Karl Kamrath: An Inventory of his Collection, 1918-2004


Collection Summary
	Creator:	Kamrath, Karl, 1911-1988
	Title:	Karl Kamrath collection,
	Dates:	1918-2004
	Abstract:	Karl Kamrath (1911-1988) grew up in Austin, Texas and earned his Bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Texas at Austin in 1934. His early career was spent in Chicago but he moved back to Texas in 1937 and became a partner in the firm of MacKie and Kamrath, one of the first Houston firms credited with creating modern architecture.
	Identification:	KAM Accession numbers: 1987021, 1990004, 2001010, 2005023, 2006013
	Quantity:	946 drawings, 537 black and white photographic prints, 85 color photographic prints, 89 negatives, 20 transparencies, 8 slides, 237 photostats, 7 photomechanical prints, 5.58 linear feet of textual material, a bust of the Karl Kamrath, a MacKie and Kamrath project file cabinet box, and several artifacts, including drafting tools.
	Language:	Materials are in English.
	Repository:	Alexander Architectural Archive, The University of Texas at Austin.

Biographical Sketch of Karl Kamrath

Karl Kamrath (1911-1988) was born in Enid, Oklahoma on April 25, 1911. The Kamrath family, including father G.A. Kamrath and mother Martha Kreplin Kamrath, moved to Austin, Texas while Karl Kamrath was a young boy. He excelled at tennis from an early age and continued to play throughout his life. Karl Kamrath attended the University of Texas, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1934. That year he married fellow tennis champion Eugenie Sampson, and moved to Chicago to work as an architect. Turning down an opportunity to play tennis professionally, he worked for Pereira and Pereira, the Interior Studios of Marshall Field and Company, and the Architectural Decorating Company. During this time in Chicago, Kamrath decided to open a firm in Houston with fellow University of Texas graduate, Fred MacKie.

Kamrath and his family moved back to Texas in 1937. MacKie and Kamrath opened an architectural firm in Houston the same year and Kamrath became a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1939. During World War II, Kamrath served as captain in the United States Corps of Engineers. After his release from duty in the military, MacKie and Kamrath reopened the Houston firm in 1946. Kamrath had an opportunity to meet Frank Lloyd Wright when he visited Taliesin in June of 1946. This trip had a profound effect on Kamrath’s architectural designs as he committed himself to creating organic architecture following Wright’s Usonian principles.

Kamrath was a founder and board member of Houston’s Contemporary Arts Museum from 1948 through 1952. From 1949 through 1955, he served as a visiting critic at several universities, including the University of Texas, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Oregon, and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Kamrath was elected an AIA Fellow in 1955, served as president of the Houston AIA chapter in 1960 and as chairman of the Frank Lloyd Wright Memorial Committee from 1960 to 1962. He was elected to the University of Texas Longhorn Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1984.

Karl Kamrath and his first wife Eugenie, had four children and divorced in 1975. He married Gardina McCarthy in 1977. Karl Kamrath died on January 29, 1988 in Houston, Texas.

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Biographical Sketch of Fred MacKie

Fred MacKie Jr. (1905-1984) was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming on August 13, 1905. While his family moved several times during his childhood, by high school years, he settled in San Antonio with his parents, Fred MacKie Sr. and Mayme Beacher. In 1924, MacKie entered the School of Architecture at the University of Texas. He earned his degree in 1928 and moved to Chicago to work in the design department of the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White. In 1936, MacKie left Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White to become the chief designer at the Architectural Decorating Company. Both he and Kamrath, while working for the Architectural Decorating Company, decided to open a firm together in Texas. Fred MacKie moved his family to Houston, where he opened the MacKie & Kamrath firm with Karl Kamrath in 1937.

During World War II, Fred MacKie served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was stationed in Alamogordo, New Mexico from 1942 through 1946. The firm was closed during this time. At the end of the war, MacKie and Kamrath returned to Houston to reopen their architectural partnership. Fred MacKie was an American Institute of Architects Fellow and served as the Texas Society of Architects President in 1957. In 1977, MacKie entered a period of semi-retirement due to health problems. Shortly thereafter, Fred MacKie and his wife, Helen, moved to Palm Desert, California.

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Administrative History of MacKie & Kamrath

MacKie & Kamrath, one of the first Houston firms credited with creating modern architecture, opened in 1937. Both Fred MacKie and Karl Kamrath were raised in Texas and educated at the University of Texas School of Architecture. After working in Chicago following graduation, the two young architects decided to return to Texas to open a firm. Houston was the best option for a new architecture firm, given its larger size and wealth from the oil and gas industry. Fred MacKie and Karl Kamrath each had their strengths and roles in the firm. Kamrath was in charge of design, while MacKie was primarily responsible for planning and business. Lloyd Borget, a graduate of the University of Michigan, joined the firm in 1949 and became an associate in 1954. Borget was primarily in charge of planning and production. In 1977, Fred MacKie went into partial retirement and Lloyd Borget became a partner, along with Ross Belle Gillette, Pete Brunson, and Vincent Hughes.

