The Joel E. Rubin Collection consists of materials relating to lighting design and equipment from the personal files of Dr. Joel E. Rubin, and from companies that include Kliegl Bros. Lighting Company, Century Lighting Company, Thorn Lighting, Siemens, ADB Lighting, Marumo, Ludwig Pani, Reiche & Vogel, Emil Niethammer, Green Ginger, CCT Lighting, and the National Theatre of Japan. These materials include photographs, sales catalogs, brochures, microfilm, calendars, and hand-painted scenery and "pose" lantern slides.

Dr. Joel E. Rubin is a well-respected specialist in theatre lighting, planning, and equipment. He received his undergraduate education in engineering at Case Western Reserve University and followed up with an M.F.A. from Yale University's Yale School of Drama. Dr. Rubin decided on Yale University because of his interest in the numerous lighting developments being made by George C. Izenour at his lab there. While at Yale, Dr. Rubin would co-write with Leland H. Watson a seminal book on lighting design, Theatrical Lighting Practice, published in 1954. He would later receive a joint Ph.D. from Stanford University in engineering and theatre. After receiving his doctorate degree, Dr. Rubin would go on to work for Kiegl Brothers Lighting, where he would eventually become executive vice president for over two decades. In addition to his work as a lighting specialist, Dr. Rubin was a co-founder and a Past President of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and a Founding Chair and Chair Emeritus of its International Commission. He was also a founding member of the International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects, and Theatre Technicians (OISTAT), where he served for eight years as President.