Digitized and Born Digital Content from the Paul F. Victor Sr. Papers | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections
The digitized and born digital content of the Paul F. Victor Sr. Papers consists of materials that document the construction and history of the Victor family home in River Forest, Illinois, designed by renowned architect Harry F. Robinson. The materials document the home's construction and attempts to renovate and preserve the house.
Paul F. Victor Sr., secretary and treasurer of the Victor Manufacturing and Gasket Company in Chicago, Illinois, had a new home built for his family at 930 Ashland Avenue in River Forest, Illinois. The home was designed by Harry F. Robinson in 1918 and 1919. The Victor family lived in the home from 1920 to 1929, and it was then sold to the Mars family. The Victor family maintained an interest in the house and worked to preserve its history. However, despite the family's efforts to ensure the preservation of the home as a historic structure in River Forest, Avra Properties purchased the property in 2014 and demolished the house the following year.
The digitized content contains architectural drawings and blueprints created during the design of the home at 930 Ashland, as well as one blueprint for the family's next home at 1345 Park Avenue, both in River Forest, Illinois. The born digital materials include photographs of 930 Ashland, taken during renovation and preservation efforts in the 21st century, and PDF documents relating to the family's efforts to preserve the house. Also include are a PDF copy of an article concerning the construction of the house, published in The Economist in 1918; a building permit for construction in 1919; and photographs of the Victor family while they lived in the home.
The born digital content comprises a portion of the Paul F. Victor Sr. Papers. Items were migrated from USB drives in 2018. Selected items from the physical Paul F. Victor Sr. Papers were also digitized in 2018. Items are available online at the University of Illinois Digital Library. A preservation copy of the items is available to IHLC and digital preservation staff at the Library Digital Repository: https://medusa.library.illinois.edu/collections/1380.