, were deposited in the RIT Art Collection in 2009 by Mary Jane Frind, Assistant Dean of the Kate Gleason College of Engineering at RIT. Additional copy of "Rochester's Midtown Plaza" was donated by Steve Walter in July 2019.

    Related Materials

    Bibliography

    • Ralph Avery at Art on Campus, Rochester Institute of Technology.

    Processing Information

    Finding aid created by Amy Vilz in August 2011.

    Title
    Ralph Avery lithographs
    Status
    Published
    Subtitle
    RIT Art Collection
    Author
    Amy Vilz
    Date
    24 August 2011
    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