MacKie & Kamrath’s most significant projects in Houston include the Kamrath residence, 3448 Locke Lane (1939), Phyllis Wheatley Senior High School (1948), the Contemporary Arts Association Museum (1949, demolished 1989), Temple Emanu-El (1949), St. John the Divine Episcopal Church (1951, with H.A. Salisbury), Kamrath residence, 8 Tiel Way (1951), and the M.D. Anderson Hospital for Cancer Research and Tumor Institute (1954, with Schmidt, Garden, and Erikson). Other notable projects outside Houston include the Pasadena State Bank (1963, Doughtie and Porterfield) in Pasadena, Mackie & Kamrath’s only high-rise built work, Temple Rodef Sholem (1962) in Waco, and the Commercial Standard Insurance Company Building (1956), in Fort Worth.

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Scope and Content of the collection

Drawings, artwork, textual and photographic materials document the life and architectural practice of Houston architect, Karl Kamrath (1911-1988). The collection includes records of Kamrath’s personal life, professional research and development, interest in Frank Lloyd Wright and association with partner Fred MacKie.

The Kamrath collection (1918-2004, n.d.) contains 910 drawings, 398 black and white photographic prints, 93 color photographic prints, 16 black and white negatives, 83 transparencies, 256 photostats, 3.75 linear feet of manuscript material, a bust of Karl Kamrath, a MacKie and Kamrath project file cabinet box, and several artifacts, including drafting tools. The bulk of the collection consists of records that document the design of architectural projects, including presentation drawings and finished project photographs.

Personal papers (1930-2004, n.d.) in the Kamrath collection include records created or collected by the architect that are not directly related to architectural practice. This series is composed of biographical and family records, clippings, correspondence, greeting cards designed by Kamrath, photographs, sketchbooks and student work. Unique subseries reflect Karl Kamrath's personal and professional interests. Family records contain materials about Karl Kamrath that were created or collected by family members. The Tennis subseries documents Karl Kamrath’s lifelong success and interest in the sport.

Correspondence, writings, association and committee records, awards, and reference files document Karl Kamrath’s service to the architecture profession. Professional papers (1918-1987, n.d.) is comprised of these materials and a unique subseries, Frank Lloyd Wright Related Materials. This subseries contains clippings, photographs, postcards, catalogs, drawing reproductions, bibliographic information, and correspondence concerning the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright and the relationship between Wright and Kamrath.

The Fred MacKie papers (1928-1935, n.d.) series contains records that relate to the professional development of Karl Kamrath’s business partner Fred MacKie. These documents were collected by MacKie prior to the 1937 opening of a firm with Kamrath. The original order of the materials has been maintained and includes engineering topics from his education at the University of Texas.

Office records (1926-2000, n.d.) series contains records created or collected by the firm of MacKie and Kamrath that are not directly related to project design and construction. The series include administrative records, clippings about firm projects, correspondence, financial records, photographs, presentation materials, and public relations documents. Materials in this series pre-date the formation of the firm MacKie & Kamrath since the architects collected clippings that originally date as early as 1926. This series also includes documentation related to the 2000 exhibit of the work of MacKie & Kamrath at the Houston Public Library’s Houston Metropolitan Research Center, where additional MacKie & Kamrath materials are housed.

The bulk of the Karl Kamrath collection is project related records. These materials make up the Project Records series and include project lists, job files, photographs, and drawings. The majority of the drawings in the collection are presentation drawings. Some of the noteworthy Houston projects included in this collection are the Church of St. John the Divine, Temple Emanu-El, Contemporary Arts Museum, two houses Karl Kamrath designed for his family, and the M.D. Anderson Hospital. Working drawings from MacKie and Kamrath are part of the Architectural Collection at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center of the Houston Public Library.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Access is by appointment only to any serious scholar.

Restrictions on Use

Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Alexander Architectural Archive's Use Policy.

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Index Terms
	This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Texas Online Catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings
	Creators (Persons):
		Kamrath, Karl, 1911-1988.
		MacKie, Fred.
	Creators (Organizations):
		MacKie & Kamrath.
	Places:
		Houston (Tex.)
	Subjects (Persons):
		Kamrath, Karl.
	Subjects (Organizations):
		MacKie and Kamrath.
	Subjects:
		Architecture-Texas.
		Architecture, Modern-Texas.
		Architecture-20th century-Texas.
	Document types:
		Drawings.
		Presentation drawings.
		Photographs.
		Job files.
		Travel sketches.

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Related Material

Selections from Kamrath's library are located in the Architecture and Planning Library Special Collections. Please refer to the unpublished finding aid in the archive, or consult the library or archive's staff for more information.

Additional MacKie & Kamrath materials are housed at the Houston Public Library’s Houston Metropolitan Research Center.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Karl Kamrath collection, Alexander Architectural Archive, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Processing Information

Collection processed by: Kathryn Pierce, 2006-2008

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References to works by or about Karl Kamrath


