Collections : [Avery Drawings & Archives]

Alan Burnham (1913–1984) was an American architect and architectural historian who served as the Executive Director of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission from 1965 to 1973 as well as the Commission's Director of Research. This collection consists mainly of reference materials related to architectural history and New York City architectural history, as well as professional papers and papers relating to Richard Morris Hunt and the history of New York City apartment buildings.

The Woodlawn Cemetery archive documents the history of the grounds, mausolea, monuments, and operations of Woodlawn Cemetery, founded in 1863 in The Bronx, New York, and one of the largest in the United States. The collection includes architectural designs records, maps, photographs, correspondence, construction and maintenance records, and other historical documents, spanning 140 years of the cemetery's operations.

The collection includes the project files and architectural drawings of the Taliesin Associated Architects, the firm that was established after the death of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959. Projects include commissions that were left on Wright's desk at the time of his death as well as independent commissions and renovation work. Over 1,000 architectural projects are represented either in the paper records, the architectural drawings, or both.

The projects in this collection represent the history of a firm that lasted nearly a century. The roots of the firm can be traced back to Hermann J. Schwarzmann, a German-born architect who designed the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876. Schwarzmann soon partnered with Albert Buchman and practiced with him until 1887. Unfortunately no drawings survive from the two earliest firms. This collection begins with records from the partnership of Buchman & Deisler (circa 1888-1899), followed by a succession of partnerships until the dissolution of the firm: Buchman & Fox (1899-1917), Buchman & Kahn (1917-1930), Ely Jacques Kahn Architects (1930-1940), and Kahn & Jacobs (1940-1973). The bulk of the collection documents the firms' work from 1893 until 1950. The collection includes approximately 8,250 architectural drawings for projects located primarily in New York City that were designed or altered by Kahn & Jacobs and the various predecessor partnerships. Major projects include the Bergdorf Goodman Department Store (1927); Bloomingdale's Department Store (1903-1917); the Bonwit Teller Department Store at Fifth Avenue and 38th Street (1911); the Film Center building (1928-1932); the original New York Times Building at 42nd Street and Broadway (1915-1920); and the Squibb Building (1929-1951), all in New York City. Researchers will also find drawings for the Oppenheimer-Collins Company buildings in Brooklyn (1915-1928), New York City (1906-1930), Philadelphia (1923), and Pittsburgh (1919-1928).

This collection contains the photographs, negatives, contact sheets, correspondence, printed material, and research files of and about American photographer Arthur Rothstein (1915-1985).

Ralph Walker (1889-1973) was an American architect and president of the American Institute of Architects (A.I.A.) from 1949 to 1951. The majority of the collection consists of personal writings by Walker including essays, poetry, and other manuscripts. There is some correspondence as well as documentation concerning the AIA Censure Walker and his firm received. Beyond this, there is very little relating to Walker's architectural practice.

Henry Hope Reed (1915-2013) was an American author, architecture critic and advocate of classical architecture. Along with writing and giving New York City walking tours, Reed served curator of Central Park and co-founder of Classical America. This collection contains his writings, correspondence, photographs and extensive research files on classical architecture and the people, parks, buildings, streets and history of New York City.

Gordon Bunshaft (1909-1990) was an American architect who, as a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, had a significant impact on large-scale corporate architecture. His projects include such significant urban office towers as the Lever House in midtown Manhattan, as well as modern office campuses set in natural landscapes, including such examples as the American Can Company in Greenwich, Connecticut or the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Additionally, his interest in art caused him to actively integrate work by well-known modern artists into the public plazas and interiors of SOM's projects. The professional aspects of this collection can be found in clippings, project photography, oral history records, and publications, however, the majority of the collection is personal and reflects the life of Gordon and his wife Nina Bunshaft. Through correspondence, snapshots, objects, and personal papers the collection focuses on the Bunshafts' friends, their travels, and their impressive art collection of both modern and ancient sculptures and paintings.