The collection consists of original drawings and reproductions, conceptual drawings, presentation boards, and sketches with a small number of photographs and transparencies and occasional manuscript material including client files, building specifications, and material written by and about McDonald and his work. The bulk of the collection documents his early Wisconsin regional designs, specifically his residential designs from 1949-1958. During this period, McDonald designed about 100 homes for clients mainly in Wisconsin and Illinois. In addition to documenting McDonald's Midwest residential designs the collection also illustrates McDonald's adaptation of the Prairie style architecture, made famous by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and therefore documents Wright's influence on other architects, architecture, and architectural styles in Wisconsin and the Midwest. McDonald's background in art is evident in his drawings. His elevations and perspectives are good examples of Prairie-style and Mid-Century Modern rendering styles and techniques.
The collection is divided into three series: DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS, and MANUSCRIPTS.
The DRAWINGS series is divided into five subseries: Residences, Dorms/Fraternities/Rentals, Nonresidential, Other Projects, and Yale University Coursework. Each subseries is organized by state and then by city, where possible, and then by the last name of the client or project name listed on the drawings. For projects where a location is unknown, the drawings are alphabetical by client or project name. The variety and number of drawings varies with each project. In some cases there is only one drawing while in others more than twenty drawings exist. Included with some projects are concept sketches and preliminary drawings, usually executed on yellow tracing paper. In addition, there are several color presentation drawings in the collection. The other projects include unidentified drawings and a hand drawn poster advertising a lecture given by McDonald.
The PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS series includes images of both residential and non-residential designs as well as images of an exhibit about McDonald titled “Earth, Sky, and Water” that was at the San Damiano Studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a portrait of McDonald. The bulk of the imagery is for projects in Florida.
There is a limited amount of material in the MANUSCRIPTS series including a few writings by McDonald, writings about McDonald and buildings he designed, project lists, tour brochures from architectural tours featuring McDonald designed buildings, and his obituaries from various newspapers. There is also a copy of the 1998 edition of John Randal McDonald – Architect / by Brian Beno, which is a comprehensive list of McDonald's projects from 1948 to 1960 with descriptions and locations of projects built in Wisconsin during that time period.
