Nikolaus Pevsner papers, 1903-1982

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Summary

Creators:
Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1902-1983
Abstract:
Papers and manuscripts of the German-born art and architecture historian (1902-1983). Papers date primarily from the years following Pevsner's immigration to England in 1933, and include written and visual materials used for lectures or as research for his many books and articles. Files related to Pevsner's radio lectures and affiliations document his career as a public figure, and correspondence tracks his relationships with many key figures in 20th-century art and architecture.
Extent:
84.3 Linear Feet (170 boxes)
Language:
Collection material is in English and German.

Background

Scope and content:

The Nikolaus Pevsner papers contain his research files on art and architecture, manuscripts for many of his articles and books, correspondence with scholars, publishers and artists, lectures, and a collection of clippings and offprints of his articles. These papers date from 1906 to 1979, with the bulk dating from his years in England post-1933. (N. B.: Penguin Press Ltd has retained many of the files for The Buildings of England.) A small file of personal items includes family correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, awards and diaries. The books in Pevsner's library, many annotated, have been separated to the Getty Research Institute, Research Library.

Arrangement note

The archive is arranged in seven series: Series I. Correspondence, 1903-1982; Series II. Publication notes and manuscripts, 1919-1979; Series III. Lectures, 1934-1978, undated; Series IV. Research material: abstracts, 1906-1977, undated; Series V. Research material: illustrations - printed material, 1915-1977, undated; Series VI. Personal papers, 1916-1979, undated; Series VII. Clippings and offprints, 1923-1978.

Biographical / historical:

The art and architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner was born in Germany in 1902. He worked with the Dresden Gallery (1924-1928) and taught at Göttingen University (1929-1933) before immigrating to England in 1933. In England Pevsner taught at Birkbeck College (University of London) and the Courtauld Institute, and lectured as the Slade Professor of Art at Cambridge (1949-1955) and Oxford (1969) Universities.

Pevsner was a scholar of Italian baroque painting, German sculpture and the 19th and 20th century architecture of England and Europe. It is as an architectural historian that he is best remembered, partly because of the astonishing amount of work he did in this area, and also because of his strong point of view. His polemical view is evident in his 1936 book Pioneers of the Modern Movement (later re-titled Pioneers of Modern Design) in which he first tried to persuade England to accept the Modern movement. He remained a persistent advocate for modern design and for historical preservation. Among his many publications are the following books: An Outline of European Architecture, the History of Building Types, and the monumental Buildings of England in 46 volumes, of which 35 were researched and written by Pevsner. Pevsner was an editor on the influential journal Architectural Review and edited the Pelican History of Art series which comprised 48 volumes. He received the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1967 and a knighthood in 1969. Pevsner died in 1983.

Acquisition information:

The Getty Research Institute acquired Pevsner's papers with his library in 1984. In addition, material was moved to the collection from accessions 840189 and 920028. Further additions to the collection were made in 2014 and 2016.

Nikolaus Pevsner personal diaries, 1916-1923: Gift of the Family of Sir Nikolaus Pevsner.

Physical location:
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Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
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