William Peirce Anderson (1870-1924) Collection, 1886-1915

William Peirce Anderson was born February 20, 1870, to Hugh and Hannah Louisa Peirce Anderson in Oswego, New York. He spent his childhood in Salt Lake City, Utah, and returned east to attend the Riverview Military Academy in Poughkeepsie, New York. He continued his studies at Harvard, receiving his A.B. degree in 1892. At the encouragement of Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham, Anderson enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris to study architecture. Successfully completing the requirements of the Ecole, Anderson left in 1899 with the professional title Architecte Diplômé par le Gouvernement. Peirce Anderson, as he was known professionally, spent the next year on a Grand Tour in Italy, France and Spain, sketching and visiting architectural monuments. Anderson then returned to Chicago to work for Burnham and the successor firm, Graham, Anderson, Probst and White. Having learned a great deal about city planning in Burnham's office, Anderson designed the city planning for improvements to Manila and the Philippines' summer capital, Baguio. His work in Chicago included planning buildings along the Chicago River, as well as designing such buildings as Marshall Field's and Union Station. Anderson was a member of the Architectural League, the National Sculptors Society, American Painters, and the Harvard Club in New York. After Burnham's death in 1912, President Taft appointed Anderson as Burnham's successor on the National Committee of Fine Arts. During World War I, Anderson served as chairman of the executive committee of the Central Department of the United States Navy, in addition to his work designing military training camps across the country. Anderson was diagnosed with cancer in 1923 and died on February 10, 1924.

This collection consists predominantly of the assignments, class notes, essays, and drawings from Anderson's years at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Also included are personal photos from his travels directly after leaving the Ecole as well as literature related to his early work with Daniel Burnham. The collection contains his Harvard graduation program and a medal honoring William P. Anderson's membership in, the Société des Architectes Diplômés par le Gouvernement. Anderson's class notes are in French, while some of his personal writings are in English. Series I contains syllabi, notebooks, notes, drawings, and other documents relating to Anderson's studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Series II contains miscellaneous papers, including correspondence, printed material and clippings about projects, drawings, travel diaries, a reprinted map, and a medal from the Société des Architects. Series III contains portrait, travel, and personal photographs.

SERIES I: ECOLE DES BEAUX-ARTS PAPERS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. Harvard University materials are followed by papers and drawings from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, followed by miscellaneous papers. All materials are arranged chronologically, with undated material at the end of the series in alphabetical order by title.

SERIES II: MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. Arranged chronologically.

SERIES III: PHOTOGRAPHS. Arranged alphabetically by subject.

• Names
  • Anderson, William Peirce, 1870-1924.
  • Anderson, William Peirce, 1870-1924 Archives.
  • Anderson, William Peirce, 1870-1924 Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc.
  • Graham, Anderson, Probst, White.
  • Ecole nationale superieure des beaux-arts (France)

AIC

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n.d.

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TLS

Architectural records for buildings by Graham, Anderson, Probst, White and its predecessors (Chicago History Museum).

Architectural records for buildings by Graham, Anderson, Probst, White and its predecessors (Chicago History Museum).

Architectural records for buildings by Graham, Anderson, Probst, White and its predecessors (Chicago History Museum).

One item in this collection is resticted from patron use. The remainder of collection may be accessed by users in the Reading Room of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries at The Art Institute of Chicago. Collections maintained on-site are available for patron use without prior arrangement or appointment. Collections maintained in off-site storage will be retrieved with advance notification; please consult the Archivist for the current retrieval schedule. For further information, consult https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/contact-usage-and-faq.

The Art Institute of Chicago is providing access to the materials in the Archives' collections solely for noncommercial educational and research purposes. The unauthorized use, including, but not limited to, publication of the materials without the prior written permission of the Art Institute is strictly prohibited. All inquiries regarding permission to publish should be submitted in writing to the Director, Art Institute of Chicago Archives. In addition to permission from the Art Institute, permission of the copyright owner (if not the Art Institute) and/or any holder of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) may also be required for reproduction, publication, distribution, and other uses. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of any item and securing any necessary permissions rests with the persons desiring to publish the item. The Art Institute makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the materials or their fitness for a particular purpose.

William Peirce Anderson Collection, Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago.

This collection of papers was donated by Benedict Brout in 1992. He received the collection from Mary Louise Anderson, sister of Peirce Anderson, whom he met when he received a Peirce Anderson Scholarship in 1932.

The collection was processed by staff of the Ryerson and Burnham Archives in 1998. This finding aid was revised and expanded by Annemarie van Roessel in 2003.

The medal awarded to Anderson has existing AIC copy photography, as indicated in the inventory listing. Copies of these images may be ordered through the Ryerson and Burnham Archives.