Skip to main content

Sunbeam Randall student work

 Collection
Identifier: KA-0062

Abstract

Sunbeam "Sunny" Randall (1898-1993) graduated from Parsons School of Design Interior Design Department in 1951 and worked as a professional decorator. The collection includes course materials, furniture and decorative style sketches, class notes, and a scrapbook documenting Randall's art tour of Europe as a Parsons student in 1950.

Dates

  • 1948 - 1993
  • Majority of material found within 1948 - 1951

Creator

Extent

0.5 Cubic Feet (1 box, 1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Contents

Collection consists of work produced by Sunbeam Randall as a student in the Interior Design Department at Parsons School of Design. Her notebooks are comprised of her own sketches, tracings, and drawings of furniture pieces and decorative elements, as well as magazine and catalog clippings that illustrate various historical styles. Randall’s class notes take the form of narratives and outlines; most indicate the lecturer or course title. Among her instructors were Stanley Barrows, Glenn Boyles, Jane Costello, and Elizabeth Crawford. Of particular interest is a typescript of the reading lists issued to Parsons students from 1948 to 1951.

Also included in this collection is the scrapbook Randall kept in 1950, when studying abroad in a Parsons program that took her to Austria, England, France, Germany, and Italy. The scrapbook contains postcards, maps, photographs, event programs, and ephemera illustrating notable trips and events, supplemented by Randall’s handwritten observations. The collection also includes Randall’s certificate of graduation, a few pieces of correspondence, and a small number of advertisements by the companies for which Randall worked after graduating.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment.

Use Restrictions

To publish images of material from this collection, permission must be obtained in writing from the New Shool Archives. Please contact: archivist@newschool.edu.

Biographical note

Sunbeam Randall was born August 23, 1898. After marrying and raising four children, she joined the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II and was consequently able to attend Parsons School of Design on the G.I. Bill. She moved from Texas to New York, where she studied interior design from 1948 until receiving her certificate of graduation in 1951. In addition to taking classes at the New York campus, Randall took part in a Parsons study-abroad program in Europe in 1950. While studying at Parsons, she worked part-time at the New York furniture company W. & J. Sloane. Following the completion of her degree, Randall returned to Texas, where she held decorating positions for various furniture and decorating companies. She then moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to continue her career as a decorator. Randall eventually settled in Orlando, Florida, where she died in 1993.

Arrangement

Arranged in alphabetical order by subject.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Peggy Kraemer, Sunbeam Randall's daughter, 1993.

Related Materials

The New School Archives holds the student work of Daniel Lashen (KA.0053), a fellow student in the Interior Design Department who traveled to Europe with Randall's class. The travel scrapbook in this collection features a photograph of Randall and Lashen sitting together. Additionally, the papers of Stanley Barrows (KA.0002), one of Randall's instructors and the leader of her European tour, are held by the New School Archives.

External Support

The processing of this collection was supported in part by a grant from the J. Paul Getty Trust.

Title
Sunbeam Randall student work
Status
Completed
Author
Jillian Cuellar
Date
2005
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • August 23, 2010: Bernadette Vitale significantly revised and expanded descriptive content.