Dowd Illustration Research Archive

Al Parker was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906 and studied at WashU’s School of Fine Arts from 1923 to 1928. Known as the Dean of Illustrators, Parker enjoyed a long career as one of the foremost commercial illustrators of the 20th century. The Al Parker Collection includes material relating to Parker’s personal and professional development, photographs of artist models, original artwork, and published materials featuring his artwork. 

Robert Weaver began his career in New York in 1952. In the 1950s, Weaver epitomized a socially engaged approach to commercial illustration. With a focus on the urban landscape, Weaver left the artistic process visible, reflecting his commitment to manifesting the changing cultural climate onto the page. The Robert Weaver Collection includes original artwork in the form of sketches, paintings, and collages in addition to published material featuring Weaver’s artwork.

Walt Reed was the founder of Illustration House in New York and handled the sale and stewardship of original works by major and minor illustrators alike. Reed also built a significant corpus of reference material and authored The Illustrator in America as well as monographs on several leading 20th-century illustrators. The Walt Reed Illustration Archive is a comprehensive collection that includes over 200,000 magazine tear sheets, 8,000 magazines, 1,200 books, and approximately 150 original works by American illustrators from the late 19th century well into the mid-20th century.