Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
We have performed a virus scan upon ingest and upon request for access. However, not all virus software profiles will catch all threats, especially newer, unrecognized ones. The researcher assumes all risk when opening files.
The NC State University Libraries and the Special Collections Research Center makes no claims as to the executability of any electronic record files we make available to researchers. Researchers may be required to find and utilize legacy software packages to read files.
The collection is mainly comprised of digital files (JPGs) created by scanning photographic prints and negatives held by Synergetics, Inc. The original prints and negatives that were scanned date primarily from 1960-1972, but images from later decades also exist here. The originals were also primarily black-and-white, although some later ones are in color. The images depict models of projects, buildings, and structures designed and/or constructed by Synergetics, Inc. Some images are construction shots. Many of the original photographs were taken by Ralph Mills, who had been contracted by the company. Images were scanned by Bill Ballenger in 2005-2006, with the permission of Synergetics, Inc. president T. C. Howard. The collection also includes a small amount of the firm's promotional literature, a few magazines that contain articles about Synergetics, Inc., and a poster celebrating the life of T.C. Howard.
Synergetics, Inc., was an architecture and engineering firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company was originally established by R. Buckminster Fuller in 1955, but it was later headed by James W. Fitzgibbon and then T. C. Howard. The company designed and constructed commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, and it developed " . . . systems and structures employing geodesic, tensegrity, and related principles of design, fabrication, and construction." Among the structures designed or constructed by Synergetics, Inc. are the Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the Churchill Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair (now the Queens Zoo Aviary), and the Tower of Light at the 1964 World's Fair. Synergetics, Inc. closed in 2006. Bill Ballenger worked for Synergetics, Inc. from 1960 to 1972.
Synergetics, Inc., was an architecture and engineering firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company was originally established by R. Buckminster Fuller in 1955, but it was later headed by James W. Fitzgibbon and then T. C. Howard. The company designed and constructed commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, and it developed " . . . systems and structures employing geodesic, tensegrity, and related principles of design, fabrication, and construction." Among the structures designed or constructed by Synergetics, Inc. are the Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the Churchill Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair (now the Queens Zoo Aviary), and the Tower of Light at the 1964 World's Fair. Synergetics, Inc. closed in 2006.
Bill Ballenger was born in 1932 in Concord, North Carolina. After serving in the United States Navy, he attended North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University), where he received a B. S. in Sociology in 1962. While attending NC State he also took several courses in various design programs. From 1960 to 1972, he worked, with some part-time and broken employment while in graduate school, for Synergetics, Inc., as a product designer, finishing as Vice President for Computer Processing. In 1972 he left and returned to NC State University, where he earned a Ph.D. in psychology and later was involved in research project in the university's School of Education. In 2005-2006, with the permission of Synergetics, Inc. president T. C. Howard, he scanned many images in the company's photograph collection.
The collection is mainly comprised of digital files (JPGs) created by scanning photographic prints and negatives held by Synergetics, Inc. The original prints and negatives that were scanned date primarily from 1960-1972, but images from later decades also exist here. The originals were also primarily black-and-white, although some later ones are in color. The images depict models of projects, buildings, and structures designed and/or constructed by Synergetics, Inc. Some images are construction shots. Many of the original photographs were taken by Ralph Mills, who had been contracted by the company. Images were scanned by Bill Ballenger in 2005-2006, with the permission of Synergetics, Inc. president T. C. Howard. The collection also includes a small amount of the firm's promotional literature, a few magazines that contain articles about Synergetics, Inc., and a poster celebrating the life of T.C. Howard.
This collection has not yet received full archival processing and is arranged in the order in which it was received.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], William Ballenger Collection of Synergetics, Inc., Photographs and Publications, MC 00466, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Related Material
Gift of William Ballenger and T. C. Howard, 2012 (Accession no. 2012.0291).
Processed by: Todd Kosmerick; finding aid created by: Linda Sellars, 2015 May; Collection guide updated to include addition of born-digital material by Jessica Rayman, 2017 April; Collection guide updated to include addition of born-digital material by William Boyer 2024 August.
The collection is organized into three principal series:
Digital files (mostly JPGs, also some PDFs) created by scanning photographic prints and negatives held by Synergetics, Inc. The original prints and negatives that were scanned date primarily from 1960-1972, but images from later decades also exist here. The originals were also primarily black-and-white, although some later ones are in color. The images depict models of projects, buildings, and structures designed and/or constructed by Synergetics. Some images are construction shots. Many of the original photographs were taken by Ralph Mills, who had been contracted by the company. Images were scanned by Bill Ballenger in 2005-2006, with the permission of Synergetics president T. C. Howard.
Arranged as received.
Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
All items in this series were retrieved from a single USB drive.
Included are 2 Acrobat PDF files versions 1.3 and 1.6 and 1 Quicktime file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 37 Acrobat PDF 1.6 - Portable Document Format files.
The PDF files included have the same images as the 'Synergetics Project JPG Images, 1960-1972' folder, just combined into PDF documents.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 39 Acrobat PDF 1.6 - PDF files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 15 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files and 3 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 52 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) and 5 JPEG File Interchange Format files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 84 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, 5 JPEG files and 1 Adobe Photoshop file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 16 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 18 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 28 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 4 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 34 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, and 2 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 138 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, and 1 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 37 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 69 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
Included are 16 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, and 7 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 3 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Includes 12 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 48 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 3 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 8 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 1 JPEG file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 35 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 6 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Includes 6 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, and 1 JPEG file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 29 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 29 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
Files are photographs depicting a building owned by the Carborundum Company on Buffalo Avenue in Niagara Falls, New York.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 20 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 1 JPEG file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 7 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 28 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Includes 12 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 6 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 57 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 18 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 6 JPEG files and 3 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 38 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Includes 4 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 143 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 6 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 3 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 245 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 1 JPEG file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 10 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 7 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 89 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, and 1 JPEG file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 73 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 4 JPEG files and 4 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
Included are 9 JPEG files and 2 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Includes 25 JPEG files and 2 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 21 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 37 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) and 1 JPEG file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 57 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 14 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, 13 TIFF files, and 3 Apple Safari Webarchive files.
Included are 6 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 10 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 1 Tagged Image File Format file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 13 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 11 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 233 JPEG files, 65 Adobe Photoshop files, 40 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, and 5 Raw JPEG Stream files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 3 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files and 2 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 4 JPEG files and 1 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 4 JPEG files, and 1 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 4 JPEG files and 1 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 3 JPEG files and 2 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 3 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files, and 2 JPEG files.
Included are 4 JPEG files and 1 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) file.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 3 JPEG files and 2 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 6 JPEG files.
Included are 5 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 5 Exchangeable Image File Format (Compressed) files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Included are 24 JPEG files.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
We have performed a virus scan upon ingest and upon request for access. However, not all virus software profiles will catch all threats, especially newer, unrecognized ones. The researcher assumes all risk when opening files.
The NC State University Libraries and the Special Collections Research Center makes no claims as to the executability of any electronic record files we make available to researchers. Researchers may be required to find and utilize legacy software packages to read files.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], William Ballenger Collection of Synergetics, Inc., Photographs and Publications, MC 00466, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.