BCAIA Print Material , 1987-2016

The materials in the Baltimore Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (BAIA) Collection, 1927-1993, consist of administrative records, organizational documents, by-laws, rosters, directories, financial and legal documents, minutes and agendas, membership records, letters, newsletters and magazines, flyers, brochures, announcements, news clippings, photographs, photographic slides, maps, and architectural drawings.

The material in the collection spans the period from 1927 to 1993, with the bulk of the material from 1952 to 1993. The strength of the collection is the depth of documentation showing how BAIA administered its affairs and the range of BAIA activities documented. Administrative documents include correspondence and memoranda of executive directors, presidents, and committee chairs, as well as minutes of Board, Chapter, and committee meetings. BAIA activities, including awards and competitions, cooperative enterprises, sponsored programs, and BAIA publications are extensively documented. If the collection has a weakness it is the uniformity of coverage. Some types of material have a uniform distribution over the entire bulk date span of the collection. Others, however, cover a narrow segment or segments with significant gaps. The Publications subseries of Series II serves as a good orientation to BAIA activities and personnel during the bulk date span of the collection.

In addition to documenting the activities and programs of BAIA, the collection provides a rich source of material for those interested in the diverse ways in which architecture and architects have figured in the life of the City of Baltimore and the surrounding area. It contains material pertaining to the development of major building projects, such as Camden Yards, the Inner Harbor, and the World Trade Center, as well as documentation of the role of politicians, community leaders, and community organizations in the architectural life of the city. It also contains material related to urban renewal, community development, and affordable housing.

The collection is divided into three major series. The first series, Internal Organizational Affairs, documents the administrative activities of the BAIA. These activities range from managing the financial affairs, securing office space, planning meetings, setting agendas, electing and installing officers, organizing committees, carrying out committee functions, and responding to political and legal challenges. Among the more extensively documented activities are efforts to influence licensure and regulation of design professionals, the day to day activities and correspondence of BAIA executive directors in the 1980s and early 1990s, the meetings of the BAIA Board of Directors from 1959-1992, and the legal case against the principals of Gaudreau Inc. in the matter of the bribery of Baltimore County Executive, Dale Anderson.

The second series, Activities, Programs, and Publications, contains materials documenting services and programs for both BAIA members and other audiences. Awards programs and competitions, lectures and seminars, walking tours and programs devoted to public education concerning architecture, and BAIA participation in activities with government and other community organizations are extensively documented.

The third series, Membership Affairs, contains membership records of individual BAIA members and applicants for membership.