Architecture & Design Collections Research Guide

Dresdner, Albert 1866-1934 (German architectural historian)

Albert Dresdner letters received, 1904-1927 (Accession # 850143)

• Summary: Correspondence with architects, including Peter Behrens, Alfred Fischer, Hugo Eberhardt, Paul Griesser, Hans Hartl, Josef Hillerbrand, Erich Mendelsohn, Hermann Muthesius, Hans Poelzig, Paul Schultze-Naumburg, Emanuel von Seidl, Gabriel von Seidl, Bruno Taut, Heinrich Tessenow, submitting photographs and plans of their work for articles in "Commercial Art" or "The Studio", or thanking Dresdner for published articles. With a letter to Meinhold Nussbaum from Erich Mendelsohn offering assistance in fund-raising for building a Jewish center ("Kultusgemeinde") in Nuremberg.

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Eckstein, Hans 1898-1986 (German architectural historian)

 

Hans Eckstein research files, 1897-1984 (bulk 1920-1984) (Accession # 910156)

 

• Summary: The Hans Eckstein research files contain correspondence (ca. 1,108 letters), mostly letters received, and typescript copies of essays and lectures. Eckstein's correspondents share his interest in architectural history, the development and ideology of the Neue Bauen and modern European art and design. The correspondence includes letters between Eckstein and editors, publishers, art historians, architects, artists and designers. Topics covered include the preservation of historical landmarks, exhibitions, the rebuilding of Germany after World War II, architectural theory and criticism. The more substantial correspondence is with the Deutscher Kunstverlag as well as Robert and Wilhelm Langewiesche-Brandt Verlag regarding Eckstein's proposals for book series, and with several newspapers and journals for which Eckstein wrote columns; with art historians Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub, Theodor Heuss, Egon Kornmann, Karl Scheffler; with architects Luciano Baldessari, Egon Eiermann, Hugo Häring, Jürgen Joedicke, Aris Konstantinidis, Heinrich Lauterbach, Peter Meyer, Richard and Dione Neutra, Julius Posener, Henry van de Velde; with artists and designers Heinrich Brüne, Walter Dexel, Andreas Moritz, Josef Scharl (includes 49 photographs of his work), Tut Schlemmer (wife of Oskar Schlemmer), Eberhard Schlotter, Max Schwimmer, Mia Seeger, Toni Stadler, Wilhelm Wagenfeld.The essays and lectures are arranged in four subseries: biographical articles about artists, architects, philosophers and collectors; manuscripts regarding art under the Third Reich, with essays about the place of art and exhibitions in the political arena; reviews and critiques of exhibitions, books, art and architectural projects. One partial manuscript comprises writings and letters transcribed from others, including from the letters of Théodore Rousseau to Charles Blanc and Alfred Sensier, a letter from Adolph Menzel to Otto Greiner, a letter from Joshua Reynolds to Borry, and two letters from Max Liebermann to Wilhelm Bode.Eckstein's lectures and articles cover the history of the Deutscher Werkbund (primarily during the 1950s) and the Neue Bauen with a broad range of essays on architecture. Also included is documentation about Nicholas Roerich (Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh) and the founding of the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York, ca. 1929-1931; photographs of African art from the Han Coray Collection; and a separate file of 28 transcribed letters written by Max Liebermann between 1897-1934.

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Fitchen, John 1905-1990 (American architectural historian)

 

John Fitchen papers, 1927-1989 (Accession # 910018)

 

• Summary: Collection contains materials primarily relating to three of Fitchen's books: The construction of Gothic cathedrals (1961, 1981), The New World Dutch barn (1968), and Building construction before mechanization (1986). Includes an unpublished manuscript "Plot, plan and perspective": an evaluation of Western architecture during seven significant periods. Also manuscripts of published and unpublished articles; offprints; lectures; and an extensive scholarly correspondence with architectural historians, primarily concerning Medieval construction techniques. Several drawings document Fitchen designs for buildings (done while he was a student at Harvard) and his designs for bookplates. A sketchbook contains studies of buildings.Correspondence between Fitchen and several dozen fellow architectural historians, 1954-1984, is largely on the subject of Medieval architecture and construction, and includes detailed discussions of work in progress, and constructive criticisms of publications.Correspondents include François Bucher, Kenneth John Conant, John Hoope Harvey, Jacques Heyman, Robert L. Van Nise, and William C. Wachs.

