*********************************** PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE RECORDS INFORMATION Leaflet No: 109 *********************************** [Note: this and all other PRO Records Information leaflets are (c) Crown Copyright, but may be freely reproduced except for sale or advertising purposes. Copies should always include this Copyright notice -- please respect this.] (C) Crown Copyright August 1992 ------------------------------ start of text ------------------------------ ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS IN THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE [[INTRODUCTION]] Until the present century, the British Government's interest in architecture was largely confined to public and Crown buildings and to schemes for buildings and works by local authorities under various acts of Parliament. The majority of architectural drawings in the Public Record Office reflect that interest. Most departments treated architectural drawings as maps and plans, and readers are advised also to consult Records Information 91, Maps and Plans in the Public Record Office. Although some departments, notably the Office of Works, accumulated discrete series of maps and plans which consist largely or wholly of architectural drawings, the majority of such drawings are bound up with correspondence, included in registered files and otherwise distributed among the records. Even the Office of Works has probably transferred at least as many drawings on registered files as in classes of maps and plans. There is usually no indication in the class lists that drawings are present in such cases. For convenience, the PRO has also treated architectural drawings as maps and plans. [[FINDING AIDS]] (i) [Printed catalogues] Many drawings are described in the published catalogues. Three volumes have been published by HMSO as: Maps and Plans in the Public Record Office: 1. British Isles c.1410-1860 (1967) 2. America and West Indies (1974) 3. Africa (1983) A fourth volume, Europe and Turkey, is in preparation. A typescript draft is available in the Map Room at Kew. A catalogue of maps and plans of Japan is being compiled. The draft catalogue entries are available in the Map Room, Kew and the Long Room at Chancery Lane. (ii) [Supplementary card catalogue] Many other architectural drawings are described in the supplementary card catalogue in the Map Room at Kew. A few architectural drawings, plans of gardens etc, with cannot be identified by a precise geographical location are catalogued by subject as non-cartographic extracts. This card catalogue also includes references to views - these may include representations of buildings as an integral part of the panorama. (iii) [Summary calendar of unextracted maps] The Summary calendar of maps and plans comprises brief descriptions of uncatalogued maps and plans which remain within their parent documents. Two volumes of the calendar form a subject index in two parallel series. The subject indexes provide direct references to documents containing architectural drawings and building plans (the latter sometimes no more than outline ground plans, as well as more detailed scale drawings). Subject headings include architectural drawings; buildings (by type); fortifications; and housing. A thesaurus of headings precedes each index. (iv) [Class Lists] Classes consisting only of maps and plans are normally provided with lists which are available in the reading rooms. Few of these maps and plans are further described in the printed or supplementary card catalogues. See Appendix "List of classes containing Architectural Drawings". (v) [Plans drawn by named architects] Drawings by individual architects may be identified through the card index to surveyors, draughtsmen etc, and through a typescript index to signed drawings in the Office of Works, available on open shelves in the Map Room, Kew. The summary catalogue of unextracted maps also includes an index to architects and surveyors. [[ARCHITECTURAL FURNISHINGS AND FITTINGS]] Other pictorial sources of information: registered designs of fixtures and fittings; photographs. Architectural details and fittings, including such matters as sanitation and ornament, may have been the subject of patents of invention. Some include drawings, or specifications. Specifications in the custody of the Public Record Office extend only to 1853. A subject index is available in the Long Room, Chancery Lane. For further information see Records Information 17, Patents and Specifications for Inventions and Patent Policy. It is important to note that patents are essentially statements of intent, which may or may not have achieved commercial realisation. Similarly, numerous representations of ornaments and fittings have been protected as registered designs