Selma Rattner research papers on James Renwick, 1856-2001, bulk 1960s-2001

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Creator:

Rattner, Selma, 1929-2005, Renwick, James, 1818-1895, Renwick, James, 1792-1863, and Renwick Family

Extent:

35.5 linear feet

Language:

English .

Scope and content:

This collections contains the professional research, writing, publications, and correspondence produced and collected by Rattner through her study of the architect James Renwick, Jr. The bulk of Rattner's research addresses the life and works of Renwick, but other research topics represented in her papers range from the Renwick family genealogy to the institutional architecture of New York City. Types of research material include personal research notes (in notecard format, both typed and holograph), correspondence (1963-2001), newspaper and magazine clippings, Xerox copies of archival material and secondary sources, transcribed articles and correspondence, brochures from historic sites, photographs and slides of buildings and sites, sketches, historic structure inventory forms, landmark nomination forms, landmark designation reports, and postcards.

Biographical / historical:

Selma Rattner was an architectural historian, preservationist, and unofficial biographer of the architect James Renwick, Jr. She received her bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1950, earned a certificate from the Restoration and Preservation program of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) in 1969, and a master's of science in Historic Preservation from Columbia in 1977. Rattner was also a lecturer at the GSAPP from 1973 to 1977 and an adjunct professor from 1977 to 1979.

Although Rattner never wrote a full biography of Renwick, as she had intended, she lectured and published on him throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Most notably, she authored the entry on Renwick for the 1982 edition of the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects. Rattner was especially interested in Renwick's two major New York City works, Grace Church (1845) and St. Patrick's Cathedral (1858-1888), and wrote her master's thesis for Columbia on Grace Church and Gothic Revival architecture in the United States. Rattner also researched Renwick's minor, and in some cases virtually unknown works, traveling often to visit libraries, archives, museums and building sites. She amassed a significant amount of primary and secondary research material over more than three decades.

In addition to her ongoing research on Renwick, Rattner was also active in related professional organizations, including the New York Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, which she served as Vice-President from 1974 to 1976 and as Preservation Officer from 1976 to 1979; and the Victorian Society in America, for which she was Vice-President from 1970 to 1980 and 1986 to 1988 and Director from 1980 to 1989. Rattner also consulted on various historic preservation projects, including the restoration of the historic core of Mexico City, and the proposed recycling of City Hospital on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Lastly, she was CEO and President of Paragon Paint & Varnish Corp. from 1990 to 1998. Rattner died in January 2005.

Acquisition information:: Source of acquisition--Gift of Gabrielle and Donald M. Rattner. Accession number--2005.006.
Processing information:: Papers Processed Olivia Klose 09/2005-04/2007.
Arrangement:: This collection is organized in 14 series, as follows: I. James Renwick, Jr. (1818-1895); II. James Renwick, Sr. (1792-1863); III. Renwick Family; IV. James Renwick, Jr. and Partners; V. Grace Church, New York, New York; VI. St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, New York; i. William Rodrigue, Architect (1800-1863); ii. Church architects; VII. Churches: Northeast region/ possibly Renwick; VIII. Churches: Northeast region and Washington, D.C.; IX. Smithsonian Institution; X. Washington, D.C. ; XI. Corcoran; XII. Rembrandt Lockwood, Architect (1815-1889); XIII. Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue; and XIV. New York Architecture.
Rules or conventions:: Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is available for use by appointment in the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For further information, please email avery-drawings@library.columbia.edu.

Terms of access:

Columbia University is providing access to the materials in the Library's collections solely for noncommercial educational and research purposes. The unauthorized use, including, but not limited to, publication of the materials without the prior written permission of Columbia University is strictly prohibited. All inquiries regarding permission to publish should be submitted in writing to the Director, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For additional guidance, see Columbia University Libraries' publication policy.

In addition to permission from Columbia University, permission of the copyright owner (if not Columbia University) and/or any holder of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) may also be required for reproduction, publication, distributions, and other uses. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of any item and securing any necessary permissions rests with the persons desiring to publish the item. Columbia University makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the materials or their fitness for a particular purpose.

Preferred citation:: Selma Rattner Research Papers on James Renwick. Located in Dept. of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.

Location of this collection:: Avery Drawings & Archives

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