a question of imagination and taste - archival/contemporary photography

Jewett first opened with minimal landscaping and solid wood doors. The building could have an almost uncanny, forbidding appearance. The trees and shrubs immediately surrounding Jewett today do a lot ot help integrate it into the campus landscape. The glass front doors were added later and create a more welcoming entryway. Compare this original image to the version photographed in 2025.

Although the archival image is listed as undated, we know that it is likely ca. 1957-59 due to the doors and the very newly planted state of the landscaping.

Some views of Jewett have hardly changed at all. The only structural differences between this 1968 photo and its 2025 recreation are a missing light can, additional railings on the stairs leading up to the quad, and the bollards at the top of the stairs. Otherwise you may still experience the walk from west to east, under Jewett and up the stairs, with its dramatic framing and reveal of the quad and Galen Tower, exactly as Paul Rudolph originally intended it.

The tables and chairs in the contemporary photo are a relatively recent addition by the College and now allow for seasonal enjoyment of the sheltered outdoor spaces created by Rudolph's design.

Originally 3 times its current size, the Jewett Art Gallery was one large open space that included what is now the Media Arts Lab and the Senior Seminar Studio. But Jewett at the time was also the College's art museum, and this gallery was the main exhibition space for two-dimensional artwork in the College's collection and visiting shows. When the Davis Museum was built in the early 1990s, museum functions moved out of Jewett and the space was altered to meet more pressing needs of the academic program.

In the archival photo here you can see Jewett's original parquet wood flooring and the original fabric treatment on the gallery walls. The gallery today has a plank wood floor and white-painted walls. The fabric walls are closely associated with a midcentury museum aesthetic, but the white walls offer a more neutral backdrop and greater flexibility for the installation of a wider variety of types of artwork today.

The Hallway Galleries were also important exhibition spaces when Jewett was the College's museum. The full height fabric walls in place now are a relatively recent wall treatment, although the fabric was carefully chosen to match midcentury colors and textures. While this fabric does not allow very heavy artwork to be installed in the hallway, it is much easier and more flexible for installing unframed works on paper: far more appropriate for a space that today hosts more student artwork than professional outside exhibitions.

Although this original image is listed in the archive as undated, we know it is likely from the mid-1970s or later due to presence of the bluestone tile on the hallway floor.

The grooved hanging system that predated Jewett's fabric hallway walls is visible in this photo from 1967. The hand sanitizer and fire extinguisher in the contemporary photo speak to increasing emphases on health and safety that have contributed to Jewett's evolution over the years and will continue to influence changes to the building in the future. The Tang Dynasty Chinese tomb guardian sculpture in the original photo, is on view in the Davis Museum (as of Fall 2025). The sculpture in the contemporary recreation of this shot is by Ry Watkins '23.

The Sculpture Court has always been a place where students hang out and study between classes, even when it was still part of the museum. The structure of the space is basically unchanged, although there is one significant difference that may not be easily visible here: the railings were all originally open. They now have glass installed to prevent anything (or anyone) from accidentally falling through to lower levels. The benches in both photos are the original benches made for Jewett, as displayed in this exhibition.

Visible in the background of the 1970 photo is a wooden sculpture, Standing Figure of a Saint or Apostle, from the early 1500s. As of Fall 2025 this sculpture is currently on view in the Davis Museum. The Venus de Milo in the contemporary photo is a plaster recreation of the original acquired by the Art Department shortly after the College Hall fire of 1914. Art classes still teach from her today.

Rudolph's design for the Sculpture Court stairs originally only included railings on one side. The wooden rails were installed at waist and ankle height with nothing in between. The railings served as linear design elements that helped create a sense of openness and flow through the space. While some enjoyed the excitement this design created, it quickly became out of code. Glass infill between the upper and lower railings was added as part of the 1993 renovations, and new railings on the open side of the stairs were made to match the originals.

The sculpture at left in the 1970 photo is Head of a Youth, a Roman marble from the 2nd century CE, currently in the collection of the Davis Museum. The sculptural head in the contemporary photo is by Sophia Jones '25.

The students in both these photographs are sitting on original Jewett benches, designed by Paul Rudolph as part of the building project. The treforium column behind the student in the 1968 photo is French and from ca. 1300. 

This original photo is listed in the archive as undated, but we know it must be 1958-59 because it is included in the July 1959 issue of Architectural Forum. A copy of this magazine is also on display as part of this exhibition.

Peter Fergusson taught art history and architecture courses, as well as courses on landscape and garden architecture, at Wellesley for over 40 years. Peter was often photographed with Wyatt, who sometimes came to work with him. Here they stand in the Sculpture Court, which at the time was still part of the College's museum.

Andy Mowbray teaches classes on three-dimensional and spatial design as well as the core sculpture curriculum. He stands here with Maple Mowbray, who sometimes assists with office hours, and an example of work created in one of his classes. These wood and plaster projects are an annual favorite in the Sculpture Court today, where students have the opportunity to bring their sculptures out of the studio and into a public space.

These photos were shot from the Sculpture Court looking down to Jewett Road (the one-way street that runs along the south side of Jewett, separating it from Severance Green). Parking is not allowed on this road today, but we somehow still managed to get a shot with a car parked in almost exactly the same spot as it was 40 or 50 years ago.

In the Art Library, many things have changed but many have stayed the same. Although the tables have been rearranged, they are still the Steelcase tables ordered for the building when it opened. A glassed-in rare books section replaced the open stacks at left. But the periodicals are still in the same spot. And it may not get as much use today, but the dictionary on its dedicated stand is still there.

This older photograph is undated, but is likely from some time between 1958-79. The Art and Music libraries, along with the Sculpture Court, originally had translucent curtain panels. The floor was vinyl instead of the more sound-dampening carpet in place today. There are not many Herman Miller Eames chairs in the libraries anymore, but they are still regularly used in other locations throughout Jewett.

Plants around the building