under successive acts of Parliament. The registers began in 1839. As well as designs for wallpaper and furnishing fabrics they include, for example, decorative ironwork (including fireplaces and railings), lamps and lamp fittings, and architectural woodwork. For further guidance, see Records Information 42, Designs and Trade Marks. The Public Record Office has an extensive accumulation of photographs, including some of architectural interest. For further details see Records Information 90, Photographs in the Public Record Office. =========================================================================== APPENDIX [[LIST OF CLASSES CONTAINING ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS]] The following is a list of classes consisting entirely or largely of architectural drawings and of certain classes of correspondence, papers etc. known to contain drawings in some quantity. Many other classes besides these contain architectural drawings - in particular, most classes of Office of Works registered files. This list is arranged by record groups; an asterisk against the name of the group indicates that the classes described below it are held and may be seen only at Chancery Lane; the remainder are held and may be seen only at Kew. Covering dates relate to the entire class and not necessarily to the architectural drawings in it. This list contains entries of classes that have not yet been transferred to the Public Record Office but to which class number and title have been assigned. Further information about these classes will be given in later editions of this list. Unless otherwise stated, all classes are subject to the 30 year rule. [[UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY AND PREDECESSORS (AB)]] AB 5 <>. 1943- 1946. Includes drawings of the buildings at the Chalk River Laboratory. AB 72 Culham Laboratory: Building Works: Correspondence and Papers. 1962-1970. AB 85 Northern Groups: Buildings and Works: Correspondence and Papers. 1947-1964. Includes plans of laundry buildings at Windscale. [[ADMIRALTY AND NAVAL DEPARTMENTS (ADM)]] ADM 79 <>. 1547-1928. Includes drawings of Greenwich Hospital School, Greenwich Market and several taverns. ADM 140 <>. 1708-1922. Naval dockyards, buildings etc. at Chatham, Deal, Deptford, Devonport, Great Yarmouth, Greenwich, Milford Haven, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sheerness and Woolwich, and overseas at Antigua, Ascension Island, Cape of Good Hope, Gibraltar and Minorca. The class also contains plans of Somerset House showing Admiralty offices. See also WORK 41. ADM 305 Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar: Miscellaneous Books and Records. Includes plans. [[AIR DEPARTMENTS (AIR)]] AIR 56 <>. 1934-1952. Drawings of transmitting and receiving stations, aerial systems, and various parts of telecommunications equipment. Those of an earlier date than 1946 originated with the several predecessors of No. 90 Group. [[BRITISH TRANSPORT COMMISSION AND BRITISH RAILWAYS BOARD (AN)]] AN 31 <>. 1948-1966. Includes plans relating to the reconstruction of Euston station, 1960-1966. AN 48 <>. 1850-1960. Before 1948, these plans are of the Great Western and the London, Midland and Scottish Railways. Many relate to Snow Hill station, Birmingham. AN 109 <>. 1838-1987. Includes a large number of plans of railway hotels, restaurants cars, tea rooms etc. [[DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT (AT)]] AT 13 <>. 1971-1980. Drawings of castles, ecclesiastical buildings, antiquities and other ancient monuments in the care of the Department. [[WELSH OFFICE (BD)]] BD 11 <>. 1854-1977. Includes plans of proposed housing estates, including plans of individual house types; and plans of civic buildings and general civil engineering. [[NATIONAL DOCK LABOUR CORPORATION AND BOARD (BK)]] BK 7 <>. 1949-1983. Plans of offices, dockers' shelters and clubs in Grimsby, London, Southampton and Workington. BK 17 <>. 1949-1986. Files, most of which include plans, concerning clubs, call stands, medical centres and offices. [[COLONIAL OFFICE (CO)]] The original correspondence of the Colonial Office contains numerous drawings of official buildings and civic amenities overseas. Corresponding files and drawings may be found among the records of the Ministry of Works and its successors, particularly in WORK 10. [[CROWN ESTATE COMMISSIONERS (CRES) *]] CRES 2 <>. 1513-1913 The class includes large numbers of drawings, some by eminent architects, of plans and elevations of existing and proposed building on Crown property. It is particularly important for buildings in London. The class list does not necessarily note the presence of plans within a bundle. The series is continued in CRES 35 CRES 6 <>. 