Leopold Arnaud papers and architectural drawings, 1914-1980, bulk 1914-1945

Leopold Arnaud papers and architectural drawings, 1914-1980, bulk 1914-1945

Summary Information

Abstract

Leopold Arnaud was a member of the Columbia University's School of Architecture faculty for 31 years and dean from 1937 to 1960. The collection consist of architectural drawings, correspondence, student photographs, student sketchbooks and papers documenting the 1944-1945 Architectural Competition for Permanent Building Construction at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.

At a Glance

Bib ID:
8449027 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Arnaud, Leopold, 1895-1984
Repository:
Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library
Physical Description:
1 print box; 1 manuscript box; 1 box (card storage-file); 15 folders (flat-file); 2 rolls
Language(s):
English .
Access:

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 and to make an appointment, please email avery-drawings@library.columbia.edu.

Description

Scope and Content

The collection is composed primarily of architectural drawings, correspondence, student photographs, and student sketchbooks.

Series I: West Point Competition documents Leopold Arnaud's involvement as the Professional Advisor in the Architectural Competition for Permanent Building Construction at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, 1944-1945. As Advisor, Arnaud's duties included examining the designs by the various competitors (which included firms such as Cram and Ferguson; Delano and Aldrich; Shreve, Lamb and Harmon; Skimore, Ownings and Merrilll and Voorhees, Walker, Foley and Smith) to ascertain whether they complied with the requirements of the program and to report to the jury any instance of failure to comply with those requirements. The series also contains 11 drawings (dated from 1925 to 1934) of various buildings at United States Military Academy at West Point, NY.

Series II: Student Work is made up of renderings and drawing exercises done by Arnaud while studying at the École des Beaux-Arts and Columbia School of Architecture.

Series III: Miscellaneous is made up of two subseries: Subseries III.1: Artifacts contains Arnaud's academic hood and decoration (2 pieces; cloth). Subseries III.2: Papers consists of letters and transcripts collected by Arnaud that relate to Columbia University and specifically the School of Architecture. Of particular note is a transcription of a cassette tape sent by Leopold Arnaud to Dean James Stewart Polshek describing the history of Columbia University's School of Architecture for the Centenary celebration. In the transcript, Arnaud tells Dean Polshek, "I thought that I would give a little run-down of the history of the [Columbia University] School [of Architecture] as I know it, because I don't have any modesty, but I am perhaps the only person around still going that knows the School from its beginnings."

Publication Date

1914-1980

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series: West Point Competition, Student Work, and Miscellaneous.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access

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 and to make an appointment, please email avery-drawings@library.columbia.edu.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Permission to publish must be obtained in writing from the Director, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, 1172 Amsterdam Ave., MC 0301, New York, NY 10027.

Preferred Citation

Leopold Arnaud papers and architectural drawings, 1914-1980, Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Mrs. Fortuny (Leopold Arnaud's daughter). Method of acquisition--Donated;; Accession number--1997.010 and 1998.002.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library

Processing Information

Processed; Kerri Pfister 2011.

Revision Description

2011-05-26 File created.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Biographical / Historical

Leopold Arnaud was a member of the Columbia University's School of Architecture faculty for 31 years and dean from 1937 to 1960.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Photographs
Sketchbooks
Student drawings
Name
Arnaud, Leopold, 1895-1984
Columbia University. School of Architecture -- Anecdotes
Columbia University. School of Architecture -- History
Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch, and Abbott
Corbett, Harvey Wiley, 1873-1954
Cram and Ferguson
Delano & Aldrich
Shreve, Lamb & Harmon
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
United States Military Academy
Voorhees Walker Foley & Smith
Williams, Edgar I.
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris -- Alumni and alumnae
Place
West Point (N.Y.) -- Buildings, structures, etc
Subject
Architecture -- United States -- Designs and plans

Series I: West Point Competition

documents Leopold Arnaud's involvement as the Professional Advisor in the Architectural Competition for Permanent Building Construction at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, 1944-1945. As Advisor, Arnaud's duties included examining the designs by the various competitors (which included firms such as Cram and Ferguson; Delano and Aldrich; Shreve, Lamb and Harmon; Skimore, Ownings and Merrilll and Voorhees, Walker, Foley and Smith) to ascertain whether they complied with the requirements of the program and to report to the jury any instance of failure to comply with those requirements. The series also contains 11 drawings (dated from 1925 to 1934) of various buildings at United States Military Academy at West Point, NY.


Roll A80.5

United States Military Academy (West Point, NY), 1925-1934

Primary Creator: Arnold W. Brunner Associates; Secondary Creator: R.M. Hunt.

West Academic Building, Washington Hall, Cadet Mess Store and Drawing Academy, Riding Hall;

11 drawings : Elevations, Details, Floor Plans.


Box 01 Folder 01

Drafts of Competition, Program, 1944

Hand written and typed versions.


Box 01 Folder 02

Drafts of Competition, Costs and Calculations, ca. 1944


Box 01 Folder 03

Drafts of Competition, Addendums, 1944

Hand written draft.


