Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Wendy Bertrand Architectural Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research, with the exception of divorce documents (restricted until the death of all parties) and personnel records (restricted until August 1, 2065) in Box 10.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Wendy Bertrand Architectural Collection, Ms2013-025, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Wendy Bertrand Architectural Collection was donated to Special Collections in 2013.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Wendy Bertrand Architectural Collection was completed in August 2017.

Biographical Note

Wendy Scott Bertrand (née Eaken) is a registered architect, fiber artist and author brought up in San Diego, California. She studied at the École des Beaux Arts in France from 1964–65 and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley (Bach. Architecture 1971 , M.A. Architecture 1972). She designed private residential structures and supervised large-scale architectural projects for government contracts. Bertrand managed an Architectural Branch and an Engineering Division for the U.S. Navy (1973-1991) and held the position of engineering supervisor in the Western Region (5) Office of the U.S. Forest Service (1991-1994). Bertrand served in a variety of leadership roles throughout her career, including chair of the Quality of Worklife Committee for the U.S. Navy Public Works Center, examiner for her local Board of Architectural Examiners, and rating panelist for the City and County of San Francisco. She was an active participant in the Society of American Military Engineers and helped found the Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals. In 2008, Bertrand published Rug Retrospective: Nine Weaving Seasons 1999-2008 (updated in 2010), documenting her textile projects. In 2012, Bertrand published Enamored with place: as woman + as architect , a memoir of her experiences as a single mother working in a traditionally male profession. Her 2015 epilogue, If I Knew Then What I Know Now (available online at http://wendybertrand.com/enamored-with-place/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/02_2015_epilogue.pdf ), reflects on the influences of gender in architectural practice and what the future might hold for women in architecture.

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the professional and personal activities of Wendy Bertrand between 1954-2012. Comprised primarily of textual materials and architectural drawings with supporting photographs and ephemera, the collection documents Bertrand's study of art and architecture; her career as an architect, engineering advisor, and supervisor for the US Navy and US Forest service; her private practice and engagement in national organizations; her family life, personal networks, and community engagement; and her artistic endeavors in textiles, photography, and furniture design. Coverage includes correspondence, travel journals, education files, project records and business files, personal reflections on her career, manuscript drafts, research notes, photographs, exhibition boards, construction documents, architectural drawings, and ephemera.

Arrangement

Personal Papers Writings Correspondence School Work Travel Photographs Activism Hobbies and Family Records Professional papers Correspondence Photographs Writings Reference Files Presentations Exhibits Associations and Committee Awards Career Records Continuing Education Office Records Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Western Division Navy Public Works Center U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region 5 Project Records Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Western Division Navy Public Works Center Independent Projects

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• History of Women in Architecture
• International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA)
• Women -- History
• Women architects -- California