Fonds consists of records created and maintained by Barry Downs over the course of five decades documenting his architectural career. Records include photographs, architectural drawings, correspondence, writings, publicity, clippings, copies of reference materials, and copies of Downs’s 36 volume memoir entitled Notes from a Life in Architecture Planning and Design: A Collaboration in 36 Volumes 1950-2016. Downs created the 36 volumes of his memoir over twelve years from 2008 to 2019 as an illustrated commentary on his work, education, collaborations, friends, and colleagues. Each volume is about fifty pages in length and includes text written by Downs as well as copies of photographs, drawings, articles, and publicity relating to the period or project documented in the volume.
The files in this fonds consist of copies of the volumes as well as the records that were used in the creation of the volumes, such as original photographs, clippings, and articles, along with additional materials that were not used in the memoir. The files document many of Downs’s projects, including his two residences, as well as his work at Thompson Berwick Pratt, his work in partnership with Fred Hollingsworth (1963-1967), and his work while principal at Downs Archambault Architects (1969-2000?).
The files have been arranged by Downs and Adrian Archambault, Richard Archambault’s son, according to each volume in the memoir. In 2021, Downs and Adrian Archambault arranged the files to correspond to the index or table of contents of the 36 volumes. The file folders align chronologically with the 36 volumes and include all the items listed in each volume’s index. Prior to 2021, the files were arranged alphabetically.
The fonds does not contain the original architectural drawings for Downs’s work. According to Adrian Archambault, the design drawings, renderings, and presentation boards for Downs’s work were in a large format and were not in Downs’s possession. There are numerous photographs however in the fonds that document Downs’s work. Again, according to Adrian Archambault, Downs was “quite meticulous in photographing materials from each project as a record, for promotion, or making proposals for new work, so there are many original photographs in his files.”
