Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Irving Tobocman (1933-2017) was a University of Michigan alum and Birmingham, Michigan, architect whose Bauhaus-influenced works—while primarily concentrated in the Metro Detroit area—can be found throughout the world. Tobocman was active from circa 1956 to 2017. The collection documents Tobocman's professional career designing commercial, religious, and residential buildings, and includes architectural drawings, contracts, correspondence, legal documents, notes, photographs, publications, reports, and specifications.

The Irving Tobocman papers document Tobocman's professional career designing commercial, religious, and residential buildings, primarily in Metro Detroit. The materials in this collection, which are dated from 1955 to 2017, include large architectural drawings—such as elevation, floor, framing, and mechanical drawings—as well as topographical surveys and smaller materials that were originally rolled with the larger drawings. Also included are contracts, correspondence, drawings, legal documents, notes, photographs, publications, and specifications.

Researchers interested in specific projects should consult materials in both series. Project job numbers have been indicated when possible, although many drawings and files lack job numbers.

Detroit area architect. Blueprints of selected buildings, biographical materials, advertising and financial material relating to Pittsfield Village, Ann Arbor, Mich., and photographs.

The collection consists of original blueprints and microfilm of photographs of buildings designed by Frost largely from the period after 1939. Most of the earlier plans and papers were destroyed by fire in California in 1939. There are also a few folders relating to his interest in Pittsfield Village.

The Martha Cook Building (MCB) opened in the fall of 1915 as the second all-women's dormitory on the University of Michigan campus. It was a gift of Mr. William Wilson Cook, a lawyer-philanthropist from New York City who was born and raised in Hillsdale, Michigan. The Martha Cook Building records are dated from circa 1913-2016 and include blueprints; chronological files; clippings; correspondence; financial records; minutes, particularly of both the MCB's Board of Governors and House Board; publications; reports; scrapbooks; subject files; and visual materials, such as negatives, photographs, and photograph albums.

The Martha Cook Building records (circa 1913-2016) document the activities of those involved with the Martha Cook Building and include blueprints; chronological files; clippings; correspondence; financial records; minutes; reports; scrapbooks; subject files; and visual materials, such as negatives, photographs, and photograph albums.

Significant people and groups featured in this collection include William. W. Cook; various House Directors, such as Sarah Rowe, G.J. Diekema, Olive Chernow, Josette Allen, and Rosalie Moore; the building's Board of Governors and House Board; and Martha Cook Building students and alumnae. Other notable topics include the construction, furnishing and remodeling of the Martha Cook Building; various scholarships; and activities, such as various anniversary events and the Messiah Dinner.

J. V. Smith was a Detroit architect. The Davenport house was built on East Michigan Avenue in Saline, Mich. in ca. 1872-1874 for Beverly Davenport.

This collection is comprised of drawings and specifications for the Beverly Davenport House, E. Henry St., Saline, Michigan, designed by J. V. Smith.

Harbor Springs, Michigan organization founded in 1972 to promote conservation through land acquisition by donation or purchase, the establishment of nature preserves, and educational programs, rather than through lawsuits or political action. The record group consists of correspondence, memoranda, minutes, reports, notes, newspaper clippings, press releases, annual reports, and brochures relating to its history and activities. Also included are biographical sketches of founding members based on oral history interviews and some photographs, slides, and architectural drawings. In addition, there are records relating to various outside activities of executive director Tom Bailey.

The records of the Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC) document the organization's history and dealings. The record group sheds light on the accomplishments of LTC, most notably its land acquisitions, the establishment of its nature preserves, and its environmental education program, as well as its internal organization and growth. In addition, other activities of its members are documented, in particular those of executive director Tom Bailey, who has served in various capacities in several other community- and state-based organizations. The LTC records cover the period from the Conservancy's founding in 1972 to 2006. The record group is divided into six series: Background Information, Early Board of Trustees Files, the Horace M. Huffman, Jr. Files, Projects, Executive Director Files (Tom Bailey), and Tom Bailey - Other activities. Correspondence in all series is primarily outgoing. Most files are ordered chronologically (generally in reverse chronological order) unless otherwise noted.