	-- compiled by Kathryn Pierce
		"House Beautiful’s 13th annual small house competition." House Beautiful 83 (January 1941): 18-33.
		"Houston, Austin lose two prominent architects (obituary)." Texas Architect 38 (May- June 1988).
		Kamrath, Karl. "Shop for Texas he-men." Contract Interiors 105 (November 1945): 95.
		Kamrath, Karl. "Some South American Sketches." AIA Journal Vol. XXXII, No. 6 (December 1959): 52-53.
		Kamrath, Karl. "Frank Lloyd Wright drawings in the AIA archives." American Institute of Architects Journal 42 (July 1964): 50-51.
		Kamrath, Karl. "The stubborn hotel is shaking." American Institute of Architects Journal 48 (November 1967): 70-72.
		"Kamrath, Karl Fred."The Handbook of Texas Online.
		"Lone stars – Howard Barnstone and Karl Kamrath." Inland Architect 21 (July 1977): 16-17.
		MacKie & Kamrath: guide to the architectural collection: a catalog of drawings by the firm of MacKie & Kamrath at the Houston Public Library, Houston Metropolitan Research Center. Houston: Houston Public Library, 2000.
		Miller, Nory. "Hustling, bustling Houston: It ain’t whistling Dixie." Inland Architect 21 (July 1977).
		Miller, S. R. "The Architecture of MacKie and Kamrath." Thesis, Rice University, 1993.
		Moorhead, Gerald. "MacKie & Kamrath." In "Fifty Years of Texas Architecture." Texas Architect 39 (November 1989): 62-63.
		"Tiel Way Architecture: 14th Annual Tour sponsored by the Rice Design Alliance." RO, The Magazine of River Oaks 2, No. 5 (May 1991): 32-33.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Series A: Personal Papers, 1920s-2004, n.d.
.9 linear feet of textual materials (2 manuscript boxes), 65 b/w photographs, 41 b/w photostats, 7 color photographs, 24 b/w negatives, 28 color negatives, and 34 original drawings and paintings

Series Abstract

The Personal Papers series (1920s-2004, n.d.) includes materials created and gathered by Kamrath and his family that are not directly related to architectural projects or other professional pursuits. This series is composed of the following subseries: Biographical Information, Correspondence, Greeting Cards, Sketchbooks, Student work, Travel, Family, Photographs, and Tennis.

Greeting Cards contains greeting and Christmas cards created by Karl Kamrath. This subseries includes examples of all levels of the design phase, from sketches on trace and in a sketchbook to printed copies on card stock. Cards addressed and sent are included in correspondence.

Student work contains16 paintings and drawings by Kamrath executed while attending the University of Texas, including scenes around Austin, such as Battle Hall and Garrison Hall on the University of Texas campus.

The Travel subseries includes sketches, photographs, notes, clippings, correspondence and ephemera related to various trips Kamrath took throughout his life. These materials document personal and professional experiences, including a 1954 German tour. During his travels, Kamrath made a number of sketches that he later reproduced as notecards and prints.

The Family subseries is comprised of materials on or about Karl Kamrath that were created or collected by family members, often after the architect’s death. Included is correspondence related to the establishment of a Karl Kamrath Professorship at the University of Texas and regarding possible exhibits, and clippings about architecture and the firm. This subseries also contains a Master's of Architecture thesis titled "The Architecture of MacKie and Kamrath," written by Scott Reagan Miller in 1993, Rice University.

The Tennis subseries contains clippings and photographs that document Karl Kamrath and his family as tennis champions.

Subseries A1: Biographical Information

box

folder

Biographical information, 1980, 1988, undated

box

folder

University of Texas commencement program, 1934

Subseries A2: Correspondence

box

folder

Correspondence, personal, 1943-1981, undated

Subseries A3: Greeting Cards

box

folder

Christmas cards, printed

Christmas cards, sketchbook

Christmas cards, 18 original drawings

Christmas cards, 20 b/w line negatives

Subseries A4: Sketchbooks

box

folder

Blank sketchbook with cover notes by Karl Kamrath, undated

Subseries A5: Student work

drawer

folder

f079

Kamrath student artwork

Subseries A6: Travel

box

folder

Travel brochures (Walt Disney resorts)

German tour, business cards acquired, 1954

German tour, correspondence, 1954

German tour, Christmas cards, 1954

German tour, clippings and notes, 1954

German tour, photographs, November, 1954
7 b/w snapshots

box

folder

Cook's Inlet, Anchorage, Alaska, March 17, 1967
2 positive photostats, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w photographic print

Ski slopes, Alyeska, Alaska, March 18, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w photographic print

Hanalei Plantation, Kauai Island, Hawaii, April 10, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w photographic print

box

folder

Hanalei Plantation, Kauai Island, Hawaii, April 10, 1967
1 b/w photographic print

box

folder

Church near Terrero, New Mexico, July 15, 1962
1 b/w line negative

Highlands Country Club, Highlands, North Carolina, August 26, 1980
1 b/w line negative

Jos-Win, Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania, December 31, 1964
1 negative photostat

From Hotel Humboldt, Quito, Ecuador, January 18, 1959
1 positive photostat

Indian adobe hut, Chillos Valley, Quito, Ecuador, January 20, 1959
1 positive photostat, 1 b/w line negative, 2 printed cards with envelopes

Thatched hut, Santa Maria Jesus, Guatemala, January 12, 1959
1 b/w line negative

Mountains east of Hacienda, Jalmolonga, Mexico, February 20, 1970
1 negative photostat

San José Purua, Mexico, December, 1966
9 positive photostats, 6 negative photostats, 7 b/w prints

Cathedral San Miguel Allende, February 14, 1970
1 negative photostat

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City, Mexico, February 18, 1970
1 negative photostat

Sugar mill, Jalmolonga, Mexico, February 20, 1970
1 negative photostat

Gate to Emperor's Palace (Soto Sakuradamon), Tokyo, Japan, March 23, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w print

Miyako Hotel, Kyoto, Japan, March 28, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w print

box

folder

Miyako Hotel, Kyoto, Japan, March 28, 1967
1 b/w print

box

folder

Mt. Fuji, Fuji Hakone National Park, Japan, March 24, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w print

