Hull's Art Supply & Framing - Who We Are

What that Means to You!

Hull’s Art Supply & Framing has become an institution as the most comprehensive and complete location to purchase supplies for architectural and set design model making.  In addition to attaining this unique position for model makers (and we aspire to that claim on a National basis) we believe that we have preeminent excellence for the State of Connecticut in art materials. Our framing craftsmanship also excels as a local resource acknowledged as best for four years running.

How we got to where we are and why such a distinctive store should have evolved in the small city of New Haven, Connecticut is a tale of coincidence and perseverance to have had this outcome.

Hull’s began in business in 1947 as Hull’s Hobbies founded by Harry Hull.  Hobby stores in 1947 and through at least the 1960s were very different than they have become today. Before television and computer games a hobby in every household was not uncommon. Kids came to the hobby shop for their balsa wood to make airplanes and bass wood to make “towns and cities” for their railroad layouts. Coincident with this flourishing hobby business, New Haven, being a late twentieth century Mecca for design of modern buildings, the architects of the city and the architecture students of Yale University used the hobby store’s resources to build their models. The symbiosis persisted and the product lines for architectural model makers as well as set design model makers (New Haven being a stage performance center as well) grew and grew.

Hull’s was a real New Haven fixture, an institution having stature comparable to Louis’ Lunch and Sally’s Pizza. But as changes due to many social forces in recent decades, including television, technology, and computers, the “hobby” side of the business largely disappeared. However, with its proximity to Yale’s architecture, drama and art schools, the model making aspect of hobbies remained a mainstay of Hull’s business. Art Supplies and Picture Framing grew in importance as other parts of the hobby business declined.

In 1999, the business was acquired by its current owner, moved eastward down the block about 300 yards to its present location (more central to New Haven and Yale), and re-named “Hull’s University Art Supply and Framing.”       

From its long evolving retail history; its support of architectural model building, set design and fine art; and with the benefit of today’s technologies, Hull’s now seeks to fulfill a vision as: “Suppliers to Model Makers, Artists and Architects Worldwide.”

As a result of this long history and the efforts of the current staff to fulfill the needs of all model makers, we think that we have offerings to benefit any model maker in the country. Our unique inventory is broad and deep in art, architectural and modeling supplies. Use us now. You’ll find us uniquely prepared to fulfill the needs that any customer, no matter how specialized, will require.