Joseph T. A. Lee was an Ann Arbor architect and Professor in the University of Michigan School of Architecture; chair of the steering committee for the Ann Arbor Area Goals Conference. He was one of the original owners of Kerrytown Market as well as its chief architect. Lee was also involved in several Ann Arbor development issues, including the debate over the Geddes-Fuller corridor. His papers include administrative and financial materials on the early development of Kerrytown (1966-1980) and clippings and other materials on his involvement in the Geddes-Fuller corridor debates. His papers also include architectural drawings of the Kerrytown Townhouse and Kerrytown Market Complexes as well as some photographs of early Kerrytown development.

The Joseph T. A. Lee papers include administrative and financial materials on the early development of Kerrytown (1966-1981) and clippings and other materials on his involvement in the Geddes-Fuller corridor debates. His papers also include architectural drawings of the Kerrytown Townhouse and Kerrytown Market Complexes as well as some photographs of early Kerrytown development.

The Lee papers have been divided into three series: Kerrytown Projects, Other Ann Arbor Projects, and Ann Arbor Area Goals Conference.

Organization established in Ypsilanti, Michigan for the performance of Greek theater productions. Papers of theater president, Clara Owens; administrative files including minutes, correspondence, and financial records, printed material, press releases, clippings and scrapbooks, and photographs.

The records of the Ypsilanti Greek Theater (0.5 linear feet and 3 volumes) range in dates from 1963 to 1967. The bulk of the information covers only the years 1965-1967 and provides minimal information from 1963 and 1964. Really the only materials that cover the earlier years of the organization are the scrapbooks.

The collection consists mainly of the papers of former president of the organization, Mrs. Clara Owens. Included are administrative records, photographs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and printed materials. The papers have been divided into five series: Personal Records, Clara Owens; Administrative; and Publicity and Other Related Materials.

Architectural firm founded by Gunnar Birkerts, headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Textual records, architectural and engineering drawings and photographs document fourteen of the firm's major buildings including the Federal Reserve Building (Minneapolis, MN), Corning Glass Museum (Corning, NY) and the University of Michigan Law School Library Addition.

The Gunnar Birkerts and Associates Collection offers researchers a rich perspective on the work of one of the masters of American modern architecture whose career spans the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. The initial accessions of Birkert's material encompassed 69 linear feet of the firm's textual records, which are associated with 14 of Birkerts' distinguished buildings, and 7158 original drawings and prints documenting the evolution of the architectural design process for each project. In 2008, the records and drawings of 74 more projects were included in the collection, bringing the total amount of textual material to 82 linear feet and the number of drawings to over 10,000. Altogether, these visual materials detail many of the expressive elements for which Birkerts' architecture is renowned, including his bold forms, simplification of detail, innovative selection of surface materials and dramatic use of indirect light. Although six of the buildings in the original collection of 14 projects are located in Michigan, along with the offices of the firm, nine other structures were built in New York, Indiana, Mississippi and Minnesota, testimony to the national scope of this architectural practice. The following buildings were selected for inclusion in the collection by Birkerts and Bentley Historical Library staff because they represent the significance, diversity and evolution of the architect's work:

1. Haley Funeral Home (1960-1961)
2. University Reformed Church (1960-1964)
3. Freeman Residence (1964-1966)
4. Lincoln Elementary School (1965-1967)
5. Tougaloo College Master Plan, Library and Dormitories (1965-1972)
6. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (1967-1973)
7. Duluth Public Library (1969-1980)
8. S.U.N.Y., Purchase, Dance Instructional Facility (1970-1976)
9. Corning Municipal Fire Station (1973-1974)
10. Calvary Baptist Church (1974-1977)
11. University of Michigan Law Library Addition (1974-1981)
12. Corning Museum of Glass (1976-1980)
13. Ferguson Residence (1980-1983)
14. St. Peter's Lutheran church (1981-1988)
15. Additional Projects (added in 2008)

The initial accessions Gunnar Birkerts and Associates Collection are arranged in 14 series, each of which contains the business records and architectural drawings for one building. The finding aid begins with a description of the narrative records in chronological order in each series. An item-level description of the architectural and engineering drawings follows, grouping drawings in folders according to design phases, as described above. The finding aid lists the titles of drawings, when they exist, as well as title bar information including original dates, revision dates, numeric sequencing and, in some cases, names of consulting engineers. A description of the medium and support of each drawing is also given.