Torii, Okazaki Park, Kyoto, Japan, March 27, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w print

box

folder

Torii, Okazaki Park, Kyoto, Japan, March 27, 1967
1 b/w print

box

folder

Water mill and well house, Fuji Hakone National Park, Japan, March 24, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w print

box

folder

Water mill and well house, Fuji Hakone National Park, Japan, March 24, 1967
1 b/w print

box

folder

Saigon from Embassy Hotel, Vietnam, April 6, 1967
1 positive photostat, 1 negative photostat, 1 b/w print

Subseries A7: Family

box

folder

Correspondence, 1980-2005

box

folder

Correspondence, Louis Marchiafava, Manager, Archives and Manuscripts, Houston Public Library

box

folder

Regents Professorship, 1984-1995

Clippings on architecture, 1988-2005

Clippings and photos, Weldon Cafeteria renovation, Houston, 2003

box

folder

Thesis: "The Architecture of MacKie and Kamrath" by Scott Reagan Miller, 1993, Rice University

Subseries A8: Photographs of Kamrath family

box

folder

Karl Kamrath portraits
12 b/w photographic prints

Family, friends, and associates
5 color snapshots, 28 color negatives, 1 8x10 b/w print

box

folder

George Fell portrait, undated
1 8x10 b/w photograph

box

folder

Houston snow scenes [1961]
24 b/w snapshots

Subseries A9: Tennis

box

folder

Correspondence, notes, programs

Clippings, 1920s

Clippings, 1930s

Clippings, 1940s

Clippings, 1950s

Clippings, 1960s

Clippings, 1970s

Clippings, 1980s

Photographs, 1951, undated
4 b/w photographic prints

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Series B: Professional Papers, 1910-1987, n.d.
1.2 linear feet of textual materials (2 manuscript boxes and oversize folders), 65 b/w photographs, 173 b/w photostats, 1 color photograph, 2 sepia prints, and 5 35 mm slides

Series Abstract

The Professional Papers series (1918-1987, n.d.) is composed of records Kamrath created or collected in service to the architecture profession but outside the design and construction process of his business. This series contains documentation of Kamrath’s involvement with associations and committees, his correspondence with fellow architects, writings and presentation materials, awards he received, and a number of reference files related to the field of architecture. There are five subseries: Correspondence, Writings, Presentations, Associations and Committees, Awards and Recognitions, Reference Files, and Frank Lloyd Wright Related Materials.

The Correspondence subseries includes letters exchanged with fellow architects, including Alden Dow, Hal and William Pereira, and Eugene Massilink, Frank Lloyd Wright’s secretary. Kamrath's office reference files, begining with "Carpentry" and ending with "Metal," contains product brochures and samples, instructional material, and reference manuals.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Related Materials subseries is comprised of records collected by Karl Kamrath that document the architectural work of Frank Lloyd Wright, including clippings, photographs, postcards, catalogs, reproduction of Wright’s drawings, a bibliography on Wright, and correspondence with Mrs. Wright.

Subseries B1: Correspondence

box

folder

Correspondence, 1943-1950, 1985

Correspondence concerning preservation legislation, 1966

Subseries B2: Writings

box

folder

Architecture exam, undated

"Frank Lloyd Wright's Hanna House: The Client's Report" review by Karl Kamrath, undated

box

folder

Airplane terminal parking materials, 1944-1951, 1981, undated

Subseries B3: Presentations

box

folder

Press release, Kamrath at Frank Lloyd Wright Festival, Chicago, 1969

Subseries B4: Associations and Committees

box

folder

Karl and Eugenie Kamrath, Texas Society of Architects State Convention, Austin, 1953
1 b/w 8x10 in. photograph

Karl Kamrath and Arthur G. Odell, Jr., American Institute of Architects Convention, Miami, May 1963
1 b/w snapshot

University of Texas, School of Architecture

Annual Report, September 1,1981-August 31, 1982

Architecture Foundation Advisory Council, 1982

First All Class Reunion, University of Texas at Austin Centennial, 1983

Subseries B5: Awards and Recognition

box

folder

Awards and certificates, 1941-1994
15 items

box

folder

Proposed Karl Kamrath Regents Professorship in Architecture brochure, University of Texas, School of Architecture, ca. 1984

Subseries B6: Reference Files

box

folder

Architectural journals

Retail Store Planning, July 1935

Progressive Architecture, September 1949

box

folder

Clippings, 1935, undated

Clippings, 1960s

Clippings, 1970s

Clippings, 1980s-2003

Pereira & Pereira, General ledger account classification sheet, undated

box

folder

Product brochures

Carpentry

Electrical

Interiors

Masonry

Metal

box

folder

Sketches (caricatures) of architects: Neutra and unidentified

Unidentified building sketches, signed "D.D."

Egg and Dart club membership list

box

folder

Alden Dow folder and photo inscribed to Kamrath, 1945

Lantern plans, Alden B. Dow, Inc., architect

Buffalo Bayou Channel Rectification, U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, 1962
17 positive and negative photostats

Houston Area Test Site Photo Index, prepared by NASA, November 1970

Subseries B7: Frank Lloyd Wright Related Materials

box

folder

Correspondence, 1958, 1960, 1977

Clippings, 1964-1988

"What Men Have Written about Frank Lloyd Wright: a bibliography arranged by decades from 1900 to 1955," compiled and annotated by Bernard Karpel for House Beautiful, November 1955.

