University of Texas at El Paso ScholarWorks@UTEP Finding Aids Special Collections Department 8-2000 Guide to MS147 Otto H. Thorman Records Rose Hillbrand Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.utep.edu/finding_aid This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections Department at ScholarWorks@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in Finding Aids by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Guide to MS 147 Otto H. Thorman Records Span Dates: 1910 - 1964 12.5 linear feet; approximately 5,360 oversized items Processed by Rose Hillbrand August 2000 Donated by Mrs. O. H. Thorman, 1972 Citation: Otto Thorman Records, 1910-1964, MS 147, C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department. The University of Texas at El Paso Library. C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department University of Texas at El Paso Biography Otto H. Thorman was born on April 12, 1887 in Missouri and grew up in St. Louis and Washington, Missouri. After receiving his architectural training by correspondence, he established an office in Albuquerque, NM. In 1911, he opened an office in El Paso, and he met Adelia Wallwork a year later. In 1914 they were married, and later had five children. Called by some “one of the most successful architects of the southwest,” Thorman remained in El Paso and practiced architecture until his death on March 11, 1966. Many of Thorman’s designs were in the Pueblo and Spanish styles, and his work was mainly residential, although he did some commercial designs such as the Woman’s Club of El Paso, the El Paso Free Public Library, and the pavilion for the Liberty Statue in Pioneer Plaza. Although most of the jobs Thorman completed were located in the El Paso area, the collection also contains records of work in such diverse areas as Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Missouri. Thorman was also a gardener, and frequently worked on the landscaping of the grounds of the buildings he designed. Thorman held the directorship of the Texas Society of Architects in 1941, and he also held several offices in the El Paso Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Some records of these activities are also contained within the collection. Series Description The collection is organized into three series: I. Client Files: 26 ½ boxes, 5,360 drawings. Arranged alphabetically by client name, this series contains 2 sub-series: 1. Project Files: contains correspondence, specifications, bids, estimates, bills, receipts, notes, and approximately 310 drawings, which are stored flat in 2 oversize boxes and 2 drawers. 2. Drawings: Approximately 5,050 drawings stored flat in 1 box and 18 drawers. II. Office Files: 3 boxes. This series contains mostly different types of reference materials or architectural resources. 1. Supply Catalogs: catalogs and brochures from various architecture-related vendors. 2. Specifications: unlabeled specifications, or specifications for specific job types. 3. Design: reference materials useful in building design. 4. Miscellaneous: safety codes, zoning board regulations, bills and payrolls. III. Photographs: ½ box. Approximately 80 8 X 10 black-and-white photos. Scope and Content Notes This collection contains records kept by O. H. Thorman during his career as an architect in the Southwest. Series I is composed of architectural records and drawings of buildings commissioned by clients. Sub-series 1 consists of documents pertaining to the design and construction of buildings. Sub-series 2 contains drawings, blueprints, surveys, elevations, structural details, and sketches done by clients. Most of the designs are for residences, but there are some commercial buildings included. Series II contains vendor catalogs, specifications for specific types of jobs, codes of regulations and other reference materials pertaining to design, safety, or supplies. Series III consists of black-and-white photographs depicting some of the buildings designed by Thorman, mostly from the 1920’s and 1930’s. The physical makeup of the collection is mainly paper records, large drawings on paper or linen, and blueprints. There are also some black-and-white photographs with canvas backing. Provenance Statement The collection was donated to the C. L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department by Mrs. O. H. Thorman in 1972. Literary Rights Statement Permission to publish material from the Otto H. Thorman records must be obtained from the C. L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department, the University of Texas at El Paso Library. Related Collections J.E. Morgan & Sons Construction Photographs, PH 020 Notes to the Researcher Many of the drawings are on very fragile or