Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Lilian Bridgman Papers, circa 1860-circa 1983, bulk circa 1885-circa 1940s, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.bridlili
Creators:
Bridgman, Lilian, 1866-1948
Dates:
circa 1860-circa 1983
bulk circa 1885-circa 1940s
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.24 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of California architect, Lilian Bridgman, measure 0.24 linear feet and date from circa 1860 to circa 1983, with the bulk of the material dating from circa 1885 to circa 1940s. The collection provides scattered documentation of Bridgman's life including records of her certification as an architect, personal stationery, a booklet about her written by her niece, photographs of Bridgman, and two glass plate negatives of her in the studio.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of California architect, Lilian Bridgman, measure 0.24 linear feet and date from circa 1860 to circa 1983, with the bulk of the material dating from circa 1885 to circa 1940s. The collection provides scattered documentation of Bridgman's life including records of her certification as an architect, personal stationery, a booklet about her written by her niece, photographs of Bridgman, and two glass plate negatives of her in the studio.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as one series.
  • Lilian Bridgman Papers, circa 1860-circa 1983 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1, MGP2)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Kansas-born architect and designer Lilian Bridgman (1866-1948), designed houses in Berkeley, California, during the Arts and Crafts movement and contributed significantly to the area's architectural heritage.
Bridgman gained a master's degree in science and taught physics and chemistry in high schools and junior colleges in California, before enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1912 to study drawing and architecture. She was licensed as an architect by the State of California in 1915 and subsequently designed more than fifteen homes in and around Berkeley. Bridgman was influenced by her mentor, Bernard Maybeck, and embraced the Arts and Crafts style which was at it's peak during her career.

Administration

Author
Stephanie Ashley
Sponsor
Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1994 by Alan W. Ford, owner from circa 1987-1994 of a house designed by Bridgman.
Processing Information
The glass plate negatives were re-housed in 2015 with a grant from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund. The collection was processed and a finding aid written by Stephanie Ashley in 2018.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Preferred Citation
Lilian Bridgman papers, circa 1860-circa 1983, bulk circa 1885-circa 1940s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Architects -- California -- Berkeley Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Designers -- California -- Berkeley Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women architects Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women designers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Glass negatives Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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