Blanche Lemco van Ginkel Architectural Collection,
Scope and Content
The collection consists of biographical materials about van Ginkel and material she has written, her professional projects, and collected research about women in architecture. Personal information includes curriculum vitae, newspaper and magazine articles about her, some of her publications about architectural planning and women architects, and selected letters and speaking notes she made during the course of her career. These include speeches to professional organizations in which she is involved and her letter protesting the unequal pensions paid to female professors by the University of Toronto. Professional project information includes project bulletins from her firm. There is also a collection of research notes, papers, and exhibition notices about the history of women in architecture in Canada, some of which were compiled and written by Mary Clark.
Dates
- Creation: 1956 - 2013
Creator
- van Ginkel, Blanche Lemco (Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Blanche Lemco van Ginkel Architectural Collection must be obtained from the Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Biographical Information
Blanche Lemco van Ginkel was born in 1923. She graduated from McGill University in Canada with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1945 and from Harvard University with a Masters in City Planning in 1950.
She is a retired partner of the architectural firm of Van Ginkel Associates, Architects and Town Planners in Toronto, begun in 1957, as well as a Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto. In 1948 she worked with Le Corbusier in Paris before coming to the University of Pennsylvania in 1951-1957. Her work at Van Ginkel Associates includes designs for historic Bowring Park in St. John's, Newfoundland, the Port of Montreal, working as a consultant in Expo'67 Montreal as well as various residential and town planning projects in Canada and abroad.
Van Ginkel is a Fellow in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC), a member of Ontario Association of Architects, a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, an associate of the Royal institute of British Architects, a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (Hon. FAIA). She was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University in Aix-Marseille in 2005. She is also a founding member and has served as an advisor to the International Archives of Women in Architecture (IAWA).
Full Extent
0.2 Cubic Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Blanche Lemco van Ginkel is a retired architect and Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto. The collection consists biographical information about van Ginkel and her career, some of her publications, professional project information, articles and research materials about the history of women in architecture in Canada.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by material type in the following order: biographical information and articles by and about van Ginkel, professional project work, and materials about Canadian women architects.
Acquisition Information
The Blanche Lemco van Ginkel Architectural Collection was donated to the Special Collections by their creator in 1988 with additions in 1997, 2002, and 2006.
Processing Information
The collection was originally processed in 1995, and was reprocessed in April 1998 by Gina Ellis and Laura Katz Smith. The processing, arrangement and description of the Blanche Lemco van Ginkel Papers to accommodate more recent additions took place in August 2005 and June 2006.
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- A Guide to the Blanche Lemco van Ginkel Architectural Collection, 1956-2010
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Amy Vilelle
- Date
- © 2006 By Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All rights reserved.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu