Lincoln Center: Minutes of the Collaborating Architects, 1956 - 1961
Minutes, notes, memoranda, and reports from thirty-six meetings of the collaborating architects. Some files include supporting visual material, such as photographs of renderings and models. Files also include promotional brochures, photographs, and photostats. The minutes, notes, memoranda, and reports are primarily typescript, and were originally housed in a black spring binder. However, some minutes for 1960 and 1961 were received separately and are photocopies.
Box 18 Folder 5 to 6
Planning Conference Report, 1956 Oct. 2-12
19 page typescript report with accompanying visual documentation. Architects, acousticians, stage designers, consultants, and representatives of the Metropolitan Opera Company, the New York Philharmonic Society, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. participated in the conference. File includes a photocopy of the report.
Box 18 Folder 7
Collaborating Architects minutes, 1956-1958
Box 18 Folder 8
Collaborating Architects minutes, 1959
Box 18 Folder 9 to 10
Collaborating Architects minutes, 1960-1961
Lincoln Center: Minutes of the Philharmonic Subcommittee 1960-1962
Minutes of twenty-nine meetings of the Lincoln Center Building Committee's Philharmonic Subcommittee.
Lincoln Center: Minutes of the Opera Subcommittee
Minutes of twenty-six meetings of the Lincoln Center Building Committee's Opera Subcommittee.
Box 18 Folder 13
Correspondence, 1958-1959, 1962, 1973-1974
Includes H&A proposal for architectural and engineering services (1958), letters concerning the Lincoln Center presentation at the 1959 ACTION (American Council to Improve Our Neighborhoods) meeting, letters regarding the licensing of businesses in the Lincoln Center area (1962), Abramovitz's response to questions from a high school senior for her term paper (1973), and correspondence and drawings for the organ installation at Alice Tully Hall (1974).
Box 18 Folder 14
Reports, 1958, 1962
Lincoln Square Schedules for slum clearance and new construction, and Day & Zimmerman traffic study.
Box 18 Folder 15
Agreements with the City of New York, 1958, 1960
Box 19 Folder 1
Memoranda and meeting minutes, 1959-1960, 1962, 1965
Box 19 Folder 2
Clippings, 1958, 1961-1962, 1965-1966, 1968, 1974
File also includes press release, and lists of contractors .
Oversize 7 Folder 2 to 6
Early schemes, 1937-1939, 1949, undated
Includes studies for developing an allee-avenue mid block north of Rockefeller Center Plaza, plans for an Opera and Concert Hall located between 51st and 53rd Streets and Sixth Avenue, and the Metropolitan Opera at Washington Square site.
Oversize 7 Folder 7
Site plans, 1957-1960
12 b&w photos of site plan drawings dated March 10, 1958, May 1, 1959 and June 1, 1960 (some are duplicates); color-coded transparency of 1957 plan; and nine blueline copies of sketches dated 12/15/58.
Correspondence
Box 19 Folder 5 to 7
Congratulatory letters, 1962-1963, 1966
Letters to MA and his acknowledgements
Box 19 Folder 8
Lobmeyr, 1967-1969
Correspondence between MA and Hans Harald Rath of the Austrian firm J. & L. Lobmeyr regarding possible commission of a crystal chandelier for the Philharmonic. Also includes correspondence to and from the acoustical consultant Heinrich Keilholz. Original folder inscribed by MA: MA Correpondence Lobmeyr/Hilman re crystal chandeliers for Philharmonic Abandoned Lippold chosen later.
Box 19 Folder 9 to 10
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1957-1960 (bulk 1960)
Topics covered include financial matters and acoustics. Correspondence between the firms of H&A and Bolt Beranek and Newman, letter to MA from Hugh Bagenal, paper on auditorium acoustics by Russell Johnson of BBN, and other documents relating to acoustics. File includes minutes of Building Committee meetings, press releases, and a gag press release, "Philharmonic Hall Enlarged!" drafted by Arthur Houghton. Also, notes, memoranda, and itemized lists devoted to budgetary issues. Original folder labeled: Lincoln Center - Philharmonic - Mscl. 1957-1960.