The 2008 accession to the collection includes of documentation of 74 additional projects consisting of 3,000 drawings and 13 linear feet of textual materials and photographs. The documentation for these projects is generally not as extensive as for the fourteen in the original accessions and the finding aid does not describe them in as great detail. They have been grouped together as single series titled "Other Projects" and the individual projects are listed in alphabetical order by project title

One of the collection's greatest strengths is found in its emphasis on the architectural design process, offering researchers a broad, visual representation of the evolution of each building through the "Schematic Design," "Design Development" and "Construction Document" sequences. Because Gunnar Birkerts and Associates meticulously saved each drawing associated with the firm's projects, this collection provides an exceptional view of the daily design process, as solutions were sought which defined the architectural character and individuality of a structure. Each of the 14 buildings in the Gunnar Birkerts and Associates Collection is conceived as an individual series, which contains the textual and visual documents associated with the project. Within each of the 14 series, the architectural and engineering drawings are arranged chronologically by design phase, beginning with "Schematic Design," when the owner's program is analyzed and sketches are drawn to illustrate the scale and relationship of the project's components. Researchers interested in viewing the earliest conceptual drawings associated with each building are encouraged to consult the finding aid of the collateral Gunnar Birkerts Collection, which amasses the sketches by the architect's own hand for most of his projects. Digital images of 284 of these conceptual sketches can be seen online in the Bentley Historical Library Image Bank through Gunnar Birkerts, Conceptual Drawings. An understanding of the beginning stage of design for each building is best obtained by studying the conceptual and "Schematic Design" documents in both the Gunnar Birkerts and Associates Collection and the Gunnar Birkerts Collection.

The second "Design Development" stage in each building series includes more precise site plans, floor plans, elevations and sections which further define the dimensions, mechanical/electrical systems, building materials and architectural character of the project. This phase often ends with the production of artistic presentation drawings which are used to obtain the client's approval of the design. Although the collection contains a large majority of original sketches and drawings on tracing paper, vellum, linen and mylar, many blue-line and sepia prints have been retained in each series if they are substitutes for missing originals or if they are annotated and thus show the ongoing search for solutions in the evolution of the design process.

Each series in the collection also records the third "Construction Document" phase, during which the final working drawings are developed before being sent to contractors for bids. These drawings are the graphic representation of the written "Specifications," included in the textual records of every series. The "Construction Documents" for each building, which were often revised to show changes after construction began, may be of significant value to historic preservationists or future owners seeking to restore the building to its original condition or adapt it to a new use.

The Gunnar Birkerts and Associates Collection is also significant in its pairing of the visual documentation described above with the textual records of each building, which describe the decisions and actions of the firm during the design and construction process. Thus, scholars can read the program information, specifications, addenda and memoranda associated with the architectural drawings during each chronological stage of the building's design. Written contracts, correspondence, transmittals and field inspection reports further inform historians about the relationship between the firm and its clients, contractors, consulting engineers, landscape architects and sub-contractors, documenting in rich detail the business affairs of a nationally known architectural firm in the second half of the twentieth century. Of particular value within the narrative records of each building series is the "Architect's Conceptual Statement". These statements offer design and history students an opportunity to understand the interchange of objective and subjective influences on Mr. Birkerts' creative process and the solutions which define the architectural character of each building.

The Gunnar Birkerts and Associates Collection is also of exceptional value to scholars because it represents the end of the era of hand-drawn architectural documents. By the end of the twentieth century, many architects have begun to use the computer in the development of design and construction drawings. However, this collection of the original 14 buildings contains only drawings which show the flow of the creative process from the brain, through the hand, to the paper. Even drawings which are marked "void" are retained because, like annotated prints, they show the evolution of the design as the search for architectural solutions begins to define the building. Whereas the use of computer-aided design would undoubtedly delete many intermediary design drawings from a collection, this aggregation of hand-drawn documents shows the artistry and complexity of the creative process. The beauty of the architect's pencil line on delicate tracing paper, smooth vellum and opaque mylar is preserved here for future generations of scholars, just as its use in the late 1990s is being abandoned by many architects.

