Washingtoniana II - Conservation of Architectural Drawings at the Library of Congress - Description of the Collection

Oct 23, 2026

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Washingtoniana II collection documents the history and development of architecture, design, and engineering in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Drawings included in the project are by Washington-based architects, depict buildings located in Washington, or were commissioned by clients such as the federal government. The ongoing collaboration between the Library of Congress conservation and prints divisions aims to preserve about 40,000 drawings through housing, stabilization, cataloging, research, and conservation techniques.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

CONDITION OF THE COLLECTION

Washingtoniana II:Conservation of ArchitecturalDrawings at the Library of Congress Michele E.Hamill # DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION ## ABSTRACT The Washingtoniana II collection documents the his-tory and development of architecture,design,and engi-neering in the Washington D.C.metropolitan area.Tobe included in this project drawings must be byWashington-based architects,designers or engineers,depict buildings physically located in Washington,or becommissioned by clients such as the federal government.The drawings have been acquired by copyright deposit,purchase,and gift,and some drawings have been givenspecifically as a result of this project.TheWashingtoniana II collection has been described as "trac-ing the development of architectural drawing in theUnited States as both an art form and a professional toolfrom its earliest or crudest expressions to its most recentand sophisticated manifestations."3 Drawings from someof the most important architectural competitions held inthe United States are represented in the collection,including the United States Capitol Competition,thecompetition to design the first building of the Library ofCongress,and the competition to design the VietnamVeterans Memorial.The collection ranges from masterpresentation drawings,working drawings,and full sizedetails,to major portions of the archives of an architect'soffice. In 1987,a multifaceted architectural drawings1 pro-ject,known as Washingtoniana II,began at the Library ofCongress.2 The purpose of this ongoing,collaborativeeffort between the Library's Conservation Office and thePrints and Photographs Division is to preserve and makeavailable 40,000 drawings related to Washington,D.C.The size,diversity,and complexity of this collection andthe need to prepare it for service to the public haverequired some innovative and cooperative approaches.By providing appropriate housing and stabilization andthrough the creation of catalog records which will beavailable internationally,the Washingtoniana II projectwill make the entire collection accessible for the firsttime.This paper willdescribe the Washingtoniana II col-lection,the preservation component of the project,andsome of the techniques which are being used to preservethis unique and valuable collection. ## BACKGROUND The goals of the Washingtoniana II project are tophysically process the 40,000 drawings,create catalogrecords,research and write an illustrated guide to the col-lection,and perform conservation surveys and treatment.The project's staff includes paper conservators,curators,catalogers and processing assistants.A series of generousgrants from the Morris and Gwendolyn CafritzFoundation have supported the preservation componentof the project by providing for two full time paper con-servators,the hiring of other conservators on a consultantbasis,and the purchasing of supplies for treatment andhousing.To address the preservation needs of the col-lection,there is one conservator at the technician levelfor routine treatments and one conservator at anadvanced level for more complex treatments.The con-servators are able to draw on the administrative and tech-nical support of the Conservation Office.Two years ofconservation survey and treatment have been completedand one more year is needed to finish the preservationcomponent of the project.Due to budget,time,andstaffing constraints,the preservation component of theproject first addresses the stabilization and housing of theentire collection and secondly addresses the treatment ofindividual objects. The collection includes many of the types of materialsused for architectural drawings such as:drawings ontracing paper,linen,and illustration board;reproductiontechniques,e.g.,blueprints and diazo prints;photograph-ic processes,e.g.,prints,negatives,slides,and photostats;and bound materials,e.g.,sketchbooks and scrapbooks.There is also a significant amount of manuscript and tex-tual material,e.g.,building specifications and correspon-dence.Go

FAQs

What is the Washingtoniana II collection and what does it cover?

The Washingtoniana II collection documents the history and development of architecture, design, and engineering in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It includes drawings by Washington-based professionals, as well as drawings depicting Washington buildings or commissioned by clients such as the federal government.

What is the main purpose of the Washingtoniana II project?

The project preserves and makes available roughly 40,000 architectural drawings. It focuses on stabilization, appropriate housing, conservation treatment when needed, catalog records for international access, and supporting research and an illustrated guide to the collection.

Why are preservation concerns important for architectural drawings?

Many architectural drawings were not created to have long-term permanence beyond their original practical use. Preservation needs are therefore tied to the quality of the original materials as well as subsequent storage and handling conditions.

Oct 23, 2026

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