University Architecture

Collection, 1886-2006, n.d. (bulk, 1935-1998)

7 cu. ft. (3 document boxes, 3 map drawers)



Restrictions | History--Biography | Scope Notes | Series | Series Summary | Folder List

Restrictions
This collection is open.

History--Biography
The grounds of Brandeis University began to take shape as a campus during the 1920s with the start of Middlesex University. The most significant buildings on the Middlesex campus included the Castle, the Veterinary School building (later Ford Hall), and the library, which previously served as a horse stable. When Brandeis University took over the charter of Middlesex University shortly after the Second World War it gained ownership of the campus. Since then, Brandeis has continuously added to and reshaped the campus and its buildings. A significant portion of the campus was designed by the architectural firms of Max Abramovitz and Eero Saarinen.

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Scope and Contents
Material in this collection were created from 1886 through 2006 (bulk, 1935-1998). Items include photographs, articles, maps, architectural plans and sketches, exhibit cards, and narrative descriptions. This collection represents a compilation of materials from a variety of sources concerning the architecture of individual buildings and the general campus. A significant portion of the collection includes an exhibit on Usen Castle produced by Joel Grushkin (Brandeis 1978), titled "Usen Castle in Perspective." Other items of note include photographs of the campus when it was owned by Middlesex University and an interview with Max Abramovitz. This collection also contains interior and exterior plans and sketches of individual buildings, architectural plans and sketches for the general campus, topographical maps of the area and Waltham, and assorted other plans and sketches relating to Brandeis architecture.

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Series
General Architecture (box 1, map drawers 2, 11, 12-13)
Middlesex University (box 1)
Individual Buildings (boxes 1-2, map drawers 2, 11, 12-13)
Campus (box 2)
Joel Grushkin Exhibit (boxes 2-3)
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Series Summary
General Architecture
Inclusive Dates: 1949-1997, n.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical
This series includes maps, photographs, plans, 
and sketches of the campus, articles and reports, 
and an interview with Max Abramovitz.

Middlesex University
Inclusive Dates: 1935-1944, n.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical
This series contains photographs of the Middlesex 
University campus.

Individual Buildings
Inclusive Dates: 1886-2006, n.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by building
This series holds photographs, articles, plans, and 
sketches of individual campus buildings, and a bound 
volume containing documents concerning the construction 
of Sydeman Hall and Nathan Seifer Auditorium in Ford Hall.  
Also included is biographical information on William H. 
Sydeman and materials concerning the dedication of Sydeman 
Hall and Sydeman Laboratory.

Campus
Inclusive Dates: 1949-2004, n.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical
This series includes photographs of various sections of 
the campus.

Joel Gruskin Exhibit
Inclusive Dates: 1953-1998, n.d.
Arrangement: Numerical
This series includes material from the 1978 exhibit 
"Usen Castle in Perspective" produced by Joel Grushkin 
(Brandeis 1978).




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Folder List
General Architecture
Box 1
          4th and Otis Sts., Cambridge, [16 photo slides], n.d.
          Boundaries of property owned by Brandeis University in Waltham, 1949
          Brandeis University [photo slides], 1971
          Campus description, n.d.
Map Drawer 2
          Campus Map, n.d.
Box 1
          Campus Maps, ca. 1950, 1972
          Campus planning documentation, Eero Saarinen and Max Abramovitz, 1951-1959 [1 CD ROM]
          "Designing and Building Brandeis University," Architectural Record, 1959
          "Planning the Campus of Brandeis University," by Eero Saarinen and Associates, in The American School 
               and University, 1951-1952
          Interviews with Max Abramovitz, 1993 [2 sound cassettes]
          Master Planning Report, 1997
          Map of Waltham, n.d.
          Oral history interviews with Max Abramovitz, 1993
          Plans and Sketches:
Map Drawer 11
               Abramovitz Master Plan, 1965, n.d.
               Brandeis Mods, site plans, 1972 [6 plans]
               Centerbrook Architects, Entrance plans, 1988 [3 plans]
               Fine Arts Building at Texas Christian University (Saarinen design), 1948-49 [6 plans]
               Georgetown Gynmasium plans (Saarinen design), 1950 [2 plans]
               Georgetown University Gymnasium, 1950, n.d. [3 plans]
Map Drawer 12
               Map of Waltham, n.d.
               Parking sign, proposed design, sketch, n.d. [3 sketches]
               Road network, sketches and plans, 1950-51 [6 plans]
               Saarinen site plan, 1949-1950 [9 plans]
Map Drawer 13
               Site Plan, 1988
               Topographical Plan of Land in Waltham, 1950 [2 plans]

Middlesex University
Box 1
          "Middlesex University Dedicates New Library" Waltham News-Tribune, 1944
          Photograph of Middlesex College--Castle, ca. 1935
          Photographs, n.d. [3 folders]
          Photographs of buildings, n.d.
          Small-Animal Hospital and School of Veterinary Medicine, n.d.
          Students in Chemistry lecture, laboratory, n.d.
          Unidentified building, n.d.
          Unidentified house, n.d.
          Unidentified photographs, n.d. [2 folders]

Individual Buildings
Map Drawer 11
          Administration Building plans, 1957 [2 plans]
          Architectural sketches, n.d. [2 sketches]
          Art Center, 1951
          Bernstein-Marcus, design sketches, 1957 [3 sketches]
          Brandeis Girls Dormitory, n.d. [8 sketches]
          Brandeis Gymnasium, exterior, 1952 [9 sketches]
          Brandeis Gymnasium and Natarium, 1950 [9 sketches]
Box 1
          Brandeis Union, n.d.
          The Castle, n.d. [4 folders]
          The Castle--Historic bell dedication, remarks by Jay Mandel '80, 2006
          The Castle--Hinge and documentation
          The Castle--"Unlocking Doors to the Past and Future," 1998
Map Drawer 11
          Chapel, sketch of letters, n.d.
          Charles River Apartments, floor plans, 1973
          East Quad design sketch, n.d. [2 sketches]
          Faculty Club [?], interior design, n.d.
          Farber plans, n.d. [10 plans]
          Feldberg interior, design sketch, n.d.
          Ford Hall, preliminary print, 1939
Map Drawer 2
          Ford Hall--Architectural Plans
               Founder's Hall Floor Plan, 1950
               Science Hall, 1950 [3 plans]
Map Drawer 11
          Goldfarb/Farber plans, 1982, n.d. [9 plans]
          Goldfarb Library plans, 1957-1970 [8 sketches]
          Golding Health Center, design sketch, 1971
          Goldman-Schwartz Art Studios, preliminary design sketch, n.d.
          Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, 1988, n.d. [3 plans]
          Hamilton Lounge A+B, 1958 [2 plans]
          Heller School, design sketch, 1964
Box 1
          International programs, n.d.
Map Drawer 11
          Layout of athletic facilities, 1950-51 [5 plans]
          Library design sketch, birds-eye view, 1981
Map Drawer 12
          Lounge Faculty Center, n.d.
          Mailman Commuter's Center, n.d.
          Mailman renderings, 1970 [4 sketches]
Box 1
          New Science Facilities at Brandeis University, n.d.
Map Drawer 12
          Pollack Auditorium, 1971
          Pollack Health Center, design sketch, 1977
          Proposed Science Building, 1951 [20 sketches]
          Proposed Women's Residence Hall (Hamilton Quad), sketches, 1951 [8 sketches]
          Rabb Center, exterior sketches, n.d. [3 sketches]
          Rabb/North Quad, utilities plan, n.d.
          Ridgewood Quad, site plan, 1956
          Sachar International Center, design sketch, 1973
          Shapiro Memorial Art Theatre, 1950 [26 sketches]
Map Drawer 13
          Sherman Student Center renovations, n.d.
          Social Sciences Center (Brown), n.d.
          Student Commons Building, n.d.
Box 1
          Sydeman, William H. and Sydeman Hall
               Birth certificate, 1886
               Dedications of Sydeman Hall and Sydeman Laboratory, 1951, 1953, n.d.
               Memorial booklet and obituaries, 1948
               Photographs, 1952, n.d.
               Wood, Joseph J.--Correspondence about Sydeman Hall dedication plaque, 1953-1954
Box 2
          Three Chapels, 1996
          "An Unusual Design for Collegiate Religion," in Architectural Record, 1956
          Ullman Amphitheater, 1952 [2 folders]
Map Drawer 13
          University Center, n.d.
          University Office Park, site plan, 1979 [2 plans]
          Usdan Student Center, site plan, 1966-70 [6 sketches]
          The Village, sketches, n.d. [3 sketches]
          Women's Residence Halls, 1950 [4 sketches]

Campus
Box 2
          Aerial photographs, 1949-2004 [2 CD ROMs]
          Campus photographs, n.d. [16 folders]
          View of campus from Norman Tower, n.d.

Joel Grushkin Exhibit
Box 2
          Photographs of exhibit, n.d.
          Biography of Dr. John Hall Smith, n.d.
          Dedication of exhibit, n.d.
          Usen Castle, n.d.
          Phone message from Joel Gruskin, n.d.
          "Turrets, Towers and Tracery Windows" by Annette S. Kahn "Today's Alumnus" vol 8. no. 5, 
               November 1978
          "Usen Castle in Perspective" 1.1, n.d.
          "Usen Castle in Perspective" 1.2, n.d.
          "Usen Castle in Perspective" 1.3, n.d.
          "The Castle Emerges" 2.1, n.d.
          "The Castle Emerges" 2.2, n.d.
          "The Castle Emerges" 2.3, n.d.
          "The Castle Emerges" 2.4, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--1938" 3.1, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--1938" 3.2, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--1938" 3.3, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--1938" 3.4, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--1938" 3.5, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--1938" 3.6, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--by Section" 4.1, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--by Section" 4.2, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--by Section" 4.3, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--by Section" 4.4, n.d.
          "The Completed Project--by Section" 4.5, n.d.
          "Blue Prints" 5.1, n.d.
Box 3
          "Middlesex Days" 6.1, n.d.
          "Middlesex Days" 6.2, n.d.
          "Middlesex Days" 6.3, n.d.
          "The European Precedent" 7.1, n.d.
          "The European Precedent" 7.2, n.d.
          "The European Precedent" 7.3, n.d.
          "The European Precedent" 7.4, n.d.
          "The European Precedent" 7.5, n.d.
          "The American Precedent--1820-1860" 8.1, n.d.
          "The American Precedent--1820-1860" 8.2, n.d.
          "The American Precedent--1820-1860" 8.3, n.d.
          "The American Precedent--1820-1860" 8.4, n.d.
          "The American Precedent--1820-1860" 8.5, n.d.
          "1890-1925" 9.1, n.d.
          "1890-1925" 9.2, n.d.
          "1890-1925" 9.3, n.d.
          "Brandeis and the '48 Conversion" 10.1, n.d.
          "Brandeis and the '48 Conversion" 10.2, n.d.
          "Brandeis and the '48 Conversion" 10.3, n.d.
          "Brandeis and the '48 Conversion" 10.4, n.d.
          "Early Years" 11.1, n.d.
          "Early Years" 11.2, n.d.
          "Early Years" 11.3, n.d.
          "Early Years" 11.4, n.d.
          "Early Years" 11.5, n.d.
          "Early Years" 11.6, n.d.
          "Appendix--The Number of Castles by Harold Graham Leask, n.d.
          Axe Castle, n.d.
          Axe Castle, n.d. [7 photos]
          Hammond Museum, n.d.
          Hammond Museum, n.d. [4 postcards]
          Hammond Museum castle, n.d. [20 photo slides]
          Housing for Women, n.d.
          Lyndhurst Castle, n.d.
         "The Medieval Castle Revival: New York Armories", by Robert Koch "Journal of the Society of 
              Architectural Historians" vol. 13 no. 3, n.d.
          Usen Castle, n.d. [photo]
          Conversion of Castle, n.d. [photo]
          Usen Castle, n.d. [2 postcards]
          Usen Castle Renovations, 1976-1977 [17 slides]
          Usen Castle Renovations, 1976-1977 [20 slides]
          Usen Castle Renovations, 1976-1977 [3 slides]
          Photographs--Smith, John Hall, 1998
          "Usen Castle: Fact and Fiction" by Aaron Ring, 1988
          Yearbook description of Usen Castle, 1953




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Notes
Additional photographs of the Brandeis campus are in the University Photography Collection.
For additional information on the history of Brandeis University search the following catalog
entries in the Brandeis University Libraries' on-line catalog, LOUIS:
Subject Search: Brandeis University Planning
Subject Search: Campus planning Massachusetts Waltham