Making of Virginia Architecture Collection
Scope and Content
Records were collected from 1988 to 1994 by Dr. Brownell in the course of researching and writing the book, and preparing for the exhibition. The bulk of the material consists of notes and correspondence related to chapter 6 of the book, "The Survey: A Selection of Virginia Architectural Drawings, Studies, Models 1719-1990". This chapter contains detailed histories and architectural plans of Virginia buildings and monuments. Folder names beginning with "catalogue entry" refer to entries in chapter 6, and correspond either to the buildings themselves or to their designers.
The collection includes drafts of Dr. Brownell's Chapter 2, "Laying the Groundwork: The Classical Tradition and Virginia Architecture, 1770-1870", and his contribution to Chapter 4 (Part 2, "Architectural Drawings and Design, 1770-1870"). There are chapter drafts by William M. S. Rasmussen and Richard Guy Wilson as well.
The collection contains correspondence among the authors and institutional curators regarding loan requests for the VMFA exhibition. Museum and repository sources used for both the book and exhibition are also included.
Dates
- Creation: 1988-1994
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Biographical/Historical Information
The book, or catalogue, "The Making of Virginia Architecture", was published in 1992 and co-authored by Charles E. Brownell, Calder Loth, William M. S. Rasmussen, and Richard Guy Wilson. The genesis of the project occurred years earlier, when the authors concluded that Virginia's principal artistic achievement was architecture, and decided to write a catalogue that documented the range and variety of architecture in Virginia.
The book was a companion to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts exhibition entitled The Making of Virginia Architecture: Drawings and Models, 1719-1990, which ran November 10, 1992 to January 3, 1993. The original VMFA exhibition name was alternatively referred to as "Architectural Drawing in Virginia" and "Virginia's Architectural Drawing" (VAD), and the exhibition was postponed in 1988 and 1990; hence references in the collection to these different names, abbreviations, and dates.
For their publication, the authors were presented with the Architectural Exhibition Catalogue Award in 1993 by The Society of Architectural Historians "in recognition of its excellence, having been judged the outstanding catalogue of an architectural history exhibition published in 1992".
Extent
4 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Materials in the collection are arranged according to their original order.
Acquisition Information
The collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives in December 2009 by Dr. Charles Brownell.
Source
- Brownell, Charles E. (Person)
Subject
- Rasmussen, William M. S. (William Meade Stith), 1946- (Person)
- Wilson, Richard Guy, 1940- (Person)
- Loth, Calder, 1943- (Person)
- Brownell, Charles E. (Person)
- Title
- A Guide to the Making of Virginia Architecture Collection, 1988-1994
- Subtitle
- A Collection in Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library M 383
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Giancarlo Pimpinella
- Date
- © 2010 By Virginia Commonwealth University. All rights reserved.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Repository Details
Part of the VCU James Branch Cabell Library Repository
Special Collections and Archives 901 Park Avenue
Richmond Virginia 23284 USA US
(804) 828-1108
libjbcsca@vcu.edu
