I ran across this neat aerial of campus in an issue of the great old magazine called the Houston Gargoyle. I’ve mentioned this publication before in conjunction with a fabulous 1932 map of Houston’s Cradle of Culture. This one is interesting to me for two reasons. First, it could not have been taken in 1929. There’s no Cohen House (1927) and no statue of Willy (1929). I’m calling it late 1925 to 1926, one of the earlier aerials of campus I’ve seen.
And second I am quite touched by the faith that whoever wrote this had in the notion that Rice would carry out “over a span of years” a plan of “harmonious building design and ground layout.” As soon as we started building again after World War II the plan flew out the window.
Bonus: Moody Center.
When was the engineering annex built? (If that is what appears to the left of Mech Lab.)
It actually started its life as the Chemistry Annex. I can’t recall off the top of my head the exact year it was built but it was very early, maybe as early as 1912 or 1913. We needed somewhere far away from the Administration Building because of all those noxious fumes.
It was built in 1915, per Stephen Fox’s Campus Guide.
Is that my favorite tree off on the left? The one that is now between Geo and Spac?
I am amused to note the area to the right of Lovett Hall is very similar to how it appeared when I was at Rice in the 1970’s. I know it has changed many times, being much more Lawn and much less parking, between this photo and my time there.
Yes, I think that is your tree!