1660-1918 Includes numerous ground plans of Crown buildings, made in connection with sales and leases or works. CRES 39 <>. 1570-1961. Particularly important for surveys of Crown properties in London, although also includes drawings of properties elsewhere. Although many of the London surveys are little more than site plans, there are also numerous ground plans of individual buildings and some elevations, including at least one by Robert Smirke. CRES 43 <>. 1765-1967. The class includes a few photographs of architects' drawings. [[DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (DSIR)]] DSIR 4 <>. 1919-1973. These are mainly files of the Building Research Station. The class also includes files of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research relating to building research and a few files of the Chief Scientific Advisor's Division of the Ministry of Works. Many files contain drawings: they tend to illustrate kinds of buildings and construction problems rather than specific places. [[GENERAL NURSING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND AND WALES (DT)]] DT 21 <>. 1900-1983. These papers relate to building work in the various properties owned by the Council, maintenance, and the provision of facilities and services such as fire escapes and canteens. [[EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS (ED)]] ED 29 <>. 1860-1904. These files contain applications from trustees of science and art schools for building grants, details of grants made and applications refused, specifications of work and plans of new grant-aided buildings etc. ED 160 <>. 1936-1966. This class contains particulars of consultations arising from local education authorities' proposals regarding their annual further education building programmes. Most of the files contain drawings. ED 173 <>. 1968-1976. Technical publications, consisting of volumes and broadsheets, issued by the Branch and relating to the design and building of educational premises. Open without restriction. [[FOREIGN OFFICE (FO)]] Both the general correspondence of the Foreign Office (which is subdivided by country) and the embassy and consular correspondence for individual countries contain numerous drawings relating to the building, extension and alteration of embassies, consulates and legations overseas. Original registers of the Foreign Office may service as a partial index. Corresponding files and drawings may be found among the records of the Ministry of Works and its successors, particularly in WORK 10 and WORK 40. [[MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ITS PREDECESSORS (HLG)]] HLG 6 <>. 1800-1919. Maps, plans and drawings in this class are of two types: those submitted by local authorities to the Local Government Board, the Ministry of Health and their predecessors in connection with the approval of schemes for buildings and works; and those deposited under public and local acts of Parliament. They include drawings of town halls; fire, police, ambulance and other municipal buildings; hospitals, libraries, workhouses, markets, cemeteries, chapels, bandstands etc. Only a small proportion of the total number of drawings originally submitted or deposited has been preserved. HLG 23 <>. 1923-1937. Plans relating to orders made after March 1923 by the Ministry of Health. They include some plans and elevations of buildings. Reference is by means of registers and indexes in HLG 66. HLG 24 <>. These were submitted to the Local Government Board as schemes for the provision of accommodation for persons displaced from working class dwellings as a result of undertakings, including railway, gas, water, tramways, school, harbour, road and other improvements and developments under Local Acts, Railway Acts and Provisional Order Confirmation Acts. Such rehousing schemes were later carried out under section 3 of the Housing of the Working Classes Act 1903, and subsequent housing legislation. HLG 49 <>. 1905-1971. General and local authority files of the Local Government Board, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and the Department of the Environment relating to measures taken by Parliament, local authorities, housing associations and other bodies for the planned development of housing programmes and schemes. Papers relate to proposals and plans for housing and town development, acquisition of land, loan sanctions, district valuers' and surveyors' reports, etc. Many of the files contain drawings and plans. HLG 111 <>. 1951-1955. Sealed plans of the Ministry from February 1951. The register which serves as a means of reference to these plans is in HLG 66/58. HLG 126 <>. 1920-1982. Files, formerly of the Ministry of Works, re-registered. The files, many of which contain maps and plans, relate to the maintenance and preservation of buildings of outstanding historic and architectural interest. See also AT 13, WORK 31, WORK 14. [[HOME OFFICE (HO)]] HO 20 <>. 