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 1

Dissertation

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 5, folder 9

Fabric swatches

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?"
 

Architectural drawings

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.
 

Other designs

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 1-13

Travel photographs

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 11, box 12

Italy

box 13

France

box 14, box 15

Spain and Portugal

box 16

Austria

box 17

Malta, England, Holland, Rumania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia

box 18

Greece and United States

box 19

Morocco

box 20, box 21

Turkey

box 22, box 23

India

box 24

Asia (mostly Japan, Italy and other places)