Manuscripts

Abstract

The Alice Fitts Papers document Miss Fitts’ time as the Director of the Department of Kindergartens at Pratt Institute through personal notes, correspondences and teaching materials dating from 1896 to 1916.

Abstract Anne Carroll Moore was an important pioneer of children’s librarianship. A graduate of Pratt Institute, she developed the children’s room at the Pratt Institute Library and later set up services for the children’s rooms of the main library and branches of the New York Public Library. Moore introduced numerous innovations into library services for children, including exhibits, special events, and storytelling, and she emphasized the love of reading for its own sake. She also regularly...

Abstract

The Barbara Ann Levy Papers consist of materials developed in preparation for and following submission of her thesis for the Master of Professional Studies, Art Therapy and Creativity Development degree at Pratt Institute in 1990, a project in which she researched dolphin painting behavior.

Abstract Edward F. Stevens was Librarian of the Pratt Institute Free Library and director of the Library School. He was influential not only in librarianship but also in typography and graphic arts, served as president or vice president for various professional organizations, and wrote articles and pamphlets about librarianship, Pratt Institute, and book arts. The collection consists of biographical information, business correspondence, mainly of business letters to Frederic Bayley Pratt, and include...

Abstract

The Isabel Ely Lord Papers document the experiences of Lord while she worked at Pratt Institute from 1904 to 1920. From 1904 to 1910, Lord was the Director of the Library. From 1910 to 1920, she directed the School of Household Science and Arts and shaped the curriculum so that it became an emerging standard for the field. The Papers consist of biographical materials like newspaper clippings and publications, as well as letters to and from Lord between 1903 and 1920.

Abstract The John F. Pile Papers consist of the drawings and designs, photography, teaching materials, and writing created by the furniture and interior designer John F. Pile between 1947 and 1998. Pile taught architectural and design history at Pratt Institute for over 50 years and was a frequent lecturer at regional schools. Beginning in 1947, Pile designed furniture and interiors for significant design firms led by individuals like Donald Deskey, Paul McCobb, and George Nelson. In 1963 he started...

Abstract Josephine Adams Rathbone was one of the pioneers of American library science education and spent her career as instructor, vice-director, and director of the Library School at Pratt Institute. She was also heavily involved with professional organizations such as the Association of American Library Schools, the American Library Association, the New York Library Association, and the New York Library Club. Her papers consist of professional and personal correspondence, published and unpublished...

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Julia Pettee was a student of the Pratt Institute Library School from 1894-1895. From 1909 to 1939, she was the Chief Cataloger in the Union Theological Seminary Library where she devised a unique classification system for theological works. Her papers date primarily from 1895 to 1905 and include incoming and outgoing correspondence, writings by and about Pettee, class notes, and ephemera related to her time as a library student.

Abstract Mary Wright Plummer (1856-1916) stands as an important figure in early American librarianship, both because of the way she helped shape the profession and because she held positions of leadership and authority at a time when it was unusual for women to do so. A graduate of Columbia’s library school, she headed Pratt Institute’s library and became director of the library school. She was also a writer and a poet, and was active in a number of professional organizations such as the American...

Abstract Maryette Charlton was a behind-the-scenes figure in the lives of many artists, actors, and writers. Charlton was a supporter of the downtown New York City arts, working with and donating to galleries and venues throughout her life. As a student at Pratt Institute, Charlton left an impression in the art education program through her work with the Saturday Morning Art School and her thorough report on the art curriculum at Scarsdale Public Schools. Throughout the art education program at Pratt...

Abstract The New York School of Applied Design for Women was a significant educational institution and proponent of the arts and crafts movement that sought to provide women with the practical education needed to be self-sufficient. Founded in 1892 by Ellen Dunlap Hopkins, the school went through several significant changes beginning with the new building at 160 Lexington Avenue in 1909, then the reincorporation as a co-educational school and merger with the Phoenix Arts Institute in 1944, and...

Abstract

The Records of the School of Engineering contains documents created by the students, faculty, and staff of the School of Science and Technology, later the School of Engineering, dating back to 1888 until the school’s eventual closure during the 1992-1993 school year.

Abstract Walter Scott Perry (1855-1934) was the first head of the Institute’s School of Fine and Applied Arts. His vision and views as an art educator provided direction for the growth of the art programs at Pratt during the school’s formative years. In addition to his work at the Institute, Perry lectured frequently on art, architecture, and sculpture, served as an associate editor at the Prang Educational Company, and wrote numerous articles and books on Egyptian art, art education in public...