1935-1957. Files relating to the co-ordination of civil defence and related services and to preparations for dealing with civil emergencies, including invasion. Many files include drawings of air raid shelters, control and decontamination centres, cleansing stations and other civil defence structures. [[BOARD OF INLAND REVENUE (IR)]] IR 58 <>. 1910-c.1915, Records of property valuations compiled in pursuance of the Finance (1909- 1910) Act 1910. Some books contain large numbers of sketch plans of buildings. Although plans are present in only a minority of the books, many entries throughout this large record class detail matters such as the internal arrangement of buildings and the number of rooms; the material used in the construction; and alterations to the structure. In a minority of instances the surveyor may have included a more detailed description of internal architectural fittings. [[LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S DEPARTMENT (LC) *]] LC 7 <>. 1660-1901. Ground plans and elevations. c.1870- 1900. [[OFFICE OF LAND REVENUE RECORDS AND ENROLMENTS AND ITS PREDECESSORS AND ASSOCIATED DEPARTMENTS]] LRRO 1 <>. 1560-1953. Numerous architectural plans and drawings. Especially important for property owned by the Crown within Greater London and the south-east, including Regent's Street, Regent's Park, Westminster, Richmond, Eltham and Windsor. Many plans relate to files in CRES 2. [[METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICE (MEPO)]] MEPO 9 <>. 1847-1957. These relate mainly to police stations and married quarters. MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND ITS PREDECESSORS (MH) MH 14 <>. 1861-1918. These relate to land and buildings used for Poor Law purposes. The plans bear the numbers of the papers to which they refer in: where such papers survive, they are to be found in MH 12. Later plans have not yet been transferred. MH 83 <>. 1845-1954. Correspondence and papers relating to the building of asylums and hospitals, acquisition of land, contracts, planning etc. Many files contain plans and drawings. [[TRANSPORT DEPARTMENTS (MT)]] MT 21 <>. 1613-1939. The plans, at the end of the class, apparently modern, are of the harbour, harbour property, the pier, motor tugs and other vessels. [[PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE (PRO)]] PRO 8 <>. 1772-1977. This class includes miscellaneous correspondence and papers relating to the building, maintenance and regulation of the Public Record Office and the Rolls Chapel repository, plans and drawings of the Office, and a register of correspondence of James (later Sir James) Pennethorne relating to the construction of the Office and the Museum of Practical Geology. PRO 50* <>. 1944- 1964. Floor plans, plans of the electrical heating and hot water systems, and of the layout of the museum. Includes plans for a proposed extension of the Chancery Lane building. Earlier plans are mostly in PRO 8, WORK 6 and WORK 12. PRO 55 <>. 1953-1973. Plans and photographs relating to the planning and development of the Public Record Office intermediate Repository. PRO 62 <>. 1928-1978. Includes photographs showing construction of the Public Record Office, Kew. PRO 65 <>: Former Repositories and Offices. [[RECORDS OF PRE-NATIONALIZATION RAILWAY, CANAL AND RELATED COMPANIES, LONDON PASSENGER TRANSPORT BOARD, AND SUCCESSORS (RAIL)]] The records of most railway companies contain maps and plans in quantity. They are most usually found in composite classes such as deeds and contracts, and miscellanea, and in those classes which contain all the surviving records of a particular company. Plans include architectural drawings of stations and bridges, often with elevations and sometimes including constructional details. They include plans by the major railway architects. The classes are too numerous to list here. [[TREASURY SOLICITOR AND H.M. PROCURATOR GENERAL (TS) *]] TS 45 <. 1841-1867. This class includes plans of coastguard stations, 1858- 1867. [[WAR OFFICE (WO)]] WO 44 <>. 1682-1873. Original correspondence of the Ordnance Office, which except for a small section of miscellaneous letters is almost entirely of nineteenth-century date. The class includes many plans of barracks, fortifications and other buildings for which the Board of Ordnance was responsible. WO 55 <. 1568-1923. This class includes engineers' papers and letter books, 1785-1868; returns of land, rents and buildings, 1732-1923; and miscellaneous books and papers, 1568-1865. Many of these include plans of buildings for which the Board of Ordnance was responsible. WO 78 <>. 