The Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library’s J. Max Bond Jr. Collection was recently featured in an issue of The Record.

Last year, the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library acquired the papers of J. Max Bond Jr., the African American architect and former Columbia professor who died last February at age 73. The documents, which are still being unpacked from 30 boxes, provide a window into the life of this accomplished and barrier-breaking architect of the 20th century.

Bond, a Harvard graduate, became an architect at a time when the profession had few minorities. After working at several prestigious firms, he joined the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation as an assistant professor in 1969, ultimately becoming a professor and then chairman from 1980 until 1984.

As this collection is newly-acquired, additional information and finding aids are not yet available online. For more information or questions about the J. Max Bond Jr. Collection, email avery-drawings@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.