Guest post by Art Center Archivist Robert Dirig

Long before the Real Housewives invaded our televisions, there were the Art Center Wives.

Founded in 1956, the Art Center Wives Club was sponsored by the College to serve as a social and support group for the wives of the College’s male students.

Unidentified club members setting up the stage for skit about new students, circa 1966

Meeting monthly, the group had guest speakers, sponsored dances, picnics, talent shows and volunteered time to a variety of community organizations.

For most of the organization’s approximate 20-year history, it printed a monthly newsletter, The Breadwinners’ Review.

Shown are two images from the Art Center Wives Club collection from the Art Center Archives. Be sure to view the entire collection of photographs on the Archives Facebook page.

Do you recognize anyone in the photos? If you can help us identify anyone, or if you’d like to view the document collection in person, contact Art Center Archivist Robert Dirig at 626.396.2208 or robert.dirig@artcenter.edu.

For more information about the Art Center College of Design Archives, including how you can donate or access materials, visit artcenter.edu/archives.

Unidentified members of the Art Center Wives club at a garden buffet dinner at the home of Elizabeth Franklin, 1963