Ginsburger, Roger (Villon, Pierre) 1901-1980 (French architect and critic)

 

Roger Ginsburger papers. (Accession # 2018.M.19)

 

• Summary: The collection gives evidence to the career of an architect and critic who was central to the development of architectural modernism in the 1930s. Containing typescripts, correspondence, drawings, black-and-white photographs, publications and clippings, this material presents the evolution of Roger Ginsburger  from independent architect and designer to architectural critic, before his departure from architecture in 1934 to reinvent himself as Pierre Villon, a Communist politician in France. Ginsburger's
  design endeavors, including the design of household and office furniture, are represented here by a small assortment of drawings (Box 1, f. 1), photographs (most heavily annotated; Box 4, f. 1), and correspondence with Paul Loch and the German furniture companies Deutsche Stahlmöbel and Gebrüder Thonet (Box 1, f. 2). This material is accompanied by a file of stationery and professional forms designed by Ginsburger (Box 1, f. 3), and two portraits of unidentified people (Box 1, f. 4).
  The writings of Roger Ginsburger exist here in the form of typescripts and publications in both French and German, along with two small files of handwritten notes, as well as newspaper clippings. The typescripts (Box 2, f. 1-10), some of which is unpublished material, include a disposition regarding a Parisian law and the concept of urban hygiene; critical reviews of works by: René Clair; Man Ray; Germaine Dulac; and Teinosuke Kinugasa’s 1928 silent film Jujiro; an article in Das Werk, July 1930, published under the pseudonym Durant-Dupont; a 1932 lecture prepared for the Association des Écrivains et Artistes Révolutionnaires (AEAR); several articles for Die Form accompanied by correspondence with the publisher Walter Riezler (including reference to Mies van der Rohe’s Tugendhat House); and a three-page article in German regarding “der Stuhl-Sessel.” A file of black-and-white photographs of Paris is also included (Box 4, f. 2), and noted as being photographs taken by Ginsburger to accompany an unpublished essay on urbanism. The publications (Box 2, f. 11-18) include La Nature, no. 2803, February 1929; Das Werk, July 1930; Moderne Bauformen Stuttgart, June 1931; Tér és Forma 1, January 1931; L'Architecte, Paris, March 1931. This material is accompanied by clippings of newspaper articles by Ginsburger (Box 5, f. 3); clippings of reviews by architect Hans Schmidt (Box 5, f. 4); and clippings of articles by and about architect Richard Neutra (Box 2, f. 19). The collection also notably includes some rare publications, including the catalogues for two exhibitions at the Gewerbemuseum Basel (“Das französische Plakat" and "Gebrauchsgerät in Frankreich", 1930; Box 2, f. 13), and a catalog for Wohnbedarf, Werkbund-Ausstellung, an exhibition of home furnishings in Stuttgart, May-July 1932 (Box 2, f. 18).
  The two residential projects designed and built by Ginsburger, Maison Imbault and Maison Clerc-Kruskopf (1933 to 1936), in Malesherbes, Loiret, France are represented by notes, cost calculations, correspondence with both home owners and various local building contractors (Box 3), and a few exterior photographs (Box 4, f. 3). There are plot plans and a leveling plan for Maison Imbault (Box 5, f. 2), and two copies of drawings depicting plans, sections, and elevations for the design of a three-story house (Flatfile 1); presumably either Maison Imbault or Maison Clerc-Kruskopf.
  This documentation of Ginsburger's professional career is supplemented with personal correspondence (Box 1, f. 5-16) and photographs (Box 4, f. 4). The correspondence is primarily with the Neutra family, including Richard and Dione, Dione’s sisters Doris Niedermann, Regula Thorston, and Verena Saslavsky, and Dione’s mother Lily Antoinette (nicknamed “Muetterli”). Also included are copies of correspondence between Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier and Muetterli, and one letter to Ginsburger from architect Dr. Ing. Homeyer. The photographs include portraits of Roger and Doris, as well as snapshots of the Niedermann and Neutra families.
  This collection also includes an honorary “souscription internationale” in the Ginsburgers'  name, honoring them for donating to the money to fund basic supplies for the citizens of Spain during the Spanish Civil War, circa 1938 (Box 5, f. 1).

