Recently opened for research is the archive of American architectural model maker Theodore Conrad (1910-1994). Conrad was a pioneer in the use of plastics and metals for models instead of the more traditional materials of wood, plaster and cardboard. Conrad began his career making cardboard models in the office of Harvey Wiley Corbett while a […]
Avery Library Remembers Christopher Gray (1950-2016)
Christopher Gray was a major figure in the rising swell of interest in New York City architectural history that began in the aftermath of the demolition of Pennsylvania Station. With a degree in Art History from Columbia in 1975, Chris founded the Office of Metropolitan History that same year to provide research services to historic […]
WET PAINT!!
WET PAINT!! The North American paint & varnish industry, as it expanded, left us with an amazing assortment of colorful vintage objects—cans, sample sets, store displays and advertising signs. Avery Library in collaboration with private lenders, is pleased to present WET PAINT!! The exhibit displays items dating from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century and […]
Avery Classics New Acquisition
Avery Classics recently acquired a complete set of the Dutch magazine Utopia: Tweemaandelijks tijdschrift voor wetenscahpp amusement (Utopia: Bi-monthly for scientific entertainment). Utopia was published between 1975 and 1978 in Delft. Obviously influenced by Archigram‘s style, each issue features a unique format with illustrations drawing on contemporary trends such as Pop Art. The magazine explores […]
Pritzker Prize 2017 Awarded
Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta have been selected as the 2017 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates. Known for their highly collaborative practice, the three architects’ work makes use of modern materials including steel and plastic, contextualized to local environments. The 2017 Pritzker Prize Jury Citation states, in part: “we live in a globalized world […]
Visiting classes at Avery Drawings & Archives
Every semester, Avery welcomes classes to Drawings and Archives. This semester has already seen class visits from 1st year Core Architecture Studio II students, whose section is coordinated by Mimi Hoang, students from the American Architecture II history lecture being taught by Jennifer Gray, as well as a visiting group of final year undergraduate students […]
Avery Drawings & Archives Checkman archive used
Avery Drawings & Archives Checkman archive of architectural model photography was used by Columbia GSAPP for their current exhibition Stagecraft: Models & Photos. The exhibition will be on display at The Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery from February 9 until March 10, 2017. Read Kenneth Frampton’s article in Metropolis magazine about the exhibition here. […]
Color Harmony in the Home: American Paint Publications from 1870-1950
Color Harmony in the Home: American Paint Publications from 1870-1950 Guest curator: Judy Jacob January 17 – April 25, 2017 Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm Avery Classics Reading Room, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library Paint is practical. Paint is beautiful. Paint hides flaws. Paint reflects taste and status. The brochures and samples presented in this exhibition […]
Avery Welcomes Chloé Demonet
Chloé Demonet joined Avery Classics as an intern this fall. She is transcribing the unpublished manuscript of Sebastiano Serlio’s sixth book on domestic architecture as part of Avery Library’s Digital Serlio Project. The Digital Serlio Project brings together international scholars to investigate the manuscript that Serlio prepared between 1541 and 1551. Ms. Demonet is uniquely […]
Avery Welcomes Pamela Casey
Pamela Casey comes to us from the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, where she worked as Archivist after receiving her Master in Library and Information Studies at McGill University in May 2015. From 2012-2013, Pamela was a Graduate Archival Intern at Avery Drawings and Archives and at Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library. In […]