Photo caption: The BPL’s Manager of Archives Eve Neiger rehouses a roll of architectural drawings to ensure safe storage, long-term preservation, and easy identification for user access. Photo by Mel Taing.
Within the walls of the Central Library in Copley Square are archival collections that provide an in-depth look at the landscape of Boston architecture and architectural practice at the turn of the 20th century. Comprising business records, photographs, specification files, and around 3,000 rolls of architectural drawings, some of which are over 12-feet long, the Boston Public Library’s (BPL) architectural holdings are unique for their longevity, breadth, and interconnectedness.
Recognizing the challenges of the collections’ storage, care, and preservation, architectural historian Maureen Meister and her husband, a retired intellectual property lawyer, David Feigenbaum, recently established an endowed fund through the Boston Public Library Fund. The Maureen Meister and David Feigenbaum Endowment for Special Collections will sustain the behind-the-scenes work of BPL archivists, strengthening the long-term preservation and discoverability of the collections and ensuring they remain accessible to patrons, researchers, and students for generations to come.
“We are so grateful to Maureen and David for creating this endowment that specifically supports the often-invisible work that is essential to the care and maintenance of our archival collections,” says Eve Neiger, the BPL’s Manager of Archives.
The Endowment will facilitate the physical stabilization of hundreds of at-risk materials from the late 19th- to early 20th-centuries, including photographs, business records, and rolled architectural drawings from Massachusetts-based firms such as Maginnis & Walsh, Peabody & Stearns, Cram & Ferguson, and William G. Preston.
“Many of the drawings in our collection have beautiful detailed linework that exemplifies this period of architectural design. Each drawing is not only a technical and functional roadmap for design and construction, but a work of art that shows off the skill and artistry of the architects and draftsmen who created them,” she adds.
Learn more.
The BPL’s architectural archives provide a valuable resource for the public, architects, historians, artists, and homeowners researching historic buildings and architectural practice. The Library’s three largest collections are searchable at archives.bpl.org, with new material added regularly. Original materials are available to view by appointment in the Special Collections reading room at the Central Library in Copley Square.