Avery Drawings & Archives
Avery Library’s Drawings & Archives department collects drawings, photographs, and architectural records documenting architecture and design practices and also include project and building files, business records, correspondence, and faculty and personal papers.
Major architects and firms whose drawings and records are represented in our archival collections include Louis Sullivan, the Guastavino Company, Emery Roth, Hugh Ferriss, Kahn & Jacobs, Philip Johnson, Gordon Bunshaft, J. Max Bond Jr., Felix Candela, Wallace Harrison, and Max Abramovitz.
Our largest collection is the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives. Jointly acquired with The Museum of Modern Art in 2012, it is one of the most comprehensive archives of an American architect.
Browse our list of collections, generally arranged by architect or firm name. Search our collections in Columbia University's library catalog, CLIO, and in the Archival Collections portal where you can view finding aids. Some of our materials are available via the Digital Library Collections site.
You must create a Special Collections Research Account to request to see materials in the Avery Drawings & Archives Reading Room. You will need to provide a current address, email, telephone number, and other contact information. Upon your first visit, you will need to validate your account in-person with a government issued photo identification or a Columbia ID.
For information on how to request materials for your research visit, please see our guide "How to Place a New Request."
You can submit requests via:
Online finding aids: For collections that have online finding aids, you can request directly from the finding aid’s container list. Click the check box located on the right for the box(es) or roll(s) you need, and then scroll back to the top of the container list document and click “Submit Request” button in the red box at top.
CLIO Records: For collection records in our online catalog, click on "Request: Special Collections" on the right side of the page in the gray box. If the collection has an online finding aid, this link will re-direct you to the finding aid (see instructions above for requesting from a finding aid).
Manual Request Form: For collections that have Excel inventories or pdf finding aids, please log into your Special Collections Research Account and click on “New Request” in the Main Menu. Then scroll down to “Non-CLIO or Unprocessed Materials” section to find the “Manual Request Form.”
If you are unsure what materials to consult, please email the department with the name of the project or topic you are researching and staff will direct you to appropriate resources.
Upon submitting your request for materials (described above), you will receive an email from the department within 2-3 business days confirming your request and currently available appointment times. We will work with you over email to schedule your appointment(s).
Due to space considerations and safety of the materials, we typically limit requests to no more than:
- 8 boxes per day, or 5 boxes of off-site material; or
- 5 folders of drawings; or
- 5 rolls or tube boxes
If your material request exceeds these limits, you may need to book multiple appointments. Limits for combinations of these materials will be at the discretion of D&A staff.
- You may bring into the reading room a laptop, tablet, smartphone and/or a digital camera (no flash or tripods permitted). Patrons are encouraged to take their own images for research purposes.
- No food or drink is allowed in the reading room.
- Pencils or laptops only are permitted for note-taking. Notepads and pencils are provided to take notes during your visit.
- Bags, coats, and umbrellas must be checked with the reading room attendant.
- You may be asked to wash and thoroughly dry your hands before handling materials.
4D Tower by Buckminster Fuller, 1928. Paul Nelson records and papers, Drawings & Archives.
Archivists create finding aids, catalogue records, and other access tools so researchers know what a collection includes (and doesn’t include).
Typically, finding aids or collection records provide the following information:
Overview: provides facts about a collection such as its size (extent), dates, creators and subjects, material types, languages
Scope and Content Notes: description of the content and types of materials contained at the collection level, series level, or folder level
Biographical or Historical Note: background on the archive’s creator -- an individual, family, firm or organization
- Subject headings relevant to the content of the collection
- Administrative Information: on the collection acquisition, its processing history, and restrictions on access or use
- Container list: description of folders/items within a collection, along with their extents and dates
Study Images
Researchers are welcome to photograph collection items during research visits for study and research purposes. No flash or tripods are permitted.
Due to limited staff resources, we are unable to provide scanning services for remote study. We can provide contact information for a researcher-for-hire. Please also see the information about Avery's Digital Imaging Services below.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the user to secure permission from the appropriate copyright holder.
In most cases, Avery Library owns only the physical object and does not assume responsibility for intellectual property, copyright, or other legal issues involved in the publication and reproduction of items from its collections. Click here for information on rights and reproductions.
Citing our Collections
In citing our collections, please use the following credit lines:
General citation:
[Description of item], [Box and Folder], [Collection name], Drawings and Archives, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives citation:
[Description of item], [Item number], Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives (The Museum of Modern Art | Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University).
Due to a high volume of requests at this time, we recommend reaching out as early as possible with appointment requests and to schedule at least 1 month in advance. Appointments are confirmed once the selection of materials has been approved. Appointments are for one researcher at a time only.
Due to space considerations and safety of the materials, we typically limit requests to no more than:
- 8 boxes per day, or 5 boxes of off-site material; or
- 5 folders of drawings; or
- 5 rolls or tube boxes
If your material request exceeds these limits, you may need to book multiple appointments. Limits for combinations of these materials will be at the discretion of D&A staff.
Upon arrival, staff will assign a locker and key in exchange for a valid photo identification card (student ID card or other government-issued ID). Photo ID cards are held while material is in use.
WHAT YOU CAN BRING
You may bring into the reading room a laptop, tablet, smartphone and/or a digital camera (no flash or tripods permitted). Patrons are encouraged to take their own images for research purposes. Notepads and pencils are provided to take notes during your visit.
Outerwear, backpacks, bags, laptop and camera cases, umbrellas, food and drink and other personal items including books, notebooks and research materials must be stored in the lockers provided while you are using the collections. Food and drink—including water bottles—are strictly prohibited.
Staff reserves the right to inspect belongings at any time.
READING ROOM RULES
Please review our reading room rules.
Faculty from Columbia University, Barnard College, and outside institutions are welcome to request class visits, archival instruction (in-person or virtual), and tours. Please contact us as early as possible (at least 2-3 weeks before the beginning of the semester) to discuss options and scheduling.
Our collections are arranged by creator, usually an architect or firm. These are also searchable in CLIO.
Please review our Classes & Tours Overview and Guidelines before contacting us to arrange a class visit.
Exhibition Loans & Digital Imaging
Avery's collections are often requested for exhibitions. For general information on borrowing collection materials from Columbia University Libraries, please review Guidelines for Borrowing Materials for Exhibition. For Avery-specific details and information, visit the Exhibition Loans & Digital Imaging page and send additional questions to avery-drawings@columbia.edu.
Avery's Digital Imaging Services creates high-resolution image files from our collections for purposes of supporting teaching, research, and scholarship based on feasibility of the request and safety of materials.
To start a digital imaging order, researchers must identify the item. We require a description of the item, its physical location within our collections (box/folder/drawing number), and a reference image.
Please note that photography may not be available or possible due to the physical condition of objects. Photographic and/or reproduction fees may be charged for an image request.