Book and gift catalogs

Exhibit catalogs

Postcards of Frank Lloyd Wright projects

Frank Lloyd Wright U.S. postal commemorative stamps (1966) and Frank Lloyd Wright Festival commemorative seals (1969)

Brochures on Frank Lloyd Wright projects

"Wright Plus 1977 Tour" materials

Taliesin application for apprenticeship (blank)

Taliesin programs, 1969-1986, undated

Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
9 5x7 in. b/w photographs

Johnson Wax Building, Racine, Wisconsin
34 8x10 in. b/w photographs, textual description

Pope-Leighey residence, Falls Church/Mount Vernon, Virginia
6 8x10 in. b/w photographs

Oscar Steffens residence, Chicago, Illinois
7 8x10 in. b/w photographs

Taliesin sign, Spring Green, Wisconsin
1 5x7 in. color photographs

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Oak Park, Illinois
5 35mm slides

Photographs of Frank Lloyd Wright, 1949, 1953
2 8x10 in. b/w photographs

box

folder

Journal articles on Frank Lloyd Wright

Carlson, Raymond, "Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin West," Arizona Highways, Vol. XXV, No. 10, October 1949, 4-9.

Wright, Frank Lloyd, "To Arizona... excerpts from May 1940 Issue of Arizona Highways," Arizona Highways, Vol. XXV, No. 10, October 1949, 10-11.

Wright, Frank Lloyd, "Living in the Desert, Part 1--We Found Paradise," Arizona Highways, Vol. XXV, No. 10, October 1949, 12-15.

"Price Tower Plans Announced: Bartlesville to get a New Look," The Tie-In, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Spring Issue), 1953, 1-3.

"Frank Lloyd Wright," Architectural Forum, June 1959 [reprint, 22 pages].

Wright, Henry, "Unity Temple Revisited," Architectural Forum, June 1969 [reprint, 9 pages].

Stoll, Mary, "A Tale of Two Houses," The Orange Disc, July-August 1971, 26-31 .

box

folder

Brem, Ralph, "Fallingwater: Woodland Showpiece," The Pittsburgh Press, Sunday ROTO, September 6, 1964, 8-9.

"Journey to Taliesen West," Look, January 1, 1952, 28-31. [Photographs by Ezra Stoller]

box

folder

Ausgefuhrte bauten und entwurfe (Wasmuth Portfolio), 1910
159 9x15 in. b/w photostats

box

folder

Frank Lloyd Wright Reference Materials

The Robie House. Imprint, Palos Park, Ill., Prairie School Press, 1968, Historic American Buildings Survey.

Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright projects
10 reproductions on paper, 16 photographic reproductions (2 sepias, 14 photostats)

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Series C: Office Records, 1926-2000, n.d.
3 linear feet of textual material (2 manuscript boxes and two bankers boxes), 10 b/w and 1 color photographic prints

Series Abstract

The Office Records (1926-2000, n.d.) subseries contains materials created or collected by the architecture firm MacKie and Kamrath, but produced outside the area of design and construction. The Office Records subseries are: Administrative Records, Clippings and Journals, Correspondence and Notes, Financial Records, Photographs, Public Relations, Presentation Materials, and MacKie and Kamrath Architects exhibit.

The Financial Records subseries includes records from 1941-1944. Included in this subseries are: paid checks and balance sheets, purchase orders and correspondence, and a schedule of income and deductions for an individual tax return.

Subseries C1: Administrative Records

box

folder

MacKie and Kamrath resumes and stationery

Plan of "Drawing file cabinets" in MacKie and Kamrath office [See box 12 for metal card file and project cards, including job numbers.]

box

folder

Job number index, 1938-1983

box

folder

Abstract of Title, Block 56 of "River Oaks Section Twelve," 1946

Office files

box

folder

U.S. Government Abstract-Engineer Questionnaire, 1974

Subseries C2: Clippings and journals

box

folder

Clippings, 1940s-1950s

Clippings, 1960s-1970s

Clippings, 1980s

box

folder

Clippings, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, 1954

box

folder

Clippings about the architecture of MacKie and Kamrath

Architecture and Design, Vol. V, No. 11, June, 1941 [This issue presents a selection of the work designed in the offices of MacKie and Kamrath]

Fischer, Julian, "For Houston Skyscrapers: New Color and Design," The Houston Chronicle ROTO magazine, February 23, 1958, 12-13.

Kamrath, Karl, "Some South American Sketches,"AIA Journal, Vol. XXXII, No. 6, December, 1959, 52-53.

"Lone stars – Howard Barnstone and Karl Kamrath," Inland Architect, Vol. 21, No. 7, July, 1977, 16-17.

Hamm, Madeline McDermott, "1989 Top Interiors." Houston, Texas: Houston Chronicle Magazine, October 8, 1989, 14-22.

