Thomas Lamb and Marc Harrison were instrumental in establishing the Universal Design movement. A description of their influence on Universal Design and their respective collections at Hagley follows. Links are provided for more extensive biographies of each designer and finding aids for their collections at Hagley. If you would like to use the collections for your research contact Hagley Manuscripts and Archives Department at manuscripts@hagley.org.
Lamb, textile designer and children's book illustrator, was inspired by returning disabled WWII veterans to redesign standard-issue crutches. The process resulted in his patented wedge-lock handle, most familiarly used for Cutco knives. His collection at the Hagley Library contains papers, drawings, sketches, and artifacts pertaining to his career in industrial design. These items trace the development of Lamb's unique handle design, as well as his pursuits in the fields of textiles, cartoons, and writing, particularly for children. A wide variety of textile design (in scrapbooks, paintings, and products) is represented throughout the collection. The Kiddyland materials provide a look into Lamb's lighter side as well as his methods of inspiration. By far the largest amount of material is dedicated to Lamb's physiological and anatomical research on the hand as well as the handles he created to maximize their power.
Harrison worked extensively on many projects applying his conceptualization of Universal Design. His collection at Hagley contains business papers, notes, blueprints, technical drawings, and publications documenting his design career. It traces the evolution of the Universal Design movement and contains significant artifacts that reflect changing beliefs in product design from the 1960s through the 1990s.