Historical Note

The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization that sponsors exhibitions, research studies, and projects that explore ideas in architecture and related art and design fields. The ALNY promotes excellence and innovation in architecture and urbanism by broadening the knowledge of these fields and communicating the importance of architecture in public life.

In 1973 the ALNY founded the Archive of Women in Architecture as a means to gather data about the careers of women in the field of architecture and other design professions. The project was made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from CBS, Inc., IBM Corporation, and Harry Winston, Inc. The archive committee consisted of Susana Torre, Coordinator, Phyllis Birkby, Regi Goldberg, Marjorie Hoog, Naomi Leff, Dimon Liu, Mimi Lobell, and Marita O'Hare.

In September of that year, the Archive began a national survey to collect both biographical and project data from women working in the profession. Committee members sent a form letter to women architects describing the archive and its mission, along with both a biographical worksheet and a project worksheet. At this time, Archive committee members also collected information about women who were no longer practicing architects in 1973. From the information gathered for the Archive, a 1977 exhibition and a book, Women in American Architecture: A Historic and Contemporary Perspective, were produced. The Archive of Women in Architecture ceased to collect material after this date.

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