"Tiel Way Architecture: 14th Annual Tour sponsored by the Rice Design Alliance," RO, the magazine of River Oaks, Vol. 2, No. 5, May 1991, 32-33.

box

folder

Journals from the office of Karl Kamrath

AIA Journal

Architectural Plus

box

folder

Journals from the office of Karl Kamrath

Architectural Forum

Architectural Record

Fine Home Building

House and Home

Inland Architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Newsletter

Japan Architect

The Prairie School Review

Texas Architect

Subseries C3: Correspondence and Notes

box

folder

Correspondence, 1943-1978

MacKie and Kamrath military release records and related correspondence, 1945

ParKam-Clark correspondence, 1944-1945

ParKam-Clark patent correspondence, 1951-1953

Sketches and notes (photocopies), 1978, undated

Subseries C4: Financial Records

box

folder

MacKie and Kamrath financials, 1941-1944

MacKie and Kamrath ledger, 1937-1943

Subseries C5: Photographs

box

folder

MacKie and Kamrath firm photographs, 1952, 1961, undated
2 8x10 in. b/w photographs, 1 b/w snapshot, 1 color snapshot

MacKie and Kamrath office snow scenes, January 31, 1949
7 5x7 in. b/w photographs

Subseries C6: Public Relations

box

folder

Client books, spiral bound with leather covers, 2 volumes, undated

box

folder

Client book pages

Firm brochures, unbound

Firm brochures, bound

Project lists

Bank projects list

Clubs and recreational projects list

Educational projects list

Government and municipal projects list

Industrial projects list

Laboratory and research buildings projects list

Medical facilities projects list

Office buildings projects list

Religious buildings projects list

MacKie and Kamrath publications list

Subseries C7: Presentation Materials

drawer

folder

f081

"Some South American Sketches," 1959

f083

"Club Projects Designed by MacKie and Kamrath," 1954-1965

Subseries C8: "MacKie & Kamrath Architects," exhibit presented by Houston Public Library Architectural Archives, 2000

box

folder

Exhibit text panels

Exhibit catalog

Photocopies documenting exhibit

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Series D: Fred MacKie Papers, 1928-1935, n.d. .4 linear feet of textual material (1 manuscript box)
	Series Abstract
	The Fred MacKie Papers series (1928-1935, n.d.) is composed of materials created or collected by Fred MacKie that fall outside the scope of records for the firm MacKie and Kamrath. These records pre-date the 1937 business partnership with Karl Kamrath. The dates (1931-1933) on many records and the engineering topics suggest that these papers are evidence of MacKie’s course work at the University of Texas and are arranged according to original order. Records have been removed from two binders and one of the binders has been retained as an artifact.
box	folder
7	1	Binder 1, Loose pages
	2	Binder 1, Simple Rules to Follow for Old House Wiring
	3	Binder 1, State Board Examination in Design, November 13, 1933
	4	Binder 1, untitled
	5	Binder 1, Outline of specifications
	6	Binder 1, Wiring specification for apartment buildings
	7	Binder 1, Wiring specifications for factory building
	8	Binder 1, Plumbing
	9	Binder 1, Heating
	10	Binder 1, Plastering, Roofing, Glass and Glazing
	11	Binder 1, Materials
	12	Binder 1, General conditions
	13	Binder 1, Architectural history
	14	Binder 1, State Board exam notes
	15	Binder 1, Typical elevation of soil and vent pipes for a residence (blueprint)
	16	Binder 1
	17	Binder 2, Loose materials
	18	Binder 2, Index
	19	Binder 2, Concrete assumptions (notes on reinforced concrete), Tab 1
	20	Binder 2, Concentrated loaded beams, Tab 2
	21	Binder 2, Tied reinforced columns, Tab 3
	22	Binder 2, Spiral columns, Tab 4
	23	Binder 2, Reinforced concrete square footings (2-way reinforced), Tab 5
	24	Binder 2, Design of rectangular spread footings l/b less 1.5, Tab 6
	25	Binder 2, Design of rectangular spread footings l/b greater 1.5, Tab 7
	26	Binder 2, Reinforced combined footings, Tab 8
	27	Binder 2, Reinforced concrete slab, Tab 9
	28	Binder 2, Design of interior girder in slab, Tab 10
	29	Binder 2, Concrete slab supported on four sides, Tab 11
	30	Binder 2, Design rectangular slab l/b less 1.5, Tab 12
	31	Binder 2, Steel pan construction, Tab 13
	32	Binder 2, Actual values for fc, Tab 14
	33	Binder 2, Given beam, find max load, Tab 15
	34	Binder 2, Steel: Definition of moment, Tab 16
	35	Binder 2, Steel: Uniformly loaded beams, Tab 16
	36	Binder 2, Steel: Concentrated loaded beams, Tab 16
	37	Binder 2, Steel: Uniform, concentrated and cantilevered, Tab 16
	38	Binder 2, Steel: Cantilever only, Tab 17
	39	Binder 2, Steel: Design of CB sections, uniform loads, Tab 18
	40	Binder 2, Steel: Design of CB sections, concentrated loads, Tab 19
	41	Binder 2, Steel: Steel columns, concentric loads, Tab 20
	42	Binder 2, Steel: Steel columns, eccentric loads, Tab 21
	43	Binder 2, Steel: Base plates, Tab 22
	44	Binder 2, Steel: Plate girder, Tab 23
	45	Binder 2, Steel: Lally columns, Tab 24
	46	Binder 2, Steel: Party wall footings, Tab 25
	47	Binder 2, Steel: Masonry piers, Tab 26
	48	Binder 2, Steel: Bearing plates and grillage, Tab 27
	49	Binder 2, Steel: Plain concrete pier, Tab 28
	50	Binder 2, Steel: Plain concrete footing square spread, Tab 29
	51	Binder 2, Timber: Uniform load beams, Tab 30
	52	Binder 2, Timber: Concentrated load beams, Tab 31
	53	Binder 2, Timber: Timber columns, Tab 32
	54	Binder 2, Timber: Mill construction, Tab 33
	55	Binder 2, Timber: Given floor, find safe load, Tab 34
	56	Binder 2, Timber: Given footing, find load & columns, Tab 34
	57	Binder 2, Timber: Given CB section, find load, Tab 34
	58	Binder 2, Design of truss members
	59	Binder 2, Joint detail
	60	Binder 2, Design of joint plates
	61	Binder 2, Stair run, platform slab
	62	Binder 2, Cover, preservation photocopies

Return to the Table of Contents

Series E: Project Records, 1936-1983, n.d.
987 drawings, 395 b/w photographic prints, 23 b/w photostats, 77 color photographic prints, 37 negatives, 20 color transparencies, 7 photomechanical prints, 3 slides, and .08 linear feet of textual material.

Series Abstract

The Project Records series (1936-1983, n.d.) is made up of records relating to the design and construction of Mackie and Kamrath’s architectural projects. This series is composed of a project index and individual project documentation. Each individual project may include the following document types: job files, photographs, and drawings. The project files are organized alphabetically by project title. Dates are offered if they can be derived from the drawings or gathered from other authoritative sources. Most project drawings are housed in oversized flat files; smaller drawings, photographs, and manuscript materials are house in boxes, indicated by "KAM" numbers.

The first two items listed are folders containing drawings of multiple projects, some of which are unidentified. These folders were originally labeled "Perspective studies: Designs for renderings" and "Original drawings by KK: MK Projects" by Kamrath and contain material he kept together. Many of these sketches are on stationary or office scratch pad sheets. Some are sketches and plans of work by other architects.

Designs for renderings, 77 items (KAM 16)

Apartment project, 1961. Houston, Texas (2 items)

Ashenbach residence (2 items)

Bammel office building, 1981. Houston, Texas (1 item)

Beck residence, 1968. Corpus Christi, Texas (1 item)

Big Three Welding and Equipment Company. City sales office and warehouse. Odessa, Texas (1 item)

Big Three Welding and Equipment Company. Corporate office building, 1972. Houston, Texas (1 item)

Braeburn Presbyterian Church. Houston, Texas (2 items)

Carbide Employees Federal Credit Union. Texas City, Texas (1 item)

Campbell residence, 1969. Houston, Texas (1 item)

Church. (1 item)

Connally Air Force Base. Housing. Waco, Texas. (1 item)

Downtown recreation center. City of Houston. Houston, Texas. (1 item)

DuPont administration building. LaPorte, Texas. (1 item)

DuPont Houston plant area office. Change house, 1980. LaPorte, Texas (1 item)

DuPont laboratory. LaPorte, Texas. (1 item)

El Campo City Hall, 1967. El Campo, Texas (1 item)

Emerson Unitarian Church. Sanctuary, 1973 (2 items)

Featherock, 1978. Dime Box, Texas (1 item)

First National Bank. Brenham, Texas. (1 item)

First National Bank of Bellaire, 1979. Bellaire, Texas (1 item)

Fort Sam Houston medical laboratory, 1965. San Antonio, Texas (1 item)

Frisch Auf! Country Club. La Grange, Texas. (1 item)

Gesthemane Methodist Church. Houston, Texas. (1 item)

Gonce residence, 1965. Baton Rouge, Lousiana (1 item)

Houston Intercontinental National Bank. Houston, Texas. (1 item)

Houston Racquet Club, 1966. Houston, Texas. (3 items)

Lackland Air Force Base, 1967-1968. Chapel Center (2 items)

Lake Jackson City Hall and Fire Station. Lake Jackson, Texas. (1 item)

Lockwood, Andrews, and Newnan office building, 1968. Houston, Texas (5 items)

Long Point National Bank, 1965. Houston, Texas (1 item)

Lott residence, 1973. Sugar Creek, Texas (1 item)

M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. Chapel, 1971 (2 item)

M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. Gimble Pavilion. (1 item)

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 1965. Houston, Texas (1 item)

Methodist church. Additions, 1969. Lake Jackson, Texas (2 items)

Methodist hospital, 1971 (1 item)

Motel. Kilgore, Texas. (1 item)

Our Savior Lutheran Church. Houston, Texas. (1 item)

Reese-Webb Air Force Bases. Composite medical facilities. (1 item)

Riverside Country Club, 1969. Lake Jackson, Texas (1 item)

Schlumberger administration building. Alterations and additions, 1977. Houston, Texas (1 item)

St. Cyril of Alexandria Church, 1978 Houston, Texas (1 item)

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1969. Temple, Texas (1 item)

Travertine Nature Center, 1968-1969. Platt National Park. Sulphur, Oklahoma (2 items)

University of Houston. General Services Building, 1968. Houston, Texas (2 items)

University of Houston. Science and Research Center, 1965. Houston, Texas (1 item)

University of Houston. Texas Medical Center. Pharmacy building, 1977-1978 (3 items)

University of Texas. Dental Science Institute, 1967. Houston, Texas (1 item)

University of Texas. Health Science Center. Dental Branch. Additions, 1983. Houston, Texas (1 item)

University of Texas Medical Center. School of Public Health. (2 items)

Walsh vacation house, 1968. Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands, Bahamas (1 item)

Warwick Hotel. Additions and alterations. (2 items)

