Bernard Rudofsky papers, ca. 1910-1987

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Summary

Creators:

Rudofsky, Bernard, 1905-1988

Abstract:

Architect, exhibition organizer, and architectural theorist. Rudofsky's working papers consist of 56 notebooks with writings and drawings; magazine articles; magazine cover designs; ca. 150 drawings in watercolor, pencil, and crayon; plans, sketches, and photographs of his building projects in Brazil, Italy, and the United States; illustrated lectures; photographs of exhibition installations organized by Rudofsky; and examples of fashion designs. Also included are 33 travel notebooks (1948-1984) with many drawings, and ca. 5,500 color slides and ca. 125 black and white photographs taken during his travels.

Extent:

23.2 Linear Feet (25 boxes, 23 flat file folders, 1 roll)

Language:

English .

Preferred citation:

Bernard Rudofsky papers, ca. 1910-1987, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 920004.

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa920004

Background

Scope and content:

Bernard Rudofsky's papers document his architectural and other design ideas through 56 notebooks with dense writings and pencil drawings, magazine cover designs, ca. 150 drawings of building studies and other designs, and plans, sketches and photographs of his building projects in Brazil, Italy and the United States. Included are his illustrated lectures, magazine articles by and about him, photographs of exhibition installations organized by Rudofsky, and examples of fashion designs. Also included are 33 travel notebooks (1948-1984) with writings and many drawings, and ca. 5500 color slides and 128 black and white photographic prints taken during his travels. Includes a copy of his dissertation.

Biographical / historical:

Chronology
Date	Event
1905	Born April 13.
1922-1928	Attends Technische Hochschule, Vienna.
1928	Receives masters in architecture and English.
1928-1929	Works in office of Professor O.R. Salvisberg, Dean, School of Architecture, Berlin.
1930-1931	Associate of Professor S. Theiss, Dean, School of Architecture, Vienna.
1931	Receives doctorate.
1932-1935	Ghost architect for national competitions, Capri, Naples.
1935-1936	Study trip to the United States.
1936	Designs Casa Oro, Naples.
1937-1938	Partner of Giovanni Ponti, Milan, and editor of Domus.
1938-1941	Independent architect, São Paulo, Brazil.
1941	Second visit to the United States upon the invitation of the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA) as the Brazilian winner of an inter-American design competition. Permanently resides in New York until his death.
1942-1943	Associate Editor and Art Director, New Pencil Points (now known as Progressive Architecture).
1944-1945	Director of Apparel Research, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Guest Director of Exhibitions, MoMA, for "Are Clothes Modern?"
1945	Receives New York State architectural license.
1946-1949	Editorial and Art Director, Interiors.
1956	Guest Director of Exhibitions, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for "Textiles U.S.A."
1956-1957	Bemis Visiting Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
1957-1958	Chief Architect and Originator of the United States Government Exhibitions at the United States Pavilion, Brussels Universal Exposition.
1958-1960	Research Professor, Waseda University, Tokyo.
1961	Visiting Critic, Graduate School of Architecture, Yale University.
1961-1965	Consultant, Department of Architecture, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
1961-1963	Member, Advisory Screening Committee on Art & Architecture, United States Government Awards.
1964	Guest Director of Exhibitions, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for "Architecture without architects."
1965	Guest Director of Exhibitions, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for "Japanese Manuscript Maps" with works from his own collection.
1965-1966	Visiting Professor of Art, Yale.
1975	Guest Professor of Architecture, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen.
1979-1981	Smithsonian Scholar in Residence, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, New York.
1988	Dies in New York.

Acquisition information:

Acquired in 1992.

Processing information:

Approximately 30 books were transferred to the library in 1991. Lynda Bunting processed the collection in April 1998. J. Gibbs re-processed sections of the collection and amended the finding aid in 2005.

Arrangement:

The papers are arranged in 2 series: Series I. Working papers, ca. 1910-1987; Series II. Travel notebooks and photographs, ca. 1910-1987.

Physical location:

Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.

Rules or conventions:

archives, personal papers, and manuscripts

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Architecture -- Brazil -- São Paulo
Architecture -- Italy -- Capri
Architecture -- United States
Architecture, Domestic
Clothing and dress
Fashion design
Slides (photographs)
Architectural drawings (visual works)
Sketches
Photographs, Original
Photographic prints
Notebooks
Names:: Rudofsky, Bernard, 1905-1988

Access and use

Restrictions:: Open for use by qualified researchers.
Terms of access:: Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.