Educated on the East Coast and in Europe, David Adler was known for his sensitive adaptations of classical and vernacular styles to fashionable townhouses, apartments, and opulent country houses in Chicago and its suburbs, on the East and West Coasts, and in Honolulu, Hawaii. In addition, his sister, designer Frances Elkins, contributed interior designs for many of his commissions. Adler worked independently in Chicago for most of his career, although he did have a professional association with Robert Work from 1917 to 1928. Arranged in one series of photographs, the David Adler collection is comprised of a portrait photograph and project photographs for the Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Field Residence in New York City and the Mrs. Kersey Coates Reed Residence in Lake Forest, Illinois.

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