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Grabar, Oleg 1929-2011 (American art historian, born in France)

 

Oleg Grabar papers. (Accession # 2012.M.7)

• Summary: The Oleg Grabar papers document the career of the scholar who transformed the field of Islamic art history in the United States. Compiled over more than fifty years, the archive contains thousands of photographs, slides, notes, specialized and hard-to-find research materials, unpublished works including lectures and student theses, historical maps, and ephemera. A small amount of material, especially photographs of Byzantine art and architecture, originally collected by his father, André Grabar, is also included.Focusing on Grabar's fieldwork and site documentation, the first series contains the majority of the original material in the archive. Notes, drawings and photographs record Grabar's excavation work, detailed on-site studies, site surveys and study travels. Unique photographs, in the form of prints, negatives and slides, display images ranging from sites in obscure areas of the Middle East or Central Asia to well-known monuments, such as the Alhambra or the Dome of the Rock, captured with Grabar's eye for special details. The earlier photographs are particularly important for documenting the mid-century state of preservation before alterations or even destruction of monuments.Research materials assembled by Oleg Grabar for his publications and projects comprise the bulk of the archive. Offprints and photocopies of articles form the overwhelming majority of the material, but occasionally notes, letters received, photographs and drawings are included. Since almost all of the material in this series is available through other sources, its value lies in the aggregation for ease of research and the snapshot it presents of Oleg Grabar's intellectual landscape. The material testifies to the scope of Grabar's interests, covering all areas of Islamic art and architecture, and related historical and cultural issues and literary topics in the Islamic world, as well as antecedents and then contemporary developments in the Classical and post-Classical worlds, in the Byzantine sphere and the Medieval West.Three small series relating to Grabar's writings, correspondence, and faculty and professional service complete the archive. Included in these series are a few drafts of lectures and publication production material, as well as a scattering of correspondence and materials relating to two courses Grabar taught at Harvard. Grabar's work with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the various entities funded by the Aga Khan Development Network is more fully documented.

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Herrmann, Wolfgang 1899-1995 (Germany architectural historian)

 

Wolfgang Herrmann papers, 1924-1991. (Accession # 880097)

• Summary: Research for publications about Marc Antoine Laugier, Claude Perrault, Antoine Desgodets, Claude Nicolas Ledoux, 17th-18th century French architectural theory and design generally, and Gottfried Semper. Most of the collection consists of notes, photographs (approx. 850), and photocopies of primary and manuscript sources assembled to prepare monographs on Laugier, Perrault, and Semper and articles on Desgodets and Ledoux.I. Laugier research: Notes on 40 subject headings considered for the monograph, including assessments of Laugier's writing by contemporary and modern authors, bibliography, abstracts of 17th-18th century architectural books, misc. topics, ideas for writing, and summaries of contemporary publications on topics such as Greek vs. Roman architecture, Gothic architecture, evolution of the orders, and the authority of Vitruvius.II. Perrault research: Notes on 14 subject headings considered for the monograph and 5 general subjects with the emphasis on Perrault's attempts to codify proportion and to standardize optical correction. Also, photocopies of Essais de physique (for a projected chapter on Perrault as a scientist) and notes on Carlo Lodoli.III. Research for articles: (1) Notes on the reception of Desgodets' book on Roman architecture by the Academie Royal d'Architecture. Photographs of Desgodets' unpublished treatise on contemporary architectural design. (2) Notes on and photographs of engravings of Ledoux's work. (3) Notes and photographs for a study of the Temple of Jerusalem.IV. Misc. research and writing: shorter articles (including ones written in German from 1926-1930), reviews, etc.V. Dissertation: Der Hochbarocke Klostertype (233 pp. typescript with c. 150 photos and drawings of European baroque monasteries). 1924.VI. Correspondence: Mostly letters about publications with Anthony Blunt, Caroll L. V. Meeks, Rudolf Wittkower, and others.VII. Misc. photographs: Approx. 400 of 17th-18th century French architectural drawings and buildings, the Orders, building types, etc.VIII. (1) Photocopies of many of the manuscripts of Semper's published and unpublished writings, notebooks, and lectures on art theory and the history of art and architecture housed in the Semper-Archiv (Zurich); arranged in rough chronological order numerically according to Herrmann's catalog of the archive ("Gottfried Semper: Theoretischer Nachlass an der ETH Zürich," 1981) (boxes 12-29). (2) A card file prepared by Herrmann, with 310 subject headings that refer to the items in section (1) above and other relevant source materials that were considered for monographs and articles on Semper's life and writings on art theory and the history of art and architecture and for editions and translations of some of Semper's unpublished works (e.g., his "Vergleichende Baulehre" and "Theorie des Formell-Schönen") (box 30). (3) Herrmann's notes under 38 subject headings for a projected chapter entitled "Semper and Natural Science" for his 1984 biography of Semper (box 31). (4) Photocopies of much of Semper's correspondence (1824-1877) contained in the Semper-Archiv and other archives (e.g., the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg) with Herrmann's extensive transcriptions, notes, and index. The index lists approximately 295 correspondents, including members of Semper's family, his publishers, Prince Albert of Great Britain, Henry Cole, Joseph Paxton, and Richard Wagner (boxes 32-36).(5) Photocopies and/or partial transcriptions of approximately 25 manuscripts of Semper's writings not included in Herrmann's Semper-Archiv catalog, including competitions for various architectural projects, 1840-1870 (box 37). (6) Miscellaneous materials concerning Semper: drafts of articles by Herrmann, a genealogy of Semper's family, photocopies of contemporary reviews of Semper's "Der Stil" (box 38). (7) Approximately 55 photographs of Semper's sketches and architectural drawings and portrait photographs of Semper (box 38).

