F. R. MEISCH: Finding Aids : MNHS.ORG


	Creator:	Meisch, F. R. (Francis R.).
	Title:	F. R. Meisch papers.
	Dates:	1931-2006.
	Abstract:	Personal papers and financial records, professional files, architectural drawings, scrapbooks of photographs, and other materials of a Minnesota architect who was involved in aviation-related projects and in projects for the local Roman Catholic archdiocese, and who was also a watercolor artist active in Twin Cities artists' organizations.
	Quantity:	8.6 cubic feet (9 boxes and 1 oversize folder in partial box).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Francis R. Meisch was born in 1915 in Saint Paul, where he later attended primary and secondary school. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Minnesota and his Master in Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On October 9, 1942 he married Elaine Agnes Meisch [nee Hanson], with whom he had four children, Richard, Robert, Lynn, and Lois.

Meisch was employed as an architect by Northwest Airlines (NWA) (1942-1950), where he was responsible for designing hangars, shops, restaurants, offices, aircraft modification centers, passenger station facilities, and airports. In 1944 he was drafted by the U.S. Navy but NWA considered him too essential to let go; he declined the naval commission of ensign. Meisch also served on several technical committees responsible for airport design across the nation, which included input into the redesign of the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport (MSP). After leaving NWA, Meisch was employed at the Cerny Associates (1954-1964), Haarstick Lundgren and Associates, Incorporated (1964-1971), S.C. Smiley and Associates (Medical Facilities Associates) (1972-1974), and Peterson, Clark, and Associates, Incorporated (1974-1984). He also worked multiple freelance architect jobs throughout his career.

In addition to his career in architecture, Meisch created and exhibited etchings, dry points, and watercolors for which he was best known. He served as president of the Minnesota Artists Association, and was a member of the Twin Cities Watercolor Society, as well as several other artists' groups. Meisch was also an active member of several philatelic societies. During his retirement he focused solely on his artwork. He died on January 16, 1998, in Edina, Minnesota.

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Personal papers include biographical information, resumes, and miscellaneous business and membership cards, awards, and ephemera.

Art and architecture files document Meisch's professional work, especially aviation-related projects and his work for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. They include architectural blue line drawings of the archdiocesan Chancery and Residence buildings, and an architectural drawing of the St. Paul Armory Building. These files also document Meisch's artistic activities and endeavors.

Fifty-two account books document daily income and expenditures of the Meisch household over more than fifty years.

An extensive collection of photographs from Meisch's travels (1932-1942) mounted in ten scrapbooks include landscapes, cityscapes, and architectural subjects throughout Minnesota, the Midwest, the western United States, and northeastern United States. Some of the photographs may have been used by Meisch as a basis for his artwork. Accompanying Meisch's photography scrapbooks is a list of the years and locations of his travels.

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These documents are organized into the following sections:



		Personal Papers
		Art and Architecture Files
		Household Account Books
		Photography Scrapbooks

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Access Restrictions:

Digitized originals are closed. Access and use requires the curator’s permission.

Some of these files are located off site in Remote Storage. Advance arrangements are required in order to view the files.

Please consult reference staff for more information.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Francis R. Meisch Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 15,913; 16,750; 17,400

Processing Information:

Processed by: Anne Levin, July 2005; additions by David B. Peterson, June 2013 and Wendy J. Guerra, March 2017.

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Digitized by: Minnesota Historical Society, March 2019

Catalog ID number: 990037032800104294

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RESTRICTED

Location

Box

308.G.15.1B

1

Biographical and background information, undated, 1944, 1962-1971, 1979-2006. 2 folders.