In 2015, Gunnar Birkerts donated a large collection of 7,840 color 35 mm slides, associated with the design and construction of 123 projects, documenting through photographs the work of his entire career. This additional collection is encompassed in the series titled, "Photographic Slides of Projects."

The papers of Richard C. Frank, preservation architect and planner, contain paper files as well as architectural drawings and sketches from Frank's Preservation / Urban Design / Incorporated firm and from his work after leaving the firm in 1984. Major projects include Crossroads Village in Genesee County, the Detroit People Mover, Orchestra Hall of Detroit, and the Smithsonian Institution Art and Industries Building.

The Frank papers are organized into six series: Project Files, Orchestra Hall, Crossroads Village, Smithsonian Institution Arts and Industries Building, Other Files, and Visual Material. The records contain paper files as well as architectural drawings and sketches. In most instances, the container list reflects the original order of the files. If a project number was written on a file folder or tube, this number is also recorded in the container list. Additionally, the majority of the material has been kept in its original folder.

Jonathan W. Bulkley (1938-2019) was the University of Michigan's Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Peter M. Wege Endowed Professor Emeritus of Sustainable Systems in the School of Natural Resources and Environment (now the School for Environment and Sustainability). Bulkley's expertise in water resource management and water policy was sought in numerous lawsuits over the course of his career, most notably as special master (1978-1979) and monitor (1979-2009) in several cases regarding the failure of various Michigan organizations to comply with iterations of the 1972 Clean Water Act. He was also a member of the Ann Arbor, Mich. Housing Commission and served as its president in 1974-1976. This collection primarily documents Bulkley's legal and other professional activities and includes architectural drawings, clippings, correspondence, court proceedings and testimony, reports, legal documents, committee and meeting files, operating logs, notes, publications, and photographs. A small portion of records relates to Bulkley's work on the Ann Arbor Housing Commission. These records include records of meetings, policy statements, and staff materials documenting the work of the commission.

The Jonathan W. Bulkley papers primarily document Bulkley's involvement in several legal cases, including the 1977 lawsuit United States v. The City of Detroit (case number 77-71100) and the 1987 lawsuitU.S. v. Wayne County (case number 87-70992), both presided over by Judge John Feikens. These lawsuits concerned the failure of both the City of Detroit and Wayne County's wastewater treatment plants to adhere to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and Clean Water Act. Judge Feikens was lauded for his handling of these cases, as he focused on negotiation and settlement, rather than unilateral judgement; the cases were resolved through complex consent judgements that were amended over time.

This collection also documents Bulkley's involvement in the Ann Arbor Housing Commission as well as various other academic and professional work he undertook throughout his career. Examples include his work in various smaller lawsuits, including one brought against the City of Toledo, Ohio by the U.S. (civil action number 3:91:CV7646), his involvement in the controversy over the removal of the Huron River's Argo Dam, and his work with the Michigan Environmental Science Board (MESB).

Materials in this collection include correspondence, maps, memos, reports, articles and clippings, notes, papers, court proceedings, testimony, and other legal materials, committee and meeting files, operating logs, course notes, architectural drawings, subject files, project plans, and photographs.

Researchers should note that due to the complex and intermingled nature of the various legal cases, some materials relating to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) may be found in the Rouge River Watershed (RRW) series, and vice versa. When possible, materials have been kept in Bulkley's original groupings, and have been arranged in a rough chronological order.

Ann Arbor, Michigan architect, Modern architecture, architectural drawings, presentation boards, photographs, journal articles, award submission notebooks, publicity material, and brief project summaries

The David W. Osler Papers document the professional career of this distinguished Ann Arbor architect, between the years 1956 and 2008. The collection provides researchers with a rich body of textual and visual materials, which illuminate the design excellence for which he is well known. Encompassing architectural drawings for 90 projects and photographs of 54 buildings, these papers offer a broad documentation of Osler's distinctive work in designing residences, libraries, churches, corporate and academic buildings, and condominiums. The collection contains the following series: Professional Papers, Photographs and Architectural Drawings.