Wharton County Junior College. Agriculture building, 1964. Wharton, Texas. (1 item)

Wharton County Junior College. Classroom building, 1965. Wharton, Texas (1 item)

Wharton County Junior College. Student center, 1969. Wharton, Texas (2 items)

Woodlands Racquet Club, 1976. (1 item)

Karl Kamrath sketches and notes (KAM 16)

Various drawings, including sketches of works by other architects. (43 items)

Project name: 3200 Kirby Building (Texas Employers Insurance Association).
Date on drawings: 1958
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Street address: 3200 Kirby

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 2

Project name: Ace Theatre.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Drawings: 1

Project name: Air terminal parking.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Drawings: 1 (KAM 20)

Project name: Allen Parkway Village.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Photographs: 3 b/w (KAM 13)

Project name: Alley Theatre.
Primary archt/firm: Ulrich Franzen
Collaborators: MacKie and Kamrath, associate architects.

Street address: 709 Berry Avenue

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Clippings and manuscript material (KAM 8)

Photographs: 6 b/w (KAM 8)

Project name: Almeda Theater.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 1

Project name: Austin Theatre.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

City: Austin

County: Travis

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 4 (KAM 22)

Project name: Auto Park.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Drawings: 1 (KAM 20)

Photographs: 2 b/w prints (KAM 8)

Project name: AutoCar Co. Sales and service building.
Date on drawings: 1952
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: AutoCar Co.

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 1 (KAM16)

Project name: Avalon Mill and Lumber Co.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 1 (KAM 20)

Project name: Baldwin residence.
Date on drawings: ca. 1949
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Baldwin, Keith (Mr. and Mrs.)

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 1 (KAM20)

Project name: Bammel residence.
Date on drawings: 1976
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: McCarthy-Reagan

Street address: 2815 Bammel Lane

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 5

Job files (KAM 8)

Negatives: 2 (KAM 8)

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks.
Date on drawings: 1982, 1983
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 79

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks. E.C. Crawford Addition.
Date on drawings: 1981-1982
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 4

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks. Earl Street paving.
Date on drawings: 1973
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 2

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks. Exterior wall and windows. Details.
Date on drawings: 1980-1981
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 2

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks. Garage.
Date on drawings: 1982, 1983
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 13

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks. Hendrix Glass.
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 4

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks. Office building & parking garage.
Date on drawings: 1981-1983
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 173

Photographs: 2 color

Project name: Bammel Square at River Oaks. Office building.
Date on drawings: 1981-1982
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Bammel Square Interests

Street address: Bammel Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 19

Project name: Battlestein's service center.
Date on drawings: 1953
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Battlestein's

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 1 (KAM 22)

Project name: Beck residence.
Date on drawings: 1968
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client Beck, Buddy

City: Corpus Christi

County: Nueces

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 1

Project name: Big Three Industries office building.
Date on drawings: 1972
Primary archt/firm: MacKie and Kamrath.

Client: Big Three Industries

Street address: 3535 West 12th Street

City: Houston

County: Harris

State/Province: Tex.

Country: U.S.

Drawings: 2

Project name:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Karl Kamrath:

An Inventory of his Collection, 1918-2004

Restrictions on Access

Restrictions on Use

Series A: Personal Papers, 1920s-2004, n.d. .9 linear feet of textual materials (2 manuscript boxes), 65 b/w photographs, 41 b/w photostats, 7 color photographs, 24 b/w negatives, 28 color negatives, and 34 original drawings and paintings

Series B: Professional Papers, 1910-1987, n.d. 1.2 linear feet of textual materials (2 manuscript boxes and oversize folders), 65 b/w photographs, 173 b/w photostats, 1 color photograph, 2 sepia prints, and 5 35 mm slides

Series C: Office Records, 1926-2000, n.d. 3 linear feet of textual material (2 manuscript boxes and two bankers boxes), 10 b/w and 1 color photographic prints

Series D: Fred MacKie Papers, 1928-1935, n.d. .4 linear feet of textual material (1 manuscript box)

Series E: Project Records, 1936-1983, n.d. 987 drawings, 395 b/w photographic prints, 23 b/w photostats, 77 color photographic prints, 37 negatives, 20 color transparencies, 7 photomechanical prints, 3 slides, and .08 linear feet of textual material.

Series A: Personal Papers, 1920s-2004, n.d.
.9 linear feet of textual materials (2 manuscript boxes), 65 b/w photographs, 41 b/w photostats, 7 color photographs, 24 b/w negatives, 28 color negatives, and 34 original drawings and paintings

Series B: Professional Papers, 1910-1987, n.d.
1.2 linear feet of textual materials (2 manuscript boxes and oversize folders), 65 b/w photographs, 173 b/w photostats, 1 color photograph, 2 sepia prints, and 5 35 mm slides

Series C: Office Records, 1926-2000, n.d.
3 linear feet of textual material (2 manuscript boxes and two bankers boxes), 10 b/w and 1 color photographic prints

Series D: Fred MacKie Papers, 1928-1935, n.d.
.4 linear feet of textual material (1 manuscript box)

Series E: Project Records, 1936-1983, n.d.
987 drawings, 395 b/w photographic prints, 23 b/w photostats, 77 color photographic prints, 37 negatives, 20 color transparencies, 7 photomechanical prints, 3 slides, and .08 linear feet of textual material.