Lot of Amazing and Unusual Drawings

Electronic Components, Mega-Equipment, & More...

c.1950 - 1972

RCA (Radio Corporation of America)

Draftsman Mary Martha Irene Kester

This huge lot of hand-drawn architectural drawings comes from the estate of M. M. "Irene" Kester, who worked for RCA from about 1950 to 1972.  EBay only allows 12 photos, so you're getting the tip-of-the-tip of the iceberg.

The bulk of the material consists of professional drawings of electronic components and related items. They are technically "drawings" -- not "blueprints" -- because they are not in formal blueprint format.  Some of the subject matter is quite amazing.

For a few examples (see the photos), there are what appear to be extremely sophisticated mobile communication stations with some sort of communication dish and antennae.  The drawing with the 3 airplanes at the top includes two men that appear to be in military attire (note that one was taped onto the drawing, while the other was drawn onto it).  This is one of the few drawings that has writing on it.  It says (near the top): "Mobile Interior of Operational Trailer - front."  So, this may have been something RCA was developing for the military.

Another drawing shows what appears to be looking down on a very complex radar station control room.

Another set of 3 or 4 drawings appears to depict the control rod assembly for a nuclear pressurized water reactor.

There is plenty of miscellaneous material besides.

Mary Martha Irene Kester (1913-2010) -- who went by "Irene" -- was born in Philadelphia, worked as a draftsman for General Electric in the 1930s.  She then served in WWII as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, and went on post-war to work as a draftsman at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) mega-complex in Cherry Hill, NJ.  While still working at RCA, Irene also helped start Kester Associates, an interior design company in Lumberton, New Jersey, in 1951.  Kester Associates specialized in designing historically contextual woodwork and furniture for noteworthy homes in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area.  After retiring from RCA in 1972, she continued at Kester as the lead designer for at least 18 more years--or a total of about 40 years.  In 1982, she was a member of the committee to establish the Lumberton Historical Society Museum.  Mary Martha Irene Kester has been listed as a noteworthy interior designer by Marquis Who's Who.

BONUS! (Not Pictured)  I will include a printout of a lovely and VERY DETAILED 7-page biography of Mary Martha Irene Kester that was written by a friend of hers.  It is personal, lighthearted, and well worth the reading!