Robert E. Schwartz was a mid-century modern architect working out of Midland, Michigan. The collection includes working drawings, sketches, and newspaper clippings of residential and commercial buildings designed.

The Robert E. Schwartz papers reflect the mid-century modern architectural design movement of the mid-20th century in the United States, especially that part of the movement that was employed in residential structures, although the collection contains drawings of his commercial structures as well. His residential structures exhibit fundamental characteristics of the Modern Movement including their simple geometric forms, lack of applied ornamentation, use of large expanses of glass to bring nature and sunlight into the structure, and their open, free-flowing floor plans. The collection has been maintained in the order received and is divided into four series: Architectural Drawings, Newspaper Clippings, Professional Papers, and Visual Material.

Ann Arbor, Michigan family. Architectural drawings and renderings for their Ann Arbor, Michigan home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his associates.

The Palmer Family collection consists of three oversized folders located in the basement blueprint cabinet. The folders contain topological maps of the property, a complete set (10) of blueprints for the house, an oversized floor plan, blueprints of perforate block, hand-colored drawings of the garden plans and a colored house plan signed by Wright. The collection also contains the first rendering of the Tea House with two pages of revisions, furniture design details for the Tea House and an outside lantern.

Since coming to the library in 1992, photocopies and photographic copies have been made of some of the more fragile items in the collection. The researcher is encouraged to consult these before inquiring about access to the originals. The number in parentheses at the end of each description is an identifying number assigned by the donor for individual drawings or a group of related drawings.

For an extensive selection of photographs of the Palmer house, the researcher should consult The Wright Style by Carla Lind (1992).

Plymouth, Michigan based architect, active 1946-1997, and former University of Michigan College of Architecture and Design instructor (1956-1997), known for his design work, and association with architect and former University of Michigan Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning Robert C. Metcalf. Balogh's work included approximately 150 residential, institutional, and commercial projects in Michigan, Illinois, and Arizona. The papers in this collection include correspondence, slides and photographs, clippings, teaching materials, project files, and architectural drawings.

The papers of Tivadar Balogh include correspondence, slides and photographs, clippings, teaching materials, project files, and architectural drawings. The papers are organized into five series: Audio-Visual, Biographical Materials, Office Files, Teaching, and Drawings.

Noted Michigan-based modern architect and former Professor and later Dean of the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Metcalf's work includes over 150 buildings in Michigan and Ohio. The material in this collection spans the years 1942 to 2017, and includes architectural drawings, presentation boards, client files, photographs and slides, correspondence, newspaper clippings, journals, articles, and teaching material.

The Robert C. Metcalf papers include architectural drawings, presentation boards, presentation books, client files, photographs, slides, and negatives of Metcalf's work on residential, commercial, and community projects. The collection provides comprehensive documentation on virtually all of the projects undertaken by Metcalf. Projects are documented from design to construction and often subsequent additions and renovations. The materials in the collection are organized into three series: Project Files, General Files, and Visual Materials.

The General Files series includes personal material such as an audio interview with Robert Metcalf (2010), a date book (1974), and Metcalf's undergraduate student work from the University of Michigan (1942-1950).

The University Planner's Office oversees the master planning, site planning, and site design for the university. The records consist of correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, reports, architectural drawings, and photographs spanning the years 1840 to 2014.

The records of the University Planner's Office consist of 48 linear feet, 72.3 GB of digital files, and one oversize volume. Records contain correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, reports, architectural drawings, and photographs spanning the years 1840 to 2014. The records document the role of the University Planner's Office in campus planning on the University of Michigan campuses and in conjunction with the City of Ann Arbor.

Architect based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Project files relate to work with George Brigham and his system of constructing prefabricated homes, 1944-1947; files relating to design and construction of Huron High School in Ann Arbor; other projects concern design of mobile home parks and other Michigan school buildings.

The collection is arranged into five series, Brigham Building System, Lane Projects, Huron High School, Personal and World War II Military Service. The series include the many projects that Charles Wesley Lane worked on during his architectural career and some materials from his military service as well. The collection is composed of photographs, slides, microfilm, microfiche and prints. The researcher will be interested in the variety of architectural projects in which Lane was involved, which include schools, mobile homes, churches, and other types of structures. A small number of photographs of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb may also be of interest.