brittle paper, and should be handled with extreme care. Some of the older paper records are also yellow and crumbling. Additional Woman’s Club of El Paso building plans are in Map Case Drawer #12 and in the Woman’s Club of El Paso records, MS576. MS 147 O. H. Thorman Collection Architectural Records Inventory (*) = Items removed and filed separately (D) = Associated drawings (P) = Associated photograph(s) (A) = Additions &/or Alterations (L) = Items removed and filed in Legal-Size Box (#30) SERIES I: CLIENT FILES Key Box File Title Date Structures Location *D 1 1 Abraham, Sam E. 1955 Residence 14 Cumberland Circle 2 Albert Armendariz 1961 LULACS Building 3 Amstater, Joe M. 1960 Store/Offices Texas & Cotton 4 Baptist Center 1961 Office Building Cotton Place Office Addition 5 Baptist Church 1965 Church Cloudcroft, NM D 6 Baptist Publishing 1958 Commercial (A) 6700 Dyer House (Spanish) 7 Biggs Air Base 1957 Housing Aero Vista Homes D 8 Blossom Shop 1963 Commercial 1922 Rio Grande Ave. D 9 Blumenthal, K. W. 1959 Guest House 824 Galloway D 10 Brewster, Jack 1956 Residence (A) 6205 De Leon Dunlap, Jack 1962 Residence Canutillo, TX 11 Brisco, R. E. 1959 Residence Mission Hills D 12 Brisco, Randall 1960 Residence 4319 O’Keefe St. *D 13 Carson, C. Scott 1945 Residence Kern Place D 14 Christ Scientist 1957 Church Montana & Second Church Butterfield D 15 Church of Christ 1957 Church Tularosa, NM *D 16 Clardy-Fox W. J. 1950 Commercial Paisano Dr. & Alicia Elliot Dr. *D 17 Clark, O. C. 1965 Commercial (A) Texas & Alameda (Spears & Miller Ave. Ice Plant; Sherrod Realty) D 18 Community Baptist 1964 Church Church *D 19 Coronado Baptist 1963 Church 501 Thunderbird Church Drive D 20 County Job w/f 1961 Barns & Exhibit Bynum & Isabell & Office Associates (Southwestern Livestock Show Bldgs) D 21 Craige, Branch Dr. 1949 Residence Highland Park Addition, 2432 Savannah St. D 22 Curlin, Jack 1950 Residence 812 Blacker St. D 23 Curtan, C. R. 1948 Residence Austin Terrace Addition, 4609 Hastings St. 2 1 Davis, S. R. 1934 Residence Fabens, TX D 2 Davis, S. R. & 1957 (A) Fabens, TX Claude 3 Del Camino Motor 1955 Motel 5001 Alameda Ave. Hotel D 4 Dolphin Terrace 1959 Church Will-Ruth Dr. Baptist Church D 5 Driver, Walter 1951 Residence Mayfield Terrace *D 6&7 Dunlap, Jack 1962 Residence (A) Upper Valley/Canutillo D 8 Dunn, A. R. 1955 Residence State College, NM *D 9 El Paso Building 1948 Warehouse Durazno & San Materials Co. Marcial, East El (Sears) Paso Addition * 10 El Paso County 1942 Hospital (A) Health Health Center & Plasma Bank D 11 El Paso Egg 1945 Office (A) 2110 Wyoming St. Producers Association D 12 El Paso Iron & 1945 Office & 100 N. Cotton Ave. Metal Works (I. Warehouse Feinberg) D 13 El Paso National 1928 Bank (A) Bank D 14 El Paso National 1950 Building Bank 15 El Paso Post 1929 Mill & Kansas Sts. *DL 16 Woman’s Club of 1916 Club N. Mesa Ave. El Paso *D 17&1 Woman’s Club of 1916 Club N. Mesa Ave. 8 El Paso /193 0 P? 19 Woman’s Club of 1927 Club (A) N. Mesa Ave. El Paso 20 Woman’s Club of 1935 Club (A) N. Mesa Ave. El Paso *DL 21&2 El Ranchotel 1940 Tourist Resort Upper Valley 2 D 23 Ellerbe Tile 1962 Warehouse 1809 E. Yandell Company *D 24 Ellett, Claud E. 1953 (A) 4536 Montana St. PD 25 Elliot, Fred A. 1930 Residence Austin Terrace *D 26 Ellis, W. B. 1954 Guest House Fabens, TX PD 27 Empire Bottle 1916 Factory & Campbell Addition, L Works Warehouse Mills & Florence Sts. D 28 Episcopal Church 1933 Parish House Las Cruces, NM D 29 Ettinger, G. & I.B. 1953 Residence 800 Mesita Place Goodman *D 30 Ettl, Dr. E. J. 1955 Residence(A) 4536 Montana St. ?? D 3 1-4 Exide Battery 1925 409 Montana St. Station (Mrs. Hays) *D 5&6 Exposition 1936 Arena Washington Park Building PD 7 Ezell, C. L. 1925 Residence Upper Valley *D 8 Ezell, E. C. 1948 Residence Canutillo, TX PD 9 Ezell, W. R. 1919 Residence Manhattan Heights 10&1 Fall, A. B. 1923 Residence Three Rivers, NM 1 D 12 Farber, B. 1922 Residence Sunset Heights Farber Bros. 1924 Addition Overland & El Paso Sts. D 13 Federal Reserve 1939 Bank (A) Dallas, TX Bank *D 14-16 Feinberg, Isadore 1940 Residence Kern Place Addition D 17&1 Feinberg, Milton 1940 Residence Alexander Addition 8 *D 19&2 First Baptist 1925 Church Las Cruces, NM 0 Church * 4 1 First Baptist 1956 Church Lordsburg, NM Church (Robert Harvey Pastor) P 2 First Church C. S 1964 Church 2800 San Diego St. D 3 First Methodist 1946 Church Lee & Montana Church *DL 4-7 First Methodist 1948 Church Pecos, TX Church /194 9 8 First National 1930 Bank/Store (A) Bank D 9 First National 1945 Bank Las Cruces, NM Bank 10 First National 1934 Bank (A) Bank Bldg. & Miss Bucher PD* 11 First National 1955 Bank (A) Lordsburg, NM Bank (Lordsburg) *D 12 First Nazarene 1948 Church Montana St. Church D 13 Fitzpatrick, P.