The architectural archives of prolific 20th century architect Paul Revere Williams, long thought to have been lost to fire during the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising, have been jointly acquired by the University of Southern California School of Architecture and the Getty Research Institute (GRI).

Rather than being lost, however, according to an announcement published by the Getty Research Institute, the archive had been "meticulously cared for by Karen Elyse Hudson, Williams’ granddaughter, who has published extensively on his work."

Hudson explains in the statement that "Paul Williams led by example and instilled in his children and grandchildren the importance of excellence, an attention to detail, and above all, family. The collaboration of two such esteemed institutions, the University of Southern California (USC) and Getty Research Institute (GRI), to preserve and further his legacy, would make our grandfather extremely proud.” She adds that “as the family historian, my journey has been one of awe and encouragement. Never once did I believe my work was my gift to him, for it has been, and will always be, his gift to us. To others he is often referred to as ‘the architect to the stars,’ to his grandchildren, he was simply the best grandfather ever."

The memo announcing the acquisition describes Williams as "the most significant African American architect of the 20th century, with especially strong ties to Southern California and the city of Los Angeles. Documenting the entirety of Williams’ career, from his early residential commissions during Los Angeles' housing boom of the 1920s to landmark mid-century civic structures, the archive includes approximately 35,000 plans, 10,000 original drawings, blueprints and project diazotypes, hand-colored renderings, vintage photographs, correspondence, and other materials."

The archive, according to the announcement, includes the majority of Williams' commissions, including unbuilt works. "Although many believe that Williams’ archive was destroyed in a fire during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest," the statement reads, "in truth primarily business records were lost then. Most of the extensive archive was in a different location and is in excellent condition."

Describing Williams as "one of USC's most important alumni," Milton S. F. Curry, Dean of the USC School of Architecture explains that "the work contained in this archive tells many stories. It contains the creative expressions of an architect working across many different constituencies in a socially complicated time. It also contains evidence of stunning aesthetic innovations that reimagined the space and program of public housing, hotels, and residential design and civic space." 

"Our goal," Curry continues, "is to continue advancing the incredible legacy of Paul R. Williams, a true trailblazer in the field of architecture, and to share the archive with new and diverse audiences through publications, symposia, exhibitions, and more. Paul R. Williams was an architect who believed that architecture could advance social progress. His work and life as captured in this archive will quickly become an invaluable resource for like-minded students, faculty and the greater public." The archive, according to Curry, will play a central role in the new USC Center for Architecture + City Design, a new research facility at the school that aims to link "archival work on the design of cities with scholars and designers working on contemporary issues that engage architecture, conservation urbanism and social practice."

The acquisition was overseen at GRI by Maristella Casciato, senior curator of architectural collections, and LeRonn P. Brooks, associate curator for modern and contemporary collections. Brooks explains that the importance of the archive "as an aesthetic and educational resource cannot be overstated, and we are pleased to be working with the USC School of Architecture to preserve and share it."

To which Casciato adds, "The Los Angeles cityscape is a testament to Paul R. Williams’ lasting impact on Southern California and modern architecture in general. This rich, comprehensive archive is one of the most significant acquisitions of 20th-century architecture that Getty has worked on. At Getty, the Paul Revere Williams archive is a crucial part of our array of architectural holdings, especially progressive Southern California architects."

The goal for the two organizations is to meticulously document and digitize the contents of the archive over the next several years in preparation for forthcoming exhibitions, symposia, and other public events and displays.