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Hildebrandt, Hans 1879-1957 (German art historian and critic)

Hans and Lily Hildebrandt Papers, 1899-1979 (Accession # 850676)

 

• Summary: The collection is an essentially complete record of Hildebrandt' s life and work. It includes numerous examples of his articles for art magazines and the popular press, as well as copies of his lectures publicizing the work of modern artists and architects. His manuscripts address a broad array of topics relevant to the European avant-garde, including the work of women artists, decorative arts (Der Schmuck) and mural painting. His correspondence includes letters from Europe's leading artists and architects, such as Albers, Archipenko, Arp, Baumeister, Bill, Chagall, Le Corbusier, and Schlemmer. There are personal photographs of the Hildebrandts and their artist friends, as well as research photographs of art and architecture relating to Hans Hildebrandt's writing projects. Lily Hildebrandt's papers include ca. 200 intimate letters from Walter Gropius recounting details of the architect's personal and professional life (1919-1968).

• Notes: Lily Hildebrandt, a student of Adolf Hölzel, was a painter and children's book author. About 200 photographs of modern German and French art (especially German expressionism, Constructivism and abstract art) were removed from this collection and integrated into the repository's Photo Study collection in 1985.

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Hines, Thomas S. 1936- (American architectural historian)

 

Thomas S. Hines Papers (Accession # 2015.M.16)

 

• Summary: The papers of architectural historian Thomas S. Hines consist of the research files, site photographs, correspondence and published articles of a professor and scholar widely known for his detailed investigations of key figures including Daniel Burnham, Richard Neutra and Irving Gill. His significant publications, academic career and expertise on the development of Southern California architecture have had a profound impact, especially on the discourse related to the evolution of Los Angeles' built environment.

 

Interview with Edmund Teske, 1994 Sept. 9. (Accession # 2001.M.41)

 

• Summary: Interview with Edmund Teske was conducted by the architectural historian Thomas S. Hines on 9 Sept. 1994. Teske talks about his life, his artistic education and development as a photographer. He also speaks about his experiences with Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin fellowship, and his photographs of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, including Taliesin (East and West), and the Hollyhock house and Studio B in Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles.

 

Thomas S. Hines interviews John Gill regarding Irving Gill 1999 (Accession # 2010.M.59)

 

• Summary: Thomas S. Hines interviews John Gill, the great nephew of architect Irving Gill.

 

Thomas S. Hines interviews regarding Richard J. Neutra 1972-1980 (Accession # 2010.M.58)

 

• Summary: This collection of interviews was conducted by Thomas Hines from 1972 to 1980 in preparation for his book and exhibition on Richard J. Neutra in 1982. Series I contains interviews with Neutra's friends and family members, including Norman Cousins, Dione Neutra, and Raymond J. Neutra. Series II is comprised of interviews with Neutra's business associates, clients, and Los Angeles architects. Interviewees include Gregory Ain, Philip Lovell, Julius Shulman, and Raphael Soriano. In one recording with Harwell Hamilton Harris, Shelly Kappe conducts the interview with Thomas Hines.

