The Gordon Cullen Archive at the University of Westminster
Claire Brunnen, Archivist, The University of Westminster
Puri, India (CUL/BOX118)
In 2015 the University of Westminster acquired the archive of Gordon Cullen, an alumnus and renowned illustrator, draughtsman and urban theorist.
Born in Yorkshire in 1914, Gordon Cullen moved to London to study architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster) in 1932. He went on to work in the field of architecture and urban design. Perhaps Cullen’s most significant achievement was his work around the Townscape movement, and in 1961 he published the book Townscape. In 1978, he was awarded a CBE for his contribution to architecture.
His archive, consisting of 125 boxes, is a very diverse and rich collection, and includes records of projects he worked on, his work with The Architectural Review and his time in other countries including Barbados, France and India.
The drawings in the collection range from preliminary sketches and finished drawings of projects to doodles and paintings he completed for pleasure, dating back to 1934. In the last 12 months, we have digitised this section of the archive and 2,424 reference images can now be found on our archive catalogue to aid researchers.
Ramp from Bank to Mansion House (CUL/BOX1/53).
Self Portrait (CUL/BOX19/63).
The photographic material includes negatives, disc films, slides and reference photographs that Cullen took to help with his work, both in the UK and abroad – for example, there are contact sheets devoted to railings and lettering. We have digitised the slide collection, which will be available on our catalogue in autumn this year.
His papers have yet to be catalogued in detail, but highlights include diaries of Cullen’s time in India; records relating to Townscape, for example drafts, correspondence and translations; and records relating to various redevelopment projects in the UK, including those in Westminster, Buckinghamshire, Liverpool and Llantrisant.
Over the last five years, the work we have done on the collection has significantly increased its accessibility. We have embedded the collection into teaching on the University of Westminster’s MArch and BA Designing Cities degrees. We have also facilitated use of the collection by other institutions and are always keen to encourage researchers to access the collection.
The catalogue can be found via http://recordsandarchives.westminster.ac.uk/. Any enquiries should be sent to archive@westminster.ac.uk.
Views of a town (CUL/BOX5/41).
