Samuel G. Hibben Papers, 1905-1971, bulk 1950-1957

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Summary

Creators:
Hibben, Samuel Galloway, 1888-1972.
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of Samuel G. Hibben (1888-1972), Director of Applied Lighting with the Westinghouse Corporation. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1950s and consists of articles.
Extent:
502 items.
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

The Samuel G. Hibben collection is divided into four sections: articles, photographs, correspondence, and ephemera.

The bulk of the collection consists of articles, both handwritten and printed, and most written by Hibben. The rest are lighting-related articles kept by Hibben, sent to him by colleagues or through the Westinghouse Company. These articles are arranged alphabetically by title, in Boxes 1-3. Box 4 contains articles specifically related to projects in which Hibben was involved, such as the lighting of the Statue of Liberty or the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and committees he was a part of, such as the Electrical Historical Foundation.

Box 5 contains miscellaneous unattributed articles, and photographs, mostly of the 1939 New York World’s Fair, the White House, and various landmarks being lit at night.

Box 6 contains correspondence, arranged by date, most being either written by Hibben or directed to his attention. The majority of this correspondence relates to various electrical committees.

Box 7 consists of ephemera, and includes photographic negatives, diagram sketches, and blueprints.

Biographical / historical:

Samuel Galloway Hibben (1888-1972) was a pioneer in the field of applied electrical lighting. During his tenure as Director of Applied Lighting with the Westinghouse Corporation, Hibben was noted for redesigning the illumination of the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, and the interior of the White House. He also published and lectured extensively to educate the public on the importance of proper illumination, and proposed the idea of the “brown-out”, a reduction of electrical illumination for homes and businesses as a safety measure during times of war that did not require complete darkness. Hibben was also involved with many national and international lighting committees, and contributed much time and effort to the preservation the history of the lighting industry through the Electrical Historical Foundation. In 2006, Hibben was named one of the most distinguished designers in the lighting field by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).

Acquisition information:
Acquired as part of the Burndy Library Collection, Gift of Dibner Family, 2006, November.
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following order:

  • Articles and lectures by Hibben (Boxes 1-3)
  • Miscellaneous articles (Boxes 4-5)
  • Photographs (Box 5)
  • Correspondence (Box 6)
  • Ephemera, photographs, drawings, diagrams (Box 7)

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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