Miniature Building Collection
1920-2002
Business records, account files, contracts, brochures, as well as over forty building models and molds generated by The A.C. Rehberger Company. Founded in 1912 by A.C. Rehberger, The A.C. Rehberger Company was one of only two firms in the United States that specialized in hand-molded, handcrafted metal sculptural figurines, most made from molds created by A.C. Rehberger. The company produced 3000 different paperweights, bookends, desk sets, ashtrays, nameplates, sports trophies and collectors’ items cast in lead or zinc, including the first Oscar statuette in the 1920s. In the 1930s, the firm became known for its metal coin banks and miniature buildings produced as giveaway promotions.
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Collections may be accessed in the Franke Reading Room of the Research Center at The Art Institute of Chicago, by appointment only. For further information, consult the FAQ.
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Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives:
archives@artic.edu
Printed materials, correspondence, brochures, newspaper clippings, photocopied papers, color photographs, metal models, rubber models, and metal molds.