Notebooks of Dennis Berry, Architecture student

Notebooks containing lecture notes, sketches, plans and doodles made by Dennis Berry during his time on the Diploma in Architecture at Leicester College of Art. The notebooks include loose exam papers, homework questions and circulars. The notebooks were brought by Berry from his RAF service and are stamped "Royal Air Force Rough Notebook" on their covers. Also Leicester College of Art scarf, designed by students in the 1940's. The scarf has burgundy, beige, yellow and light brown stripes of different widths.

Dennis Berry was born in London in 1922 and joined the Royal Air Force in 1941 aged 19. He was posted to RAF Desford near Leicester as a flight instructor. From 1945-1946 he acted as the Station Education Officer, assisting personnel with their return to civilian life. In 1946 he contacted the School of Architecture at Leicester College of Art and was given a place in the second year, in light of his maturity. He was one of several ex-servicemen who started the course in the second year. Dennis completed the course in 1950.

After leaving he worked in Sir Hugh Casson's office and assisted with the Festival of Britain. He then went into teaching, working at Medway College of Art from 1954 and later Kingston College of Art where he was appointed Head of the School of Architecture in 1966. He also formed his own practice, Berry Blackstock & Associates, and was active with the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Architects' Registration Council. Dennis retired in 1987 although he continued teaching part time until 1994. He died in 2005.

Biographical information from " The Leicester School of Architecture 1940 to 1952" by David Bryan Hunt, 2008. Copy available in DMU Special Collections, ref LC 378.42542 HUN.

Open and available for general access.

Donated to DMU Archives in 2013 by Sandra Berry, widow of Dennis Berry.

Catalogued by Katharine Short, Archivist, December 2015.

Photographs or scans may be taken for private research purposes only.