New School Institutional Collections
The New School Institutional Collections document the rich and wide-ranging activities of the New School from 1919 through today, reflecting the school's position at the crossroads of many of the crucial currents of 20th and 21st century intellectual, cultural, social, political and artistic life. Of note are course catalogs dating back to the founding of most divisions, including those of Parsons and Mannes as independent institutions. Other collections include Joseph Urban's architectural plans for the university's landmarked 12th Street building; course and curriculum development files; scrapbooks, photographs, posters, and promotional materials from many signal as well as lesser known moments in the school's history.
In addition to the collections found here, the papers of a number of the scholars who formed the University in Exile starting in 1933 will be found in the German and Jewish Intellectual ?migr? Collection at the State University of New York at Albany.
Architectural Plans and Drawings
66 West Twelfth Street Architectural Plans and Drawings
1924-1986 (bulk 1930-1959), 32 linear ft
Summary | Collection Guide | Collection Guide (PDF)
Originally located in six renovated brownstones on West 21st Street in New York City, the New School for Social Research reopened in 1931 in a newly constructed building at 66 West Twelfth Street. The seven-story structure, designed by architect and theatrical designer Joseph Urban (1872-1933), was the first building in what later became a three-building complex at the site. The 66 West Twelfth Street architectural plans and drawings consist of design and construction drawings documenting Joseph Urban's original building at 66 West Twelfth Street, construction drawings for the expanded campus in the 1950s, and a small number of plans representing other periods of renovation and expansion at the site.
Art
New School Art Center
1956-1975, 4 linear ft (12 boxes)
Summary | Collection Guide | Collection Guide (PDF)
The New School Art Center was established in the fall of 1960 with a donation from the Albert J. List Foundation, and remained in operation until 1973. Directed throughout its existence by Paul Mocsanyi, the Center's programs reflected the New School's founding commitment to engage provocative subjects, using art to explore contemporary political and social issues. Materials in this collection include exhibition catalogs, press coverage, posters, fliers and other publicity, administrative correspondence, and photographs.
Events and Programs
American Race Crisis lecture series
Spring 1964, 1 linear ft
Summary | Collection Guide | Collection Guide (PDF)
The audio recordings and transcripts in this collection represent three lectures and part of a fourth in a 15-part series on the race crisis in the United States, held in the spring of 1964 at The New School. The speakers in the recordings here include Martin Luther King, Jr., Charles Abrams, Melvin Tumin, and Roy Wilkins. Dr. King opened the conference, and the recording consists only of the question and answer session following his address. Also included are press releases and publicity produced by The New School about the series. Topics discussed range from the impact of school integration, to housing discrimination, affirmative action, the growing Black separatist movement, and motivations for racial prejudice. Links to the digitized audio recordings are provided within the collection guide.
Photographs
New School Photographs
1933-1984 (bulk 1944-1977), 2.3 linear ft
Summary | Collection Guide | Collection Guide (PDF)
This collection consists of photographs of New School students, faculty, administrators, buildings, class sessions, student life, and events from 1944 through the 1990s.
Scrapbooks
New School Scrapbooks
1918-1953, 57 scrapbooks
Summary | Collection Guide | Collection Guide (PDF)
The New School Scrapbook collection consists of 57 scrapbooks that were compiled at the New School for internal administrative use between 1919, when The New School was founded, through 1952. The scrapbooks include local, regional and international newspaper articles and editorials, and administrative documents and correspondence, course catalogs--or Bulletins--weekly supplemental pamphlets (also called Bulletins) ephemera, promotional materials for print distribution and radio broadcast, and invitations to New School events. Newspaper clipping content includes political and cultural news of the day as it pertained to people and events affiliated with The New School, New School curricula, notable public speaking engagements at The New School, news about guest lecturers, faculty, students and alumni.