Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm92076316
Collection material in English, and German
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
The papers of Howard Dearstyne, architect, photographer, architectural historian, and educator, were deposited in the Library of Congress by Marjorie Smolka in 1988 and converted to a gift in 1991. Additional gifts from Smolka were received between 2001 and 2005.
The papers of Howard Dearstyne were processed in 1992 by Harry G. Heiss. Additional material was processed by Donna Ellis and the finding aid revised and expanded in 2006.
A description of the Dearstyne Papers appears in
Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other custodial divisions of the Library. Some drawings, photographs, and slides have been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division. Audiotapes have been transferred to the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division. Books and pamphlets have been transferred to the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. Maps have been transferred to the Geography and Map Division. All transfers are identified in these divisions as part of the Howard Dearstyne Papers.
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Howard Dearstyne is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
The papers of Howard Dearstyne are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Howard Dearstyne Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The papers of Howard Best Dearstyne (1903-1979) span the years 1911-1988, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period from 1950 to 1975. The collection reflects Dearstyne's research interest in the Bauhaus, the influential German art and architecture school, and his career as a photographer, lecturer, and writer. Included are correspondence, exhibit material, and typescripts of articles, books, lectures, and reports. The collection is arranged in three series, a Subject File, Writings File, and an Addition.
The Subject File contains mostly secondary materials collected by Dearstyne in support of his lifelong interest in the Bauhaus and its two best-known masters, Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In this series are newspaper and magazine articles on the Bauhaus, its history, and especially its influence on the development of modern art and twentieth-century architecture. Dearstyne corresponded with many of the school's instructors and graduates, as well as with other architects, designers, and artists influenced by Bauhaus principles, and his papers include exhibit brochures and catalogs of their work, together with letters and some original artwork sent to him. Principal correspondents include Josef Albers, Hermann Blomeier, George Danforth, Werner Drewes, Henry Dubin, Wils Ebert, Helmut von Erffa, Werner Graeff, Ludwig Hilberseimer, Paul Klee, Kurt Kranz, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Museum of Modern Art, Eckhard Neumann, Karl Nierendorf, Pius E. Pahl, Walter A. Peterhans, Oskar Schlemmer, and Erdmann Schmocker. There is also material documenting Dearstyne's pursuit of photography as a serious art form, including magazine articles written by him and texts of his lectures. Some material in the Subject File is in German.
The Writings File contains Dearstynes's drafts of three reports written in 1953-1954 for Colonial Williamsburg on the King's Arms Tavern, the King's Arms Barber Shop, and the Alexander Purdie House and its outbuildings. Also included is an early draft of
The Addition contains further correspondence with Albers, Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as letters exchanged with Morgan and Morgan Publishers relating to the publishing of Dearstyne's lecture "Elements of Pictorial Design." Exhibit material includes correspondence, brochures, and newspaper articles pertaining to his photographic exhibits. A writings section contains typescripts of articles and books, including
The collection is arranged in three series:
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm92076316
Correspondence, exhibit brochures and catalogs, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles, primarily documenting the history of the Bauhaus and the careers of its graduates. Also in this series are photostats of Bauhaus publications and records from the files of Walter Gropius and Bauhaus-Archiv in Darmstadt, Germany. Some material in this series is in German.
Arranged alphabetically by topic or name of correspondent.
Typed drafts of three architectural reports written by Dearstyne on the King's Arms Tavern, the King's Arms Barber Shop, and the Alexander Purdie House for Colonial Williamsburg in 1953-1954.
Arranged alphabetically by report title. A typed draft of Dearstyne's book,
Biographical information, correspondence, exhibit material, texts of lectures, and drafts, correspondence, and publicity relating to articles and books.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material, name of person or institution, or title of work.