Canadian Architectural Archives
Image of (l to r) Ernie Ingles, librarian; Dr. Michael McMordie, EVDS; Annalise K. Walker, curator, Canadian Architectural Archives; examining documents, October 1977. (CU110290450) by Unknown Photographer. Courtesy of the University Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
The Canadian Architectural Archives (CAA) at the University of Calgary was established in 1974 as a collaboration between the University Library and the Faculty of Environmental Design. In 1973, William T. Perks (1934-2023), the Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Design, brought the idea of starting an architectural drawings collection to Ken Glazier (1912-1989), the Chief Librarian at the University of Calgary. The importance of supporting students and scholars in the study of Canadian history was a significant topic in universities at the time thanks in part to the influence of the Symons Report To Know Ourselves, which was undertaken in 1972 and released in 1975. The University of Calgary’s Canadian Authors Papers collection was established in the library in 1972 and the time was right two years later for making the University of Calgary Library a center for the study of Canadian architecture.
Michael McMordie, professor of architectural history and theory, was appointed to develop the CAA soon after he joined the Faculty of Environmental Design in 1974. McMordie and Professor R.D. Gilmor (1930-2019) would build the collection not just as a drawings collection but a total archives, encompassing the whole scope of documentation produced by architects and architectural firms, from the project files and office files, to drawings, models, and photographs. McMordie was instrumental in growing the collection through outreach to the wider community of architects across the country. On behalf of the library, Ernie Ingles (1948-2020), the rare books and special collections librarian at the university library, served as the leader in fulfilling the tasks of the library in the administration and management of the archives.
The CAA acquired its first collection, the John B. Parkin Associates Archive, in 1975. With over 500 boxes and several thousands of drawings, the Parkin collection proved to be an initial statement that the CAA was of national significance. In the following five years the holdings grew through further acquisitions of the works of some of Canada’s most notable architects, including Ron Thom, Arthur Erickson, Raymond Moriyama, and Jerome Markson. Fifty years later, the CAA continues to grow its holdings, to serve students and scholars, and to provide access to remarkable documentation of Canadian architectural history.