Architecture and Planning Library
Alexander Architectural Archive
| Campus Address: | Battle Hall 200, Mail Code: S5430 (BTL200 S5430) | |
| Location: | Charles W. Moore Room - Battle Hall room 6 | |
| Mailing Address: | Alexander Architectural Archive, University of Texas Libraries, PO Box P The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713-8916 USA | |
| Telephone: | (512) 495-4621 | |
| Email: | apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu | |
 | The Alexander Architectural Archive at the University of Texas at Austin is an architectural research center of national importance. As a unit of the University of Texas Libraries within the Architecture and Planning Library, the Archive supports research and education about the history of the built environment by acquiring and preserving research collections and by making them accessible. The Archive also supports learning opportunities and scholarly activities for students studying preservation of the cultural record and archival enterprise. |
[Origins | Scope and Research Support | Hours | Staff | Frequently Asked Questions ]
Blake Alexander started what has become known as the Alexander Architectural Archive in 1958, after he directed a team of student architects recording historic buildings in Pennsylvania for the Historic American Buildings Survey. Professor Alexander adapted the HABS format to his own course at UT, requiring students in his architectural history class to measure and draw historic Texas buildings as one of their assignments. Known as the Texas Architecture Archive, this rapidly expanding collection soon outgrew his office and was moved into a small storage room, otherwise known as "Alexander's closet."
In the mid-1960s, one of Professor Alexander's students arrived with large paper sacks filled with tattered, water-damaged drawings. As Professor Alexander examined them, it became apparent that they had in fact been through a flood - the great Galveston hurricane of 1900. These drawings, by the well-known Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton, had been given to the student by Clayton's granddaughter and became the first professional records to be deposited in his collection.
The Clayton drawings opened up the prospect of seeking original drawings of other important Texas architects whose records needed to be preserved. In 1979, the General Libraries (now the University of Texas Libraries) became the repository of the records, and it was moved to the Architecture and Planning Library and named "The Architectural Drawings Collection."
Other collections became available as word spread of this new resource. The family of Robert Ayres generously donated the records of the San Antonio firm of Ayres and Ayres. About the same time, Professor Alexander contacted a descendant of James Riely Gordon, one of the premier designers of Texas courthouses to obtain his vast collection of documents. Professor Alexander also helped secure the acquisition of the original design drawings for The University of Texas campus by Paul Philippe Cret.
Today, the Alexander Architectural Archive is the largest such resource in Texas, containing over 250,000 drawings and over 900 linear feet of papers, photographic material, models and ephemera, representing thousands of projects in Texas as well as New York, Chicago, California and Great Britain. Professor Alexander was a pioneer in recognizing the importance of preserving architectural records. The resources he collected have played an important role in the restoration of many of Texas' most important buildings and continues to be essential for the study of American architectural history.
In 1997, the Texas Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians sponsored a campaign to name this valuable archive after its founder. The University, in support, recognized that without Alexander's initiative, records of our architectural heritage would have perished from neglect. It is with great appreciation and celebration that the collection he founded is named the Alexander Architectural Archive.
The Alexander Architectural Archive is a repository of over 90 collections of material preserved to enrich and serve our architectural heritage. Holdings include any type of document involved in the management of a firm, the development of a design through the finished product, and the reflection of lives of architects, landscape architects, planners, designers, preservationists, historians, professors, and businesses in the industry. Emphasis is on the southwest region of the United States, however, we do have material from England, California, Chicago, and some Latin American countries.
The Alexander Architectural Archive supports instruction in the School of Architecture through the doctoral level in architectural design, history, preservation and community and regional planning; and the bachelor level in Interior Design. The Archive also supports research in history, art history, American Studies, anthropology, and engineering, as well as that undertaken by design professionals, governmental agencies, and others involved in the preservation and restoration of buildings. The Alexander Architectural Archive is available to all serious inquirees for research and scholarship.
The Alexander Architectural Archive is open for scholarly and professional research. In order to ensure the preservation of the materials as well as guarantee quality service, the Archive is accessed by appointment only. Appointments are taken Monday through Friday 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm. Hours of operation are subject to change according to holiday and intersession schedules. Please call (512) 495-4621 to set up an appointment.
- Beth Dodd, Curator (512) 495-4504
- Nancy Sparrow, Curatorial Assistant for Public Services (512) 495-4621
- Donna Coates, Curatorial Assistant for Technical Services (512) 495-4625
