Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu
Processed by Jade Snelling
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from the Geraldine Pontius Architectural Collection must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech. Ms. Pontius requests that anyone wishing to reproduce these materials do so under the terms of a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Creative Commons license, i.e., they must only use images for non-commercial purposes, derivatives are prohibited, and they must properly attribute them. Copyright for the collected I.M. Pei drawing sets was not transferred to the archives, and any right to reproduce these images must be sought from the originating firm.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Geraldine Pontius Architectural Collection, Ms2021-003, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Geraldine Pontius Architectural Collection was donated to the International Archive of Women in Architecture in late 2020.
Processing Information
Materials in the Geraldine Pontius Architectural Collection were arranged and described in spring of 2021.
Accruals
Additional donations expected.
Biographical / Historical
Geraldine Carol Pontius was born on January 24, 1947 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania to parents Paul Edward and Doris Norma (nee Hesselmeyer) Pontius. She studied mathematics at Barnard College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968. She went on to study at the New York Studio of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture before obtaining a Master of Architecture at Columbia University in 1975.
Pontius has worked as an architect, artist, and lecturer. Early in her career, she collaborated often with performance artist Laurie Anderson, appearing in her 1974 film Dearreader: How To Turn a Book Into a Movie and her multimedia piece United States, I-IV , which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1983.
As an architect she's worked in private practice, and as a designer and draftsperson for several large firms, such as I.M. Pei and Partners, RTKL Associates, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. While working at RTKL, she was the lead architect for One South Street Office Tower, also known as Commerce Place, a high-rise office building and the fourth tallest skyscraper in Baltimore. Her work has been featured in many exhibitions and publications, including Architectural Record , Progressive Architecture , and Art in America .
In 2015 she collaborated with poet Sarah Smith on a submission to The Light Ekphrastic , a journal devoted to nurturing collaboration between artists; the journal published Smith's poem alongside Pontius's gallery of images taken at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. She continues to work as a visual artist, and splits her time between Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
Content Description
This collection consists of drawing sets, both blue-line diazotype drawings and mylar (vellum) renderings, of Pontius's work done while working at I.M. Pei and Partners, RTKL, and independently at her eponymous New York-based firm. Records include drawings for 24 projects Pontius worked on in some capacity, and 3 drawing sets collected by Pontius for reference or other purposes while she worked at I.M. Pei and Partners. Projects range from residential renovations to large-scale housing developments to commercial building designs. Additional materials are expected in the future.
Arrangement
Items are arranged into two series: project records (from projects Pontius worked on) and other collected drawing sets (all created by I.M. Pei and Partners, collected and not worked on by Pontius, for reference or other purposes). The first series is divided by architectural firm and further organized by project date. All of the documents are stored flat in map cases.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- History of Women in Architecture
- International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA)
Container List
- I.M. Pei and Partners
- oversize Folder 1
Schematics, Kapsad Development, Tehran, IranJune 25, 1977 - February 14, 1978
- oversize Folder 2
Design development drawing set, Gem City & Home Savings Headquarters, Dayton, OHDecember 1, 1978 - January 29, 1979
- oversize Folder 3
Schematic presentation drawings, Charles Shipman Payson Building, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, MEMarch 1979
- oversize Folder 4
Construction drawing set, Charles Shipman Payson Building, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, MEJuly 21, 1980
- oversize Folder 5
Partial plans, drawings done by Pontius, Charles Shipman Payson Building, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, MEJune 25, 1981 - November 21, 1981
- oversize Folder 6
Schematics, Square 290 (now known as Metro Center), Washington, D.C.November 13, 1981 - May 7, 1982
- oversize Folder 1
- Geraldine C. Pontius, Architect
- oversize Folder 7
Drawings for various projects, New York, NY1976 - 1980Scope and Contents
Projects in this folder include:
Schematics and schedules, Artist's Loft, 10 Leonard St., May 27, 1976 - July 26, 1976 (4 sheets)
Schematics and schedules, Loft Renovation for Patricia Eakins, Gilsey House, Unit 4C, 1200 Broadway, New York City, NY, October 15, 1979 - October 29, 1979 (4 sheets)
Schematics, details, notes and plans, Apartments for Anne Parks, 211 West 22nd St., New York City, NY, September 9, 1980 - October 26, 1980 (8 sheets)
- oversize Folder 8
Drawings for various projects, New York, NY1982 - 1987Scope and Contents
Projects in this folder include:
Plans and elevations, Danola Residence, 26 Mountain Rd., Larchmont, NY, October 11, 1982 (3 sheets)
Plans, GCP Office Renovation, 30 W 26th St, 12th Floor, New York City, NY, November 15, 1982 (2 sheets)
Alteration plans, Unidentified residence, 507 W. 111 St., Apt. 2, August 6, 1983 - December 8, 1983 (4 sheets)
Existing plans and preliminary drawings, Weiner Residence, February 6, 1987 (2 sheets)
- oversize Folder 9
Drawings for various projects, New York, NY1987 - 1989Scope and Contents
Projects in this folder include:
Bid set, Midtown Gourmet, One Penn Plaza Lobby, Midtown Candy Company, Inc., 500 E 83rd St., New York City, NY, March 24, 1987 (12 sheets)
Plans, Pearman Renovation, 575 Park Ave., Apt. 1503, New York City, NY, October 23, 1987 - December 2, 1987 (1 sheet)
Schematics, Bergman Residence, 29-35 W 90 St., Apts. 9F and 9G, New York City, NY, March 22, 1988 - June 1, 1989 (2 sheets)
- oversize Folder 10
Drawings for various projects, New York, NY1988 - 1989, undatedScope and Contents
Projects in this folder include:
Bid set, Sarut, Inc., Store, Offices, and Showroom, 107 Horatio St., New York City, NY, August 16, 1988 - April 4, 1989 (9 sheets)
Plans, Hwong Residence, 148 W 23rd St., New York City, NY, September 13, 1988 (1 sheet)
Plans and sections, Ziegler Residence Foyer and Stair, 9 Jones St., New York City, NY, December 1988 (1 sheet)
Plans and notes, Ceppos and Rambaud Residence, 366 W 11th St., Apt. 10F, New York City, NY, December 7, 1988 - March 3, 1989 (1 sheet)
Zoning Study and Diagram, Acosta and Gamba Townhouses, 451 Union St., Brooklyn, NY, December 22, 1988 (1 sheet)
Schematics, Sullivan Residence, 822 Madison Ave., Third Floor, New York City, NY, March 27, 1989 (1 sheet)
Measured drawing, Unidentified residence, 277 Westend Ave., Apt. 10C, undated (1 sheet)
- oversize Folder 7
- RTKL Associates
- oversize Folder 11
Complete construction drawing set, Commerce Place Tower, Baltimore, MDJuly 16, 1990 - September 14, 1990
- oversize Folder 12
Construction drawing set, Tower and Lobby, Commerce Place Tower, Baltimore, MDSeptember 7, 1990 - September 14, 1990
- oversize Folder 11
- oversize Folder 13
Construction drawing set, FAA Air Traffic Control Tower, O'Hare Field, Chicago, ILJuly 15, 1966
- oversize Folder 14
Construction drawing set, Church Center Development, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, MAJuly 22, 1968
- oversize Folder 15
Construction drawing set, John Hancock Tower, Hancock Place, Boston, MAAugust 4, 1969 - November 11, 1971