Box 01 Folder 04

Drafts of Competition, General Correspondence, 1944


Box 01 Folder 05

Competitors and Jurors, Contract for Expert Services, ca. 1944


Box 01 Folder 06

Competitors and Jurors, Recommended Participants, 1944


Box 01 Folder 07

Competitors and Jurors, Correspondence with Competitors, 1944


Box 01 Folder 08

Competitors and Jurors, Correspondence with Jurors, 1944-1945


Box 01 Folder 09

Competitors and Jurors, Visits to West Point, 1944


Box 01 Folder 10

Competitors and Jurors, Questions from Competitors, 1944


Box 01 Folder 11

Competitors and Jurors, Jury Decision, 1945


Box 01 Folder 12

Competition Exhibit, 1944

Includes four black and white photographs of exhibition and one blue print easel design.


Box 01 Folder 13

General Correspondence, 1944-1945

Series II: Student Work

is made up of renderings and drawing exercises done by Arnaud while studying at the École des Beaux-Arts and Columbia School of Architecture.


Box 01 Folder 17

Photos on Board, undated

Photographs of site plans and elevations.


Box 03

Problems in Design, 1914-1919

Photographs of site plans and elevations bound in a book with loose photos in the back.


Box 01 Folder 18

Sketchbooks, 1914-1915

Three Quadrille Notebooks of sketches (Shades and Shadows, Book I; Shades and Shadows, Book II; Course in Perspective by Professor Frank D. Sherman, Book III); also includes three sepia photographs.


Drawer 228 Folder 01

Drawing for Book Plate, Blanchette A. Sterns, 1926

1 drawing : Tree with birds and hills.


Drawer 228 Folder 02

Charcoal Drawing of Plaster Cast of a Statue of Apollo, undated

1 drawing : Charcoal on Paper, Matted.


Drawer 228 Folder 03

A Private Museum of Art, Construction Problem, undated

7 drawings : Details, Detail of Truss, Floor Plans, Elevations.


Drawer 228 Folder 04

Various Design Problems including, Doorway of the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli, A Country Post Office, Colonial Church, an Unidentified Building and Details of Columns and geometric shapes, 1915-1917

5 drawings : Details, Elevations, and Floor Plans.


Drawer 228 Folder 05

Various Design Problems including Le Football Stadium, a Gate, and a Floor Plan with Salle de Spectacle and Café, undated

3 drawings : Details, Floor Plans.


Drawer 228 Folder 06

Various Design Problems including a Superintendent's Cottage, an Ancient Bath, a College Dining Hall, and a Poster of Caliston & son Arcas muez en astres., undated

5 drawings : Details, Elevations, Floor Plans and a Poster.


Drawer 228 Folder 07

Various Design Problems including a Garage, a Dining Hall, an Unidentified Building, Une Piscine, and Coupe Projet de Pierre, undated

5 drawings : Details, Elevations and Floor Plans.


Drawer 228 Folder 08

Various Design Problems including Columns, Gymnase Municipal, a Trolley Shelter, a Pavilion Boat Landing, a Garden Wall, and Truss, 1915

8 drawings : Details, Elevations and Floor Plans.


Drawer 235 Folder 01

Various Design Problems including a Circus, a Salle de Lecture, a Library, a Dairy Pavilion, an Observatory, undated

7 drawings : Details, Elevations and Floor Plans.


Drawer 235 Folder 02

Various Design Problems including a Superintendent's Cottage, a Fountain from Versailles, a Lighthouse, a School, undated

6 drawings : Details, Elevations and Floor Plans.


Drawer 235 Folder 03

Various Design Problems including Details of Decorative Ornaments and Monuments, Charcoal Drawings of a Vase and a Statue, 1914-1917

35 drawings : Details, Elevations and Figures.


Drawer 235 Folder 04

Various Design Problems including Details of the Orders, Shade and Shadows, Perspective Drawings, and Charcoal Drawings of Statues and Architectural Elements, 1914-1916

41 drawings : Details, Elevations and Figures.


Drawer 235 Folder 05

Various Design Problems including Domes, a Building with an Arcade, a Gymnasium, Perspective Drawings, 1920

7 drawings : Details, Elevations and Floor Plans.


Drawer 235 Folder 06

Various Design Problems including an Auxiliary Hospital for Saint Luke's, a Photographic Club, a Superintendent's Cottage, undated

6 drawings : Details, Elevations and Floor Plans.


Drawer 235 Folder 07

Various Design Problems including a House in California, an Arcade, an Auditorium, Elements, Column for the Heidelberg, Tower Converse Memorial Library, and Posters, 1916-1917

12 drawings : Details, Elevations, Floor Plans and Posters.


Oversizebin OSV04

Charcoal Study Drawings

[Drawing 1]: urn; [Drawing 2]: vase; [Drawing 3]: capital; [Drawing 4]: frieze

2019.010

Series III: Miscellaneous


Subseries 1: Artifacts


Box 02

Academic hood and decoration, undated

2 items : cloth.


Subseries 2: Papers


Box 01 Folder 14

Commencement Address, "Character Conduct Confidence and Credit", 1933

Commencement Address by Nicholas Murray Butler for the 179th Commencement of Columbia University.


Box 01 Folder 15

Correspondence, Congratulatory letters, 1944-1960

Letters from Columbia University Presidents.


Box 01 Folder 16

Correspondence, Tape Transcription, 1980

19 page transcription of a cassette tape sent by Leopold Arnaud to Dean James Stewart Polshek describing the history of the School of Architecture for the School's Centenary Anniversary.