Betty L. Moss Architectural Collection
Scope and Content
The Betty L. Moss Architectural Collection contains the drawings and business correspondence/notes of Betty L. Moss, an architect from New Orleans, Louisiana, practicing largely in the second half of the twentieth century. Structures appearing in drawings include: houses, apartment buildings, condominiums, religious centers, businesses, antique shops, offices, hospitals, and centers for convalescence. The locations of most projects center around New Orleans, Louisiana; but, some structures were designed for Texas, Mississippi, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Idaho. These drawings include projects that were constructed, as well as others that may not have been built. Projects range from plans for the design of the Moss residence made in 1950 to proposals drafted after Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans in 2005. Architectural designs on illustration board, some tinted, date from Moss's study at Tulane University. Correspondence includes letters to and from clients, professionals, and tradesmen. Interoffice notes and pages from catalogs illustrating fixtures also appear.
Dates
- Creation: 1950 - 2007
Creator
- Moss, Betty (Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Betty L. Moss Architectural Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Biographical Information
Betty Anne Lipper was born in 1921 in Houston, Texas, to Lawrence Lipper and Betty Silverman. Betty Lipper married Hartwig Moss II and had two children. Moss attended Newcomb College and Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Colombia, Missouri, and received a bachelor's in journalism from Tulane in 1942. Moss later returned to Tulane in the 1950s and earned a bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1960. After over forty years, Moss was awarded a master's degree in architecture from Tulane in 2004. Starting her practice in her 40s, Moss continued to work for more than four decades and produced designs for many houses and small office buildings in New Orleans. An outspoken defender of building preservation and conservation, Moss ardently defended against the demolition of the Rivergate (an exhibition center) on Canal Street in New Orleans. The Rivergate was demolished; and, Moss and Abbye A. Gorin wrote a six-minute film about the structure. After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Moss composed plans for rebuilding and safety guidelines for disaster prevention. Betty Moss died October 22, 2007.
Full Extent
56.5 Cubic Feet (255 boxes; 6 oversize folders)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Betty L. Moss Architectural Collection contains the architectural renderings, business correspondence/notes of Betty Moss, an architect from New Orleans, Louisiana. Types of structures included in drawings are houses, apartment buildings, condominiums, religious centers, businesses, antique shops, offices, hospitals, and centers for convalescence.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by architectural project. Projects appear in chronological order from their beginning.
Acquisition Information
The Betty L. Moss Architectural Collection was donated to Special Collections in 2008.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement and description of the Betty L. Moss Architectural Collection commenced in May, 2008 and was completed in December, 2008.
- Title
- A Guide to the Betty L. Moss Architectural Collection, 1950-2007
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Emily Cook
- Date
- © 2009 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