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​Horn, Walter 1908-1995 (USA)

Walter Horn papers, 1917-1989. (Accession # 920087)

• Summary: These papers relate to Professor Horn's study of Medieval aisled timber halls and barns, focusing on approximately forty English and French vernacular buildings of the 13th and 14th centuries, including churches, tithe barns, hospitals, manor halls, and market halls. Some papers describe timber halls and barns of the Low Countries and the United States. Included are his field notes, correspondence, photographs, negatives, offprints and small scale graphic materials. These papers were compiled in collaboration with Ernest Born (see Born architectural drawings accn. no. 920089**).

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Huxtable, Ada Louise 1921-2013 (American architectural critic)

 

Ada Louise Huxtable papers (Accession # 2013.M.9)

 

• Summary: The Ada Louise Huxtable papers are comprised of correspondence, typescripts and drafts of her writings, research files, awards and honors, advisory committee papers, personal papers, architectural plans and photographic materials. Correspondence between Huxtable and her readers, which often included prominent architects, politicians and scholars, unveil changing public sentiments about architecture over the second half of the 20th century. Huxtable’s writing for newspapers such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal as well as other journals, books and lectures provide a comprehensive record of the evolution of her extensive career as an architecture critic. The research files comprise a large portion of the Huxtable papers with one series of files focused on architects and the other focused on geographic subjects. The research, which was integral to Huxtable's writing, serves as documentation of the shifting landscape of architectural design, planning and urbanism in the last 50 years. Huxtable's architect research files focus on the work of Tadao Ando, Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron, Johnson & Burgee, Le Corbusier, Richard Meier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Renzo Piano, Eero Saarinen, Skidmore Owings and Merrill and Minoru Yamasaki.

 

• Connect to New York Times and Wall Street Journal articles (Access is available only to on-site readers and to Getty staff)

Müller-Wulckow, Walter 1886-1964 (German art historian)

Walter Müller-Wulckow papers, 1918-1935 (Accession # 880423)

 

• Summary: Collection consists primarily of Müller-Wulkow's papers relating to the work of the sculptor, architect, engraver and painter Bernhard Hoetger. The correspondence with Hoetger and his wife Lee Hoetger documents the artist's life and work from 1919-1935. The collection also includes: Müller-Wulckow's professional correspondence concerning his efforts to promote Hoetger's work as well as two unrelated letters from Adolf Hölzel (1919), Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1929), and a postcard (post-World War II) from Erich Heckel; four letters from the Bauhaus, probably all from Walter Gropius, 1921-1924, asking for Müller-Wulckow's assistance in the school's fight against governmental attempts to cut financial aid and dissolve it as a public institution; manuscript writings about Bernhard Hoetger; a collection of printed articles and clippings on Hoetger; and 60 photographs of his architectural and sculptural projects, most notably of the "Böttcherstrasse" (1926) in Bremen.Series description: Series I. Correspondence with Bernhard and Lee Hoetger, 1919-1935, arranged in chronological order (folder 1-5). The correspondence reflects Müller-Wulckow's role as Hoetger's mentor and promoter of his work. Sales, publication and exhibition projects are discussed; also included are references to Hoetger's deceased friend Paula Modersohn-Becker. Of special interest are a letter from Hoetger, 1933 Aug. 9, enthusiastically discussing the advent of the Third Reich, and the painter's Nordic "Weltanschauung" and concept of art, and a series of letters, 1935 July, focusing on a negative review of Hoetger's work by the Nazi press organ "Das schwarze Korps;" both Hoetger and Müller-Wulckow strike a clearly anti-Semitic note in their discussion of this matter.Series II. Professional correspondence, 1924-1934, arranged in chronological order (folder 6). This correspondence, mostly with G. Biermann, publisher of the art journal Cicerone, further reflects Müller-Wulckow's efforts on Hoetger's behalf. His positive evaluation of the latter's controversial work is clearly expressed in a letter, 25 Jan. 6, about an Hoetger exhibition in 1924, which he analyzes and defends.Series III. Letters received from the Bauhaus, 1921-1924, arranged in chronological order (folder 7). Four letters from the Bauhaus, 1921-1924, discuss the financial and political difficulties encountered by the newly founded institution and ask for Müller-Wulckow's support in the form of short articles. One of the letters is signed by Walter Gropius. The others are unsigned but are likely by him as well. With four press announcements relating to Bauhaus activities.Series IV. Miscellaneous letters received (folder 8): A letter from Adolf Hölzel, 1919 March 26, announces his arrival in Frankfurt; a letter from Rudolf Probst at Neue Kunst Fides in Dresden inviting Müller-Wulckow to see the newly opened exhibition of watercolors and drawings by Franz Marc, many of which were shown for the first time; a letter from Wilhelm Wagenfeld, 1929 Aug. 7, discusses in great detail Wagenfeld's status as a teacher at the Staatliche Bauhochschule, Weimar; another letter from Wagenfeld to Müller-Wulckow dated 1929 Sept. 8; and a postcard from Erich Heckel, post World War II, thanks Müller-Wulckow for correcting a false title of a painting. Also present are two postcards from unidentified people, and two pieces of printed matter, including Müller-Wulckow's membership card from 1919 of Bürger-Ausschuss Geschäftsstelle Frankfurt a. M.; and an invitation to Müller-Wulckow from Ludwig Roselius to attend an event titled Das Heldische im nordischen Menschen held at Böttcherstrasse in April 1934, with two printed inserts.Series V. Manuscript writings on Hoetger (folder 9). A number of manuscript and typescript articles on Hoetger projects, most notably the "Böttcherstrasse" in Bremen, the Hoetger house in Worpswede and the war memorial "Niedersachsenstein".Series VI. Printed material relating to Hoetger, 1918-1935, (folder 10). Clippings and articles on Hoetger, predominantly on the controversial "Böttcherstrasse".Series VII. Photographs of Hoetger's architectural and sculptural work (binder). Sixty-one photographs of buildings and interiors designed by Hoetger, 53 of the "Böttcherstrasse", Bremen, with one photo of its sponsor, consul Roselius, four of the cafe "Winuwuck", one of the interior of the Hoetger house, Worpswede, and two of the war memorial "Niedersachsenstein".

 

Arbeitsrat für Kunst printed ephemera, 1918-1919. (Accession # 840131)

• Summary: The collection is comprised of manifestos, program statements and exhibition announcements, some with woodblock illustrations, which put forth the goals and guiding principles of the Arbeitsrat für Kunst. Among the authors of the statements are Walter Gropius, Bruno Taut, Adolf Behne, Paul Rudolf Henning, Alexander Koch and Wilhelm Michel. Included are a typescript letter to the editors of Frankfurter Zeitung, dated 1919 January 12, signed by Adolf Behne, asking for a review of the organization's first book publication; a photograph of one of the woodcut illustrations, and two photocopies.Also included are four items concerning the organization Hessischer Arbeitsrat für Kunst: two pamphlets, one with program and one with statues and regulations, membership application, and printed matter addressed to the art historian Walter Müller-Wulckow.

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Muschamp, Herbert 1947-2007 (American Architecture Critic)

Herbert Muschamp papers, 1972-2006 (Accession # 2012.M.36)

• Summary: The collection documents the writing career of this prolific architectural critic and includes research files, notes, early drafts, typescripts, articles, lectures, correspondence, publications, clippings, photographs, video recordings and ephemera.

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Osthaus, Ernst 1874-1921 (German collector)

Karl Ernst Osthaus letters received, 1889-1920 (Accession # 880410)

 

• Summary: Collection consists of letters received, 1889-1920, arranged in alphabetical order; (folder 1, A-M; folder 2, N-Z). The correspondents are: Ernst Barlach, Peter Behrens, Walter Gropius, Werner Hegemann, Moissey Kogan, Artistide Maillol, Franz Marc, Hermann Muthesius, Heinrich Nauen, Richard Riemerschmid, Kurt Schwitters, Bruno Taut, Milly Steger, Louis Tuaillon, Henry van der Velde and Elisabeth Förster Nietzsche. With an article by Dr. Herta Hesse-Frielinghausen on Karl Ernst Osthaus's life and work (folder 2).Most notable are: Two letters from Peter Behrens, one (1907 Dec. 25), in which he comments on an article about him written by Osthaus in "Kunst und Künstler" and discusses plans to build a studio in his garden and a second (1908 March 16), in which Behrens asks for Osthaus' assistance in securing photos of a church project in Hagen for a lecture on modern church architecture in Hamburg; two letters from Walter Gropius, one commenting on the war and inquiring about the situation in Weimar, Henry van der Velde, the Werkbund and Folkwang (1915 Oct. 15), and the other impatiently expressing his determination to work constructively after the war, voicing demands that the Werkbund send him as their delegate to Stockholm, as well as mentioning anxious and angry letters to Hans Poelzig and Peter Behrens in which he insists on an explanation as to why his works were not exhibited in Bern (1918 Jan. 2).Also, a letter from Moissey Kogan (n.d.), discussing plans for a relief; two letters from Aristide Maillol (ca. 1913), referring to a sculpture Osthaus wanted to present to Henry van der Velde for his 50th birthday; a letter from Franz Marc to a Folkwang employee with the initials 0.M. (1911 Oct.10), in which the painter discusses the whereabouts of his collection and expresses interest in purchasing Siamese art; a letter from Hermann Muthesius (1904 Nov. 29), in which he questions the likelihood that the Prussian Ministry of Work would commission the architectural design of a train station by Henry van der Velde; a letter from Heinrich Nauen (1907 Aug. 2), in which the painter asks Osthaus' assistance in inquiring about a possible teaching position for him with Henry van der Velde; a letter from Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche (1913 March 14), detailing the plans to celebrate Henry van der Velde's 50th birthday in the Nietzsche Archives; and two letters from Richard Riemerschmid (1904 Oct. 21 and 1908 Jan. 24), concerning his possible participation in a Folkwang project.With one postcard from Kurt Schwitters to Ernst Fuhrmann (1920 Jan. 10), concerning a publication project; one letter from Bruno Taut to Ernst Fuhrmann (1920 Jan. 25), dealing with the production and distribution of a Taut prospectus and the originals of his of "Weltbaumeister"; a letter from Louis Tuaillon (1900 Feb. 2), relating to a small bronze statue; three letters and one postcard from Henry van der Velde (1901-1903), discussing Osthaus' museum project as well as other private commissions by Osthaus such as a cradle and the interior design of his home.With one letter by Osthaus to the painter and graphic artist Rudolf Weiss (1904 Oct. 17), in which he discusses his legal and financial obligations towards the artist.

Pevsner, Nikolaus 1902-1983 (German architectural historian, active in England)

Nikolaus Pevsner miscellaneous papers, 1957-1979 (Accession # 2003.M.34)

 

• Summary: This collection relates primarily to Nikolaus Pevsner's work during the 1960s and 1970s, including publications and speaking engagements, pedagogical research on art and architecture education, and his membership on the Council of Bauhaus. Material includes correspondence, typescripts, manuscripts, ephemera, photocopies, clippings, study photographs, negatives, and slides.Extensive correspondence in Series I includes letters to and from many well-known scholars from the worlds of art and architectural history, such as Anthony Blunt, John Coolidge and John Pope-Hennessy. Series II contains research notes and manuscripts for Pevsner's books published in the 1960s and 1970s. Among them are A Dictionary of Architecture (1966), Studies in Art, Architecture and Design (1968), A History of Building Types (1976), and the series Buildings of England (1951-1974). Also included are manuscripts for articles and lectures, and related correspondence. In Series III are research files pertaining to specific buildings and other architectural topics, study photographs, and pedagogical research. Pevsner's professional files in Series IV document his involvement with the Council of Bauhaus from 1960 to 1972, and also contain assorted general correspondence, invitations to give lectures and write reviews, and honorary degrees. Assorted administrative and personal files in Series V document basic office management, such as hiring typists and ordering supplies, as well as personal business such as ordering Christmas cards and arranging a dinner party.

Nikolaus Pevsner papers, 1919-1979 (Accession # 840209)

