Collections for College of the Arts

COLL 1-B 04 b – University Archives: School of Art and Architecture

COLL 1-B 04 b4 – University Archives: Industrial Design Program

COLL 27 – David R. Williams Papers

Williams was an architect, a government official, a city planner, a bon vivant and a Texan. Interests in architecture and engineering honed through work in a railroad foundry and correspondence study were developed at the University of Texas at Austin. Williams toured Europe in the early 1920s where he furthered his education in architecture and acquired a notable rare book collection which specialized in Renaissance architecture. Williams returned from Europe and established an architectural practice in Dallas, Texas, in 1924. During the next nine years, he evolved a style which borrowed heavily from pioneer Texas buildings which he called the "indigenous architecture." During World War II Williams worked with war housing where he made pioneering efforts in the field of prefabrication. From 1945 until his retirement in 1951 Williams worked for a number of government agencies planning hospitals, designing tropic and arctic housing, and developing special housing projects in Venezuela. This collection reflects the life and work of Williams, his wife, Lyle and his daughter, Davida. Williams was an avid amateur photographer so the collection contains an extensive subsection of photographs.

COLL 50 – Owen J. Southwell Papers

Owen J. Southwell was a noted south Louisiana architect. This collection contains and extensive gathering of Southwell’s designs for homes, churches, and public buildings. Also included are general and financial records, correspondence, photographs, working files arranged by subject and title. In addition, there are drawings, sketches, and blueprints of houses/buildings he designed.

COLL 279 – Perkins and Branch Oil Museum Collection

David L. Perkins and Dan P. Branch were architects from Lafayette who worked on a project to establish a “Louisiana Gulf Coast Petroleum Energy Museum.” This collection consists of drawings, floor plans, correspondence, financial reports, planning reports, photographs, maps, newspaper clippings and writings from people in the oil-related fields. This collection was donated by David L. Perkins and Dan P. Branch.

COLL 281 – Hamilton and Associates Collection

Hamilton and Associates is a professional architectural Corporation in Opelousas, Louisiana. The firm constructed the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (Acadian Culture Center) in New Orleans. This collection reflects on the Acadiana area, which consists of the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, and the Wetlands Acadian Culture Center in Thibodeaux. This collection consists mostly of original and research material for the publication “Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve”. There are blueprints of the area as well.

COLL 285 – A. Hays Town Photograph Albums

A. Hays Town was a well-known architect. He built houses and buildings throughout South Louisiana and the southern United States, garnering numerous national awards. This collection consists of photograph albums of his works. The collection was donated by A. Hays Town, Jr. and Blanche Town Gladney.

COLL 363 – Bayou Teche Project Collection

The Bayou Teche Project was conducted by the Department of Architecture at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) during the Fall 1985 semester. Edward J. Cazayou, Head of the Architecture Department, and Professor Russel Dupuis worked with fourth and fifth-year architecture students to study the soil, vegetation, fish and wildlife, climate, and history of the bayou. The group also looked at the bayou’s historical role as a transportation route. This collection consists of material related to the project. There are materials from students and faculty, government reports, and historical information such as maps, news clippings, and brochures.

COLL 529 – Nehrbass Architecture Collection

MSS 245 – Immaculate Conception Chapel (Jennings, LA) Article

Article: Immaculate Conception Chapel, Jennings, Louisiana. Published by Architectural Record, December 1956, pp. 148-152.