Box 19 Folder 11
Moses, Robert to Charles M. Spofford, 1960 Feb. 2
Copy of letter regarding criticism of the Philharmonic .
Box 19 Folder 12
Thank you letters, 1969 Sept. 20
Copies of letters from MA to Donald Oenslager and Abe Feder. Ink annotations in upper right hand corner: Thank you.
Photograph Albums
Photographs By Ezra Stoller
Loose Photographs
Scrapbooks
Item Scrapbook 09
Philharmonic scrapbook, 1962-1970
21 pp. ; Includes program covers, clippings and photographs.
Item Scrapbook 10
Philharmonic scrapbook, 1959-1960, 1962, 1964-1967, 1973-1974
20 pp. ; Includes programs, clippings, correspondence, photographs, postcards, and two sketches.
Public Relations
Box 19 Folder 19
Publicity folder with correspondence, 1959-1963 (bulk 1962)
Original folder contains two pockets. Left hand pocket holds: photographs of the architects with models, luncheon of May 12, 1961, and groundbreaking ceremonies. Also, ten congratulatory letters (1961-1963) to and replies from MA. Right hand pocket holds: Philharmonic booklet, letter of July 26, 1962 from Alvar Aalto to Harrison requesting plans and sections of the concert hall. Also, invitation to and schedule of events for the Seat Endowment Campaign luncheon of May 12, 1961.
Box 19 Folder 20
Opening week of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts : Philharmonic Hall, September, 23-30, 1962, 1962
Publication containing a poem of dedication for Lincoln Center and concert programs. 38 pp.
Box 20 Folder 1
Opening night at Lincoln Center on the CBS television network, Sunday, Sept. 23, 1962
Broadcast tape and public relations kit in styrofoam box.
Box 20 Folder 2
MA biographical data sheet, [ca. 1962]
Box 20 Folder 3
Leo Beranek public relations folder, 1962
Includes photo, biographical sketch and statement by Leo Beranek, Philharmonic acoustical consultant.
Clippings
Acoustics : Philharmonic Hall Acoustics: Reports and Research
Box 21 Folder 7
Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, 1956-1959
Minutes of meetings, memoranda, and correspondence between H&A and the acoustical consulting firm, Bolt, Beranek and Newman. Other documents include BBN sketches and calculations as to concert hall volume. File also contains other correspondence, notes, and a report by Hugh Bagenal. Folder inscribed by MA: Minutes Meetings 1957-1959.
Box 21 Folder 8 to 9
Bolt Beranek, and Newman, 1960, 1962-1966 (bulk 1962)
Letters, dated April and June 1962, from Leo Beranek of BBN to Abramovitz, Leopold Stokowski and others. Mimeograph copy with handwritten annotations of the first draft of chapter 15, Philharmonic Hall, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, from Beranek's book, Music, Acoustics & Architecture (New York : Wiley, 1962). File also contains BBN's Detailed Plans for the Tuning Period, May 1, 1962. Primarily devoted to acoustics, the file also includes materials on other topics such as Philharmonic seating plans. Included are memoranda, clippings, and transparencies. Original file labeled: M.A. Phil Mscl 1962, 1963-5 and inscribed by MA: MA File* Misc 62/65 Acoustics etc.
Box 21 Folder 10 to 11
Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, 1962-1963, 1965
Report of Dec. 18, 1962, Acoustics of Philharmonic Hall Recommended Adjustments. BBN correspondence for the period 1962-1963. Undated report by M.R. Schroeder and others of Bell Telephone Laboratories, Acoustical Measurement in Philharmonic Hall. Original folder inscribed: Philharmonic Hall, Acoustics, Bolt Beranek & Newman 62-63-65.