1627-1953. These were compiled or collected by the Ordnance Survey, the Topographical Branches of the War Office and of the Commander in Chief and the Director of Fortifications and Works. They include many record plans of fortifications and barracks. See also WORK 43. WO 192 <>. 1892-1957. The official records of the operation, administration and history of forts at home and abroad. Many include drawings. WO 385 <>. [[WORKS DEPARTMENTS AND PROPERTY SERVICES AGENCY (WORK)]] WORK 13 <>. 1844-1951. These are the original contracts for the erection and maintenance of various public offices, royal residences, post offices and other public buildings (including a few overseas), with attached specifications of work and material, and architects' drawings relating thereto. WORK 25 <>. 1948-1952. Includes plans and drawings of the Festival site, pavilions, exhibition areas, restaurant, other public areas, etc. WORK 29 <>. 1698-1927. The class includes plans earlier than the fire of 1834, competition drawings for the new building, plans of the old Westminster Hall and a volume of designs for rebuilding made in 1739. WORK 30 <>. 1738-1946. Includes drawings of coastguard stations, county courts, customs houses, post offices and other GPO establishments, and telephone buildings, as well as central government buildings in London and elsewhere. Many other drawings are in WORK 12. WORK 31 <>. 1666-1970. Includes drawings of castles and forts; cathedrals, churches and chapels; halls, houses and farms; windmills, tithe barns and other buildings in the care of the Department. Many other drawings are in WORK 14. See also HLG 126. WORK 32 <>. 1701-1930. Includes drawings of the buildings in Hyde Park, Kew Gardens, Richmond Park, St. James's Park etc. Many other drawings are in WORK 16. WORK 33 <>. 1815-1952. Includes drawings of national museums and galleries. Many other drawings are in WORK 17. WORK 34 <>. 1662-1935. Includes drawings of the palaces at Hampton Court, Kensington, Kew and Windsor, as well as Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace and Marlborough House. Many other drawings are in WORK 19. WORK 35 <>. Includes drawings of Wellington Arch, Trafalgar Square, the Albert Memorial, the Queen Victoria Memorial, as well as many individual statues and other memorials. Many other drawings are in WORK 20. WORK 36 <>. 1685-1936. Includes drawings of Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral and other buildings as used on state occasions. WORK 37 <>. 1843-1952. Includes drawings of other buildings on the estate. Many other drawings are in WORK 15. WORK 38 <>. 1662-1951. Includes drawings of prisons, law buildings, churches and cathedrals, bridges, Woolwich Dockyard, Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, buildings in Westminster, wireless stations etc. Many other drawings are in WORK 6. WORK 40 <>. 1852-1952. Drawings of embassies, consulates and legations overseas. Many other drawings are in WORK 10. Photographs are in WORK 55. Both the general correspondence of the Foreign Office (which is subdivided by country) and the embassy and consular correspondence for individual countries also contain numerous drawings relating to the building, extension and alteration of embassies, consulates and legations overseas. Original registers of the Foreign Office may serve as a partial index. WORK 41 <>. c.1760-1949. Drawings of naval establishments, including dockyards, naval hospitals, workshops and magazines. These are records of the Works Departments of the Navy Board and the Admiralty. See also ADM 140. WORK 42 <>. 1920- 1929. Drawings of the Parliament buildings in Belfast. WORK 43 <>. 1713-1963. Drawings of barracks, depots, forts, batteries etc. These are records of the Board of Ordnance and of the Directorate of Fortifications and Works of the War Office. See also WO 44, WO 55 and WO 78. WORK 44 <>. 1914-1956. Drawings of R.A.F. Spittlegate and Gosport; Ringway, Manchester; Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough; Central Flying School, Upavon; and other sites, sheds etc. WORK 50 <>. 1716-1959. Site plans, including architectural plans, of land and property owned or held by the Office of Works, the Office of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues, and the Ministry of Works on behalf of most government departments. Plans include coastguard stations, post and telegraph offices, and ancient sites and monuments. Some volumes include elevations as well as ground plans. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Record Office, Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1LR. Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Tel: +44 (0) 181 876-3444 Opening hours: 9.30am - 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. Closed on public holidays and for annual Stocktaking (normally the first two full weeks in October). 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