Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Hiller, Nancy R.
- Abstract:
- The Hiller, Nancy mss., 1919-2023, consists of the personal and professional papers, correspondence, photographs, and born-digital material of furniture designer and writer Nancy R. Hiller.
- Extent:
- 11 Boxes (9 standard; 2 document cases)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Hiller, Nancy mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Nancy R. Hiller (1959-2022) was born in Miami Beach, Florida. She moved to England in 1971 with her mother and sister, where she began building furniture to support herself financially. Hiller briefly attended Queens College London and Cambridge University to study Ancient Greek and Aramaic, but she dropped out to pursue furniture design, earning a Certificate in Furniture Making from the City & Guilds of London in 1980. After spending some time building antique kitchens in England, Hiller returned to the United States to attend Indiana University Bloomington, receiving a B.A. (1993) and M.A. (1996) in Religious Studies. In 1995 Hiller founded NR Hiller Design, Inc, through which she continued to hone her craft of furniture design. Inspired by 19th- and 20th-century designs, she specialized in restoration and period work. Hiller also grew an extensive career in teaching and research. She taught woodworking and cabinetmaking workshops at institutions around the country, and she published many articles and books, including English Arts and Crafts Furniture (2018), Making Things Work: Tales from a Cabinetmaker's Life (2017), Historic Preservation in Indiana: Essays from the Field (2013), A Home of Her Own (2011), and The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History (2009). Her designs and writings have been featured in journals such as Fine Woodworking, Popular Woodworking, and Old House Journal. Hiller passed away in 2022 due to complications from pancreatic cancer.
- Scope and Content:
The Hiller, Nancy mss., 1919-2023, consists of correspondence, personal and professional materials, and photographs pertaining to the life and work of furniture designer and writer Nancy R. Hiller. The collection is arranged into the following series: Personal; Photographs; Professional; Writings, publications, and presentations; Financial; and Born-digital. The Financial series consists of Hiller's personal financial files as well as those relating to her business. These include tax documents, receipts of transaction, insurance records, and employee records. These files are restricted. The Personal series consists of records related to Hiller's personal life, including correspondence as well as educational, legal, medical, and other vital records. Some of these files are restricted. The Photographs series consists of personal and professional images in various formats. These include photographs of Hiller's family and friends, promotional images of Hiller's furniture designs, and others. The Professional series consists of files related to individual design jobs, correspondence, engagement planners, promotional materials, as well as notes, sketches, clippings, and catalogs that Hiller used during the furniture design process. The Writings, publications, and presentations series consists of files related to Hiller's research and teaching career. Included are correspondence, notes, drafts, and other material related to the creation and publication of various written works as well as preparation for various workshops. The Born-digital series consists of CD-R, USB flash drives, and a floppy disk, with material pertaining to Hiller's furniture design business.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift: 2025.
- Processing information:
Processed by Evan Brandon. Completed in 2025.
- Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into the following series: Personal; Photographs; Professional; Writings, publications, and presentations; Financial; and Born-digital.
- Physical location:
- ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility); ALF - OVFlat
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Hiller, Nancy mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@iu.edu