Box 21 Folder 12 to 13
Veneklasen & Assoicates, 1963
Three acoustical studies of Philharmonic Hall issued by the acoustical consulting firm, Paul S. Veneklasen & Associates. The reports are numbered 2 (26 June 1963), 3 (16 August 1963), and 4 (12 December 1963). Correspondence consists primarily of letters from Veneklasen to Abramovitz. File also includes Veneklasen plans of the orchestra layout and riser segmentation. Original folder inscribed: Philharmonic Hall Acoustics Veneklasen Reports & Correspondence 1963.
Box 21 Folder 14 to 15
Dr. Knudsen, 1963-1964
Consultant Vern O. Knudsen's Report on the Acoustical Improvement Program for Philharmonic Hall dated July 8, 1963 with supplements. Additional reports are dated Nov. 12, 1963 (with cover letter of Nov. 18, 1963) and Nov. 19, 1963. Correspondence consists chiefly of letters from Knudsen to MA. File also includes a summary-analysis of the reports, clippings, handwritten notes, Building Committee meeting minutes, and drafts of new releases. Original folder inscribed: Philharmonic Hall Dr. Knudsen Reports & Correspondence 1963-/64/.
Box 22 Folder 1
Keilholz, 1963-1966, 1968
Contains two reports issued by the Austrian acoustical consultant, Heinrich Keilholz. The first report, Feststellungen der Mangel und Empfehlungen zur Verbesserung der Horsamkeit in der Philharmonic Hall (Examinations of Deficient Acoustics in Philharmonic Hall and Recommendations for Improvement), is dated Nov. 17, 1963. The second report authored by Keilholz is dated Oct. 25, 1965. Here he discusses measures taken to improve the acoustics and an evaluation of those measures. He also includes recommendations for further acoustical and interior decoration improvements. Correspondence is primarily between Abramovitz and Keilholz. File also includes meeting minutes, clippings, and a 1965 Lincoln Center press release. English translations accompany all Germany documents. Folder inscribed: Philharmonic Hall Keilholz Reports & Correspondence 1963-68.
Box 22 Folder 2
Beranek article, 1964
Leo Beranek's article, "Acoustics of Philharmonic Hall, New York, during its first season," in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol 36, July 1964, p. 1247-1262.
Box 22 Folder 3
Rug Concerts, 1974-1975
Excerpts from reviews of the Rug Concerts, minutes of meetings regarding Avery Fisher Hall acoustics, and memoranda from the theatrical consultant Peter Wexler with comparative physical data for standard performances, promenades, and rug concerts. Original folder inscribed: Philharmonic -Rug Concerts -Research based on Rug Concerts July-Aug 1974
Box 22 Folder 4
Vincent Rousseau Commentary, 1975
Commentary written by Rousseau, an H&A designer who worked with Leo Bernaek on Philharmonic Hall. Entitled "Inconsistencies in Accounts of the Design of Philharmonic Hall," the commentary is a rebuttal of Leo Beranek's 1975 article, "Changing role of the expert" in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (vol. 58, Sept. 1975, p. 547-555).
Philharmonic Hall Acoustics: Correspondence
Metropolitan Opera House: Meeting Minutes
Box 22 Folder 10
Models (exterior and interior), 1958-1961
20 photos, 19 negatives ; Photo dated Nov. 25, 1961 contains pen sketches on verso.
Box 22 Folder 11 to 12
Models, 1958-1959
27 photos, 4 col. transparencies
Box 22 Folder 13
Models (mostly exterior), 1958-1961
30 photographs, 59 negatives, 5 col. transparencies
Box 23 Folder 1
Renderings of Opera House schemes, [ca. 1958-1959]
11 photos ; Schemes pinned to office wall
Box 23 Folder 2
Renderings by Hugh Ferris, 12 photos
Metropolitan Opera House: Printed Materials