• Summary: Series I. Correspondence: General correspondence with Wilhelm Pinder, Bodo Ebhardt, Arthur Mackmurdo, Walter Gropius, Julius Posener and other artists, architects, designers and architectural historians; also editorial correspondence of the Architectural Review and correspondence of the Royal Fine Arts Commission, National Council for Diplomas and Design, Redundant Churches Advisory Board, British Academy, Victorian Society, William Morris Society, Jerusalem Committee, etc. (More correspondence is to be found within the material relating to Pevsner's books and articles, including more letters by Walter Gropius and letters by C. R. Ashbee, Gordon Russell, Charles A. Voysey, and members of the 'Omega' workshops).Series II. Publication files: Manuscripts, research notes, correspondence, and photographs for Pioneers of Modern Design from William Morris to Walter Gropius, An Inquiry into Industrial Art in England, Academies of Art, An Outline of European Architecture, Charles R. Mackintosh, Gordon Russell, The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture, Some Architectural Writers of the 19th Century (Oxford Slade lectures), The History of Building Types (Mellon lectures) and other publications. (N. B.: Files for the "Buildings of England" have been retained by Penguin Press Ltd). Scripts for BBC radio broadcasts.Series III. Teaching notes and presentations: Lectures and lecture notes for use at the Courtauld Institution on Art and Birkbeck College, University of London; Cambridge and Oxford University. Lectures delivered in the United States, South Africa, Argentina, Germany, Italy, etc. With related correspondence.Series IV & V. Research material: Abstracts of books arranged by subject; includes student notes by Pevsner from the universities of Leipzig, Munich, Berlin and Frankfurt, card files on English architects, on buildings and artists mentioned in Country Life, etc.; notes on buildings visited, by country (separately within a collection of several thousand postcards); printed material, including articles by Pevsner, in chronological order.Series VI. Personal papers: Personal and family correspondence; date books, 1951-1977.

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Ruskin, John 1819-1900 (English architectural critic and author)

 

John Ruskin papers, ca. 1837-1904. (Accession # 860789)

 

• Summary: Collection consists of a significant body of letters covering most of Ruskin's creative years. Included are two draft manuscript lecture fragments on engraving and Greek art, printed lecture proofs with corrections and annotations on "The Pleasures of Faith" and the Pre-Raphaelites (1883-1884), and portrait photographs of Ruskin.Series I. Correspondence: Included are letters by Ruskin, (1837-1886) covering most of his artistic and critical career, and including family and miscellaneous correspondence. Letters include: one to Henry Acland describing his recent travels and relating his views of Turner, Michelangelo and Raphael (20 June 1841); proposing the founding of an American school of architecture and painting (1852); referring to dimensions of a building discussed in "Stones of Venice," and a daguerrotype taken of it (1854); discussing painting from nature and mentioning Millais (1855); stating his views on the relationship between women and reason and the usage of the term "imagination" (1858); an illustrated letter concerning his interest in the structure of clouds and trees (ca. 1859); mentioning the "Aratra Pentelici" (ca. 1872); discussing a portrait of Rose La Touche and him (ca. 1874); commenting on his "dislike of modern poetry" (1881); authenticating a drawing by Turner (1886); an illustrated letter to the engraver R. P. Cuff regarding plate 5 entitled "The Ducal Palace: Comportments of the Balcony" in Ruskin's book "Examples of the Architecture of Venice" explaining with sketches how to accurately reproduce Ruskin's drawing of the balcony (n.d.); and relating that his views on architecture are well expressed in the preface to "Two Paths" (n.d.).Six letters are to his publisher George Allen concerning printing and editorial matters; three illustrate editing instructions.Family and miscellaneous correspondence includes a letter from John James Ruskin to George Smith concerning "The Seven Lamps of Architecture"; 3 letters received from his niece, Joan Ruskin Severn, regarding an artist's drawing career (1893); and a letter from Charles Eliot Norton to Prof. Moore regarding a volume of Ruskin's letters (1904). With 2 miscellaneous notes received by Ruskin. Arranged chronologically.Series II. Lecture fragments: Includes an 8 p. draft with extensive revisions of "Ariadne Florentina: Six Lectures on Wood and Metal Engraving," sections 21-30 (issued in seven separate parts in 1873-1876). The work derives from the series of lectures Ruskin gave as Slade Professor of Fine Arts at Oxford. Also, a 2 p. corrected fragment of a lecture on Greek art in which Ruskin speaks plainly of his Pre-Raphaelite preferences; this was later published in "Queen of the Air" (1869).Series III. Printed lecture proofs: Included is a corrected and heavily annotated 75 p. proof entitled "Lecture II: The Pleasures of Faith" (1884), with 2 p. of new text in manuscript, and a lightly corrected 36 p. first draft of "Rossetti and Holman Hunt" from his "Lectures on English Art" (1883).Series IV. Photographs: Four undated portrait photographs by Elliot & Fry and others of Ruskin aged ca. 40-60, and one taken of Ruskin with Sir Henry Acland at Brantwood (ca. 1890). With a small watercolor sketch of Ruskin's house, Brantwood, by an unknown artist.