John Loring papers, 1961-2020
Collection context
- Creator:
- Loring, John
- Extent:
- 18 Linear Feet 31 boxes (16 legal ms boxes; 1 legal 1/2 ms box; 1 letter 1/2 ms box; 5 letter ms boxes; 2 tall ms boxes; 4 14x18 flat boxes; 3 16x20 flat boxes; 1 mapcase folder)
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
The John Loring papers consist of correspondence, photographs, articles by and about him, and other materials that document his long and storied life. This includes his own work as an artist, and interior and garden designer, and his long tenure as Design Director of Tiffany & Co. where one of his most celebrated designs is the Atlas Series.
The collection also documents his wide range of friends and admirers, including such European royalty as Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark and her sister, Queen Anna Maria of Greece; his work with Jacqueline Kennedy when she served as editor of a number of his books on Tiffany published by Doubleday; actors, artists and celebrities such as Bette Davis, Joseph Losey, Ray Johnson, and "Ultra Violet"; and his own extensive work as a journalist including a comprehensive group of his writings for Architectural Digest.
- Biographical / historical:
-
John Loring is Design Director Emeritus of Tiffany & Co., where he was Design Director from 1979 until his retirement in 2009. Along with his numerous books about Tiffany's and art in general, he wrote the definitive book about Joseph Urban, based and fully illustrated in large measure with high quality reproductions from the RBML Urban archive, published by Abrams in 2010.
He received a BA in English Literature from Yale University in 1960, but turned to art while continuing his studies for four more years at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Since 1964, his own prints, paintings, and collages have been exhibited in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere.
Along with his published books, John Loring has written extensively on art and design for major journal publications, including Architectural Digest, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and many others, as found in his archive.
The Loring archive is also a testimony to the wide range of his friends and admirers, from European royalty to Jacqueline Kennedy, art world greats such as Peggy Guggenheim, Ray Johnson, Harry Benson, Harold Pinter, and Joseph Losey, as well as the designers with whom he has worked at Tiffany including Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The following boxes are located off-site: Boxes 1-32. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
This collection has no restrictions.
- Terms of access:
-
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
- Preferred citation:
-
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); John Loring Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu