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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West Campus Progress Picture #433 19320226WC0433
View the highlight item: West Campus Progress Picture #339
West Campus Progress Picture #339 19300401WC0339
View the highlight item: West Campus Progress Picture #421
West Campus Progress Picture #421 19310417WC0421
View the highlight item: West Campus Progress Picture #193
West Campus Progress Picture #193 19290503WC0193
View the highlight item: West Campus Progress Picture #296
West Campus Progress Picture #296 19300102WC0296

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.

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