Francis Steegmuller (1906-1994) was a novelist, biographer, and translator. He was the author of many works about French culture and literary figures, and a translator of Gustave Flaubert. The papers include correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, printed materials, research materials, and scrapbooks.

Hugh Ferriss (1889-1962) was an architectural renderer known for his vision of the modern city and his ability to translate vast projects into dramatic but clear-cut images. Ferriss published two books: The Metropolis of Tomorrow (1929) and Power of Buildings (1953). The collection was donated to Avery Library by Ferriss' family after his death, and has been supplemented by several later additions from other sources. 363 original drawings in the collection have been photographed and digitized and can be viewed via links in the finding aid's container listing.