Saginaw based Michigan architect; 1929 graduate of University of Michigan's School of Architecture. Designed a variety of private and public buildings in the 1940s and early 1950s, mainly in mid and northern Michigan. Collection comprised of six pencil and watercolor renderings, sixty-three measured working drawings, and twenty-two black and white photographs.

The Donald A. Kimball collection (7 oversized folders and .25 linear ft., 1935-1954) is a concentrated and fine example of the work of a Michigan architect practicing largely in mid and northern Michigan during the late 30s through the mid 50s. The collection is comprised wholly of visual architectural material representative of the spirit of the times. Researchers should note that an additional Kimball collection is held at Central Michigan University in the Clarke Historical Library.

There are three series in the collection: Renderings (6 boards, 1935-1946 and undated); Architectural Drawings (63 drawings for 6 projects, 1936-1954); and Photographs (22 prints, undated). There is some overlap between the series. For example, there are items representing Saginaw's Michigan Bean Company in each of the series; and there are both drawings and photographs for WSAM Radio Station, also a Saginaw building.

David R. Byrd (1921-1987) was an African-American architect of churches, residential homes, offices, and schools in Washington, D.C. and Ann Arbor, Michigan. He served on the Board of Commissioners of Washtenaw County (1968-1972), and was an advocate for civil rights and affordable housing for the poor. This collection includes architectural drawings, reports, photographs, and personal and professional correspondence.

The David R. Byrd papers include correspondence, reports, drawings, plans, and photographs regarding the life of David Byrd, his career in architecture, and his civic activism. The papers contain material on churches and other projects Byrd designed in Ann Arbor and Washington D.C., documentation of his interest in city planning and zoning issues in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County and his interest in the school system and the African-American community in Ann Arbor.

Michigan-based architect, founder of Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, professor in the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The collection is comprised of six series: Personal papers, Professional papers, Faculty papers, Project records, Personal Project Files and Personal Correspondence and Files. Personal papers includes biographical information, family photographs, early architectural drawings, and course notebooks and project drawings completed while a student at the Technische Hochschule Stuttgart. Professional papers includes transcripts and notes of speeches, lectures and seminars (many of these are also available on audiotapes; some are available on videocassettes). Also included are correspondence, awards, travel diaries with conceptual drawings, newspaper and journal articles and photographs. Faculty papers include course and other materials relating to his career as professor at the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Project files contains textual files, photographs, and conceptual drawings associated with 122 of the buildings and projects designed by Birkerts. Scanned images of some conceptual drawings are available online.

The Gunnar Birkerts Collection offers researchers the opportunity to study the personal, professional and faculty papers and conceptual sketches of one of the masters of American modern architecture, whose career spans the second half of the twentieth century. The collection encompasses 15 linear feet of Birkerts' student work, notes and transcripts of speeches, lectures and interviews, video and audio tapes, writings, correspondence, awards, travel diaries, academic course materials, photographs and project records. Perhaps the greatest significance of this collection lies in its presentation of over 1900 drawings of 122 buildings and projects by the architect's own hand, many of which are valuable, early conceptual sketches.

In its pairing of narrative and visual documents, the Gunnar Birkerts Collection offers a rich perspective on the architect himself, illuminating his views on the creative process and the resulting conceptual designs which have defined his expressive architecture over his illustrious fifty-plus-year career. The Gunnar Birkerts Collection is the architect's deeply personal legacy. He recognizes that, while some of his buildings may be demolished over time, his original conceptual designs on paper are conserved here for future generations to study and enjoy. To this end, he has endowed the Gunnar Birkerts Collection to ensure that his drawings will be preserved and that his place in architectural history can be studied and understood.

The Gunnar Birkerts Collection is comprised of six series: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, Faculty Papers, Project Records, Personal Project Files and Personal Correspondence and Files. The narrative and visual documents in these series illuminate the full breadth of the architect's life and work, from his early years as a student at the Technische Hochschule in Stuttgart, Germany in the 1940s to his career in Michigan as an internationally acclaimed architect, esteemed design professor and global lecturer from the early 1950s to the present.