Duke University Construction Progress Photographs, 1925-1932

A series of photographs documenting the construction of Duke University’s East and West Campuses between 1925 and 1932. More »

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View the feature item
East Campus Progress Picture #119 19260601EC0119
View the highlight item: East Campus Progress Picture #47B
East Campus Progress Picture #47B 19260115EC0047B
View the highlight item: West Campus Progress Picture #195
West Campus Progress Picture #195 19290503WC0195
View the highlight item: West Campus Progress Picture #175
West Campus Progress Picture #175 19290301WC0175
View the highlight item: West Campus Progress Picture #421
West Campus Progress Picture #421 19310417WC0421

About the Digital Collection »

As part of their work on the expansion of East Campus and the construction of West Campus, the Duke Construction Company was charged with taking professional photographs of the construction’s progress every few weeks. The resulting “progress pictures” (166 of East Campus and 439 of West Campus) systematically capture the stages of the vast construction project, then the largest construction project ever undertaken in the South. In addition to providing a timeline for the construction of many of Duke University’s best-known buildings and landscapes, the progress pictures frequently capture the workers responsible for Duke’s construction, many of whom remain unidentified.

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Sponsored
Adopted by Michael Schoenfeld T'84 and Elizabeth Schoenfeld T'84

Source Collection

This digital collection comprises selected materials from the following archival collection at Duke University Archives:

Duke University Progress Pictures collection 1925-1932

Collection #UA.01.15.0012 | 3.5 Linear Feet; approximately 1000 Items

ABSTRACT
These photographs were taken during the initial construction of Duke University, 1925-1932. There is one set of pictures for East Campus and two sets for West, and modern copy prints and copy negatives of some images. The collection includes approximately 1000 mounted images in two bound sets (copy 1 and copy 2), along several file folders of mounted and unmounted prints.

Collection Guide »


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