Suzy Ehrlich fashion illustrations
Online Access
Available digital items: https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/collections/KA0064.
Summary
Suzy Lorraine Ehrlich (1919-2006), was a New York-based fashion illustrator and product designer. The collection is comprised of 69 fashion illustrations executed in pen and ink, pastel, crayon, watercolor, and collage. It also includes two mailers advertising Milliken yarns. Some illustrations may have been executed for a class taught by Jack Potter at the School of Visual Arts.
Dates
- circa 1950s - 1960s
Creator
- Ehrlich, Suzy (Artist, Person)
Extent
1.6 Cubic Feet (2 oversize boxes, 1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Scope and Contents of Collection
The Suzy Lorraine Ehrlich illustrations consist of 69 fashion illustrations created by Ehrlich using ink, watercolor, gouache, pastels, crayon, marker, and collage elements. The collection also includes two mailers advertising Milliken yarns featuring Ehrlich illustrations.
The illustrations document the evolution of Ehrlich's style over approximately two decades. Although use of vibrant colors is prevalent throughout the collection, later drawings also demonstrate experimentation with abstracted settings, often depicting female figures imposed over male forms. Noteworthy are two drawings depicting women's silhouettes rendered entirely in black ink. The more experimental illustrations may have been inspired by classes taken with School of Visual Arts instructor Jack Potter.
The collection does not contain textual documentation, nor does it include Ehrlich's later work. No illustrations feature evidence of date of creation or client.
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 School Archives. Please contact: archivist@newschool.edu.
Biographical note
Suzy Lorraine Heitler Ehrlich was born in New York in 1919. She began taking drawing classes in the late 1940s at the Art Students League, where she met her future husband, Sol Ehrlich. During the 1950s and 1960s, Ehrlich's illustrations appeared in Women's Wear Daily, Look, and Life magazines. She also created illustrations for sewing and pattern publications. Ehrlich worked as a freelancer from a home studio, employing models wearing garments sent to her by clients.
Ehrlich returned to the classroom during the 1960s to study illustration with Jack Potter, a charismatic and talented instructor at the School of Visual Arts. Potter was noted for teaching a course titled “Drawing and Thinking" and had a great influence on Ehrlich's work. She was also inspired by the work of Peter Max. Ehrlich also taught drawing classes in her home and in her later years worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in production, designing objects for their gift store.
Suzy Lorraine Ehrlich died March 2, 2006 in New York City, where she had lived her entire life.
Biographical information provided by donors of collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Sally Ehrlich Hoffman and Steve Ehrlich, Suzy Ehrlich's daughter and son, 2006.
- Costume -- United States -- 20th century -- Pictorial works (Subject) (Places) (Temporal) (Type of Material) Subject Source: Local sources
- Drawings (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Fashion drawing (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fashion illustrations (layout features) (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Fashion illustrators (Occupation) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Women's clothing (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Suzy Ehrlich fashion illustrations
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
- Date
- September 24, 2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin