Scope and Content of Collection

Albums of clippings, letters, photographs and ephemera, as well as brochures, company newsletters and related materials collected by MacDonald Becket, document the work of the successive architectural firms of Wurdeman and Becket, Welton Becket and Associates, and the Becket Group.

Thirty-seven albums recording the work of the firms, their principals and associates form the bulk of the collection. Created in-house by the firms, the albums are generally annual compilations of clippings taken from newspapers and magazines, many of which were gathered by a clipping service. The clippings, which range in date from 1944 to 1986, were drawn from a broad range of sources, ranging from specialized architectural periodicals, shelter and lifestyle magazines and obscure trade publications, to local newspapers. The early albums are composed almost exclusively of clippings, but as they progress through time, they also include limited amounts of other materials, such as photographs, letters and ephemera. In addition to individual architectural and planning projects, the material in the albums documents broader aspects of the firm and its partners, such as professional activities, staffing, general profiles, announcements of speaking engagements and committee work, exhibitions of the firm's work and awards received. Contrasting with these chronological records, a final album is a more personal scrapbook, focusing on the career of MacDonald Becket.

The archive also includes promotional brochures and employee newsletters created by the firms, as well as miscellaneous materials. The various promotional brochures range from the mid 1950s presentation of Welton Becket and Associates work, "Vision...Through Supervision," to one marking the Ellerbe Becket merger in the late 1980s. An incomplete set of the "WB Reporter," the employee newsletter, presents highlights of architectural projects and awards, as well as profiles of staff. A small number of miscellaneous items, primarily articles and brochures, relating to MacDonald Becket and his interests complete the collection.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by type of material.