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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu
Federica Goffi, Architectural Intern, and Gerrianne Schaad, Curator of Manuscripts
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to research.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], "That Exceptional One: Women in American Architecture 1888-1988," Exhibition, Ms1991-041, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Source of Acquisition
The material in the collection was donated in 1991 and March 2000 by the Library and Archives of The American Institute of Architects to the International Archive of Women in Architecture housed in the Special Collections and University Archives at the University Libraries of Virginia Tech.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the "That Exceptional One: Women in American Architecture, 1888-1988," Exhibition was completed in May 2000.
Historical Note
"That Exceptional One: Women in American Architecture 1888-1988" commemorated the 100th anniversary of the election of the first woman, Louise Blanchard Bethune of Buffalo, New York, to membership in The American Institute of Architects. The idea for this exhibition on a century of achievements by women came from the AIA Women in Architecture Committee.
The exhibit consisted of the following three sections: "Becoming an Architect" covered the establishment of schools of architecture in the United States during the late 19th century; the influence of the Beaux-Arts and Bauhaus movements; the political and social activism of the 1960s and 1970s; and the enrollment gains of women in architecture and other professional school. "Practicing Architecture" profiled women in professional practice-from the early all-female firm of MIT graduates Lois Lilley Howe, Eleanor Manning, and Mary Almy, to current and precedent-setting practitioners, Natalie De Blois and Laurinda Spear. It reflected a wide range of building types, practice types, specialties, and locales. " Gaining Recognition" used an illustrated timeline to document the evolution of women in architecture as their achievements and numbers grew and as attitudes both among and about female architects changed over a century.
Scope and Content
The collection "That Exceptional One" consists of documents, articles, correspondence, photographs, slides, and other related material documenting the phases of preparation, organization and display of the exhibition. Researcher notes reflect their efforts to identify collections and sources of material on women architects. The slides are examples of the architects work.
Also included in the collection is the physical exhibit.
Related Material
Also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives:
"Many More: Women in Architecture, 1978-1988," Exhibit Files and Panels, Ms2000-084
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- American Institute of Architects
- American Institute of Architects. Women in Architecture
- History of Women in Architecture
- International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA)
- Women -- History
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the "That Exceptional One: Women in American Architecture 1888-1988," Exhibition by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).