In April of 2026, Avery Drawings & Archives acquired the records of the Architectural League’s from 1975 through 2005. The Architectural League of New York (ALNY) was founded in 1881 by Cass Gilbert and a group of young architects as a forum for discussing architecture and its connections to the arts. In its first 15 years, the League’s activities were largely confined to monthly sketch sessions, where participants were assigned design problems that were then critiqued by established architect. The organization evolved into something closer to its modern form with the inaugural Annual Exhibition in 1896, organized by key figures including Henry Ogden Avery, Richard Morris Hunt, William R. Ware, and Frederick Withers. Around this time, the League introduced ongoing exhibitions, lectures, and dinners, all of which persist to this day. Between 1967 and 1980, the Architectural League donated records documenting the first century of its existence to the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian.

Beginning in the 1970s, the League expanded its mission, deepening its commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue on contemporary issues, particularly those impacting New York City. The League’s records from this era bear witness to incredible changes in the way architecture was practiced, including increased interest in sustainability and the transition away from drawing to computer-generated design documents.  Of particular note, the audio and video recordings from League lectures and symposiums offer significant insights into architectural discourse during this period of accelerating change. The collection highlights emerging voices who later gained prominence, while also capturing those of architects whose influence has faded but whose ideas reflect their era or hold renewed relevance today.

The League’s recordsalso intersect with existing collections at Avery, most notably the archival collections of many of the League’s president, including Russell Sturgis (1889), Arnold Brunner (1903), H. Van Buren Magonigle (1917) and Julian Clarence Levi (1931) among others.  More recent acquisitions also overlap with the Architectural League records. For example, Frances Halsband and Michael Sorkin had significant relationships with the League. Halsband was the first female president in the League’s history, and much of Sorkin’s design work was created for exhibitions sponsored by the League. Both served on the Board of Directors.

Graduate student interns will begin to process the collection this summer. A full finding aid will be made available when that work is completed.