 Milius and fellow student Blanche Grambs explored various New York neighborhoods such as the Lower East Side, the waterfront, and SoHo, drawing outside, or going inside to the New York Public Library on cold days.Milius's works of the NYPL depict the buildings use as a shelter for Depression-era victims, reflective of the use of libraries today as an afternoon housing for the poor.In 1935 Milius and Grambs started using the studio of William Karp, creating formal portraits.