Finding aid for the Bernard Rudofsky papers, ca. 1910-1987 920004
Lynda Bunting.
Special Collections
1998
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
Business Number: (310) 440-7390
Fax Number: (310) 440-7780
reference@getty.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections
Title: Bernard Rudofsky papers
Creator:
Rudofsky, Bernard, 1905-1988
Identifier/Call Number: 920004
Physical Description:
23.2 Linear Feet
(25 boxes, 23 flat file folders, 1 roll)
Date (inclusive): ca. 1910-1987
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.
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 .
Language of Material:
English
.
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Preferred Citation
Bernard Rudofsky papers, ca. 1910-1987, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 920004.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa920004
Acquisition Information
Acquired in 1992.
Processing History
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.
Biographical/Historical Note
Chronology
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. |
Scope and Content of the Collection
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.
Arrangement note
The papers are arranged in 2 series: Series I. Working papers, ca. 1910-1987; Series II. Travel notebooks and photographs,
ca. 1910-1987.
Publication Rights
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Architecture -- Brazil -- São Paulo
Slides (photographs)
Architecture -- Italy -- Capri
Architecture -- United States
Architecture, Domestic
Clothing and dress
Fashion design
Architectural drawings (visual works)
Sketches
Photographs, Original
Photographic prints
Notebooks
Rudofsky, Bernard, 1905-1988
Working papers, Series I.
ca. 1910-1987
Physical Description:
17.6 Linear Feet
(7 boxes, 23 flat file folders, 1 roll)
Scope and Contents note
Series contains 56 notebooks dense with writings and pencil drawings, and magazine articles by and about Rudofsky. Designs
include his magazine cover designs, and circa 150 drawings, primarily building studies, done in watercolor, pencil and crayon.
Plans, sketches and photographs document his building projects in Brazil, Italy and the United States. Other materials include
his illustrated lectures, photographs of exhibition installations organized by Rudofsky, examples of fashion design, and a
copy of of his doctoral dissertation.
box 1, box 2, box 3, box 4
Working notebooks
Scope and Contents note
56 notebooks, densely written with drawings.
box 5, folder 2
Lectures - Tokyo,
1931
Scope and Contents note
Eine primitive Betonbauweise auf den südlichen Kykladen, nebst dem versuch einer Datierung derselben.
box 5, folder 3
Lectures - Copenhagen,
1975
box 5, folder 4
Lectures - Provincetown, Virginia, Tallahassee, Bennington, Toronto
box 5, folder 5
Manuscripts of articles for
Horizon and Cooper-Hewitt
box 5, folder 6
Eight articles by Rudofsky photocopied from
Horizon
box 5, folder 7
"Golden eye" exhibition announcement
box 5, folder 8
Two sketchbooks
Scope and Contents note
total of 52 pencil and 13 watercolor drawings (see also oversize for more drawings).
box 6, folder 1
Casa Oro, Naples,
1936
Scope and Contents note
29 photographs of structure and architectural drawings.
box 6, folder 2
Tennis club, Naples,
ca. 1930s
Scope and Contents note
9 photographs of models and architectural drawings.
box 6, folder 3
Casa a Procida, Italy,
ca. 1930s
Scope and Contents note
7 photographs of models.
box 6, folder 4
Casa Arnstein, São Paulo,
1940
Scope and Contents note
12 photographs of models and structure.
box 6, folder 5
Casa Frontini, São Paulo,
1940
Scope and Contents note
14 photographs of structure. [House for Dr. Virgilio Frontini.]
box 6, folder 6
Swiss watch shop, São Paulo,
ca. 1938-1941
Scope and Contents note
4 photographs of exterior and interior.
box 6, folder 7
U.S. Pavilion, Brussels Universal Exposition,
1957-1958
Scope and Contents note
21 photographs of pavilion and model.
box 6, folder 8
Carmel House, Bloomfield Hills,
ca. 1962
Scope and Contents note
2 photographs of exterior of house for Jim Carmel.
box 6, folder 9
House garden, Long Island,
n.d.
Scope and Contents note
4 photographs of exterior garden.
box 6, folder 10
Bernardo sandals,
ca. 1950s
Scope and Contents note
21 photographs of live models and manikins wearing sandals.
box 6, folder 11
Stimulus fabric,
n.d.
Scope and Contents note
5 photographs of fabric designed by Rudofsky.
box 6, folder 12
"Are clothes modern?"
1944
Scope and Contents note
14 photographs of live models and Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) installation.
box 6, folder 13
"The Third Rome" in
Architectural Review,
1951
Scope and Contents note
37 photographs of Rome.
box 6, folder 14
"Textiles U.S.A.,"
1956
Scope and Contents note
8 photographs of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) installation.
box 6, folder 15
"Japanese vernacular graphics," 1961
Scope and Contents note
11 photographs of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) installation.
box 6, folder 16
"Roads,"
1961
Scope and Contents note
9 photographs of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) installation.
box 6, folder 17
"Architecture without architects,"
1964
Scope and Contents note
1 photograph of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) installation.
box 6, folder 18
"Now I lay me down to eat,"
1980
Scope and Contents note
2 photographs of Cooper-Hewitt installation.
box 25*, folder 1-2
Drawings
Drawings
Scope and Contents note
38 watercolor sketches of Istanbul, 1925 and France, 1926.
box 25*, folder 3
Drawings
Scope and Contents note
15 sheets with pencil and crayon drawings on recto and verso, drawn during Rudofsky's pre-school days.
box 25*, folder 4
Designs
Scope and Contents note
3 sheets of geometric patterns done in crayon.
box 25*, folder 5
Journal articles
Scope and Contents note
"Una casa a Procida: dell'arch. Bernhard Rudofsky" in
Casabella September 1937 (2 sets of clippings) and "Der wohltemperierte Wohnhof" in
Umriss 1/86.
box 25*, folder 6
Journal articles
Scope and Contents note
Photocopies of articles by or about Rudofsky, including "The Third Rome" in
Architectural Review, July 1951.
box 25*, folder 7
Fashion tearsheets
Scope and Contents note
30 sheets of Rudofsky fashion designs and reviews of "Are clothes modern?"
oversize 1**
Tennis Club, Naples,
1935
Scope and Contents note
2 perspectives, pencil and crayon.
oversize 2**
Casa Oro, Naples
1935
Scope and Contents note
10 drawings: elevations, plans, axonometric views.
3 pencil drawings on tracing paper.
4 ink drawings on tracing paper.
2 crayon drawings and 1 pencil drawing.
oversize 1**
Casa Oro, Naples
ca. 1935
Scope and Contents note
1 ink drawing: elevation.
oversize 3**
Teatrum Nudum,
1936
Scope and Contents note
4 ink drawings on tracing paper: 3 elevations, 1 plan.
oversize 4**
Casa Frontini, São Paulo,
1939-1941
Scope and Contents note
3 drawings on 4 sheets.
1 (ink?) drawing on 2 sheets of tracing paper.
1 pencil drawing on tracing paper: view of courtyard.
1 ink drawing on paper: cross section through courtyard.
oversize 5**
Casa Frontini, São Paulo,
1939-1941
Scope and Contents note
2 blueprints: plans.
oversize 6**
Casa Arnstein, São Paulo,
1939-1941
Scope and Contents note
1 blueprint: plan, plus 3 copies.
oversize 7**
Casa Cuaruja,
Feb - Mar 1940
Scope and Contents note
6 drawings on tracing paper:
5 ink drawings numbered D1-D4 and R-8: plans, sections, elevations; and 1 pencil sketch of elevation.
oversize 8**
Carmel house (Bloomfield Hills, MI), garden design,
1962
Scope and Contents note
4 pencil drawings on tracing paper: plans.
oversize 9**
Exhibition design: Architecture without architects, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA),
1964
Scope and Contents note
4 drawings on tracing paper:
1 pencil drawing: section through elevation; and 3 ink drawings: plans.
oversize 10**
Exhibition design: Architecture without architects, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA),
1964
Scope and Contents note
1 blackline drawing: plan.
oversize 11**
Rudofsky house (Frigiliana, Spain),
1969-1971
Scope and Contents note
4 ink drawings on tracing paper: plans elevations, sections.
Travel drawings,
1927-1940, undated
oversize 12**
Italy,
1927
Scope and Contents note
10 watercolors (Bologna, Fiesole, Firenze (Florence), Siena, Anacona, and unidentified).
oversize 13**
Greece (Santorini),
1929
Scope and Contents note
2 mounted watercolors.
oversize 14**
Greece (Santorini),
1929
Scope and Contents note
2 mounted watercolors.
oversize 15**
Greece (Santorini),
1929
Scope and Contents note
5 watercolors.
oversize 16**
Italy (Sicily and Venice),
1931
Scope and Contents note
9 watercolors.
oversize 17**
Capri,
1932
Scope and Contents note
9 watercolors.
oversize 18**
Unidentified,
1933
Scope and Contents note
2 watercolors.
oversize 19**
Brazil,
ca. 1939-1940
Scope and Contents note
4 watercolors.
oversize 20**
Unidentified,
undated
Scope and Contents note
8 watercolors.
oversize 21**
Figure drawings,
ca. 1943-1944
Scope and Contents note
2 drawings for Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) exhibit, Are clothes modern?
oversize 22**
Magazine covers,
1943, undated
Scope and Contents note
10 (?) cover designs:
New Pencil Points, 6 covers, 1943, undated.
Interiors, 3 covers, 1946-1947.
Empire State Architect, 1 cover, undated.
oversize 23**
Poster for Sparta Sybaris exhibit, MAK, Vienna,
1987
Scope and Contents note
1 poster in 4 parts.
Travel notebooks and photographs, Series II.
ca. 1910-1987
Physical Description:
5.6 Linear Feet
(18 boxes)
Scope and Contents note
Thirty-three notebooks record Rudofsky's travels and design ideas in words and drawings. Circa 128 black-and-white photographs
and ca. 5500 slides also record his travels and interests in other countries.
box 7, box 8, box 9
Travel notebooks,
1948-1984
Scope and Contents note
33 notebooks, densely written with drawings.
box 10, folder 1
Italy
Scope and Contents note
20 photographs.
box 10, folder 2
France
Scope and Contents note
5 photographs.
box 10, folder 3
Spain
Scope and Contents note
31 photographs.
box 10, folder 4
Portugal
Scope and Contents note
7 photographs.
box 10, folder 5
Malta
Scope and Contents note
9 photographs.
box 10, folder 6
Romania
Scope and Contents note
9 photographs.
box 10, folder 7
Yugoslavia
Scope and Contents note
3 photographs.
box 10, folder 8-9
Greece
Scope and Contents note
22 photographs.
box 10, folder 10
Morocco
Scope and Contents note
4 photographs.
box 10, folder 11
Turkey
Scope and Contents note
9 photographs.
box 10, folder 12
India
Scope and Contents note
7 photographs.
box 10, folder 13
Japan
Scope and Contents note
2 photographs.
Color travel slides
Scope and Contents note
Circa 5500 slides. Only partially identified.
box 17
Malta, England, Holland, Rumania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia
box 24
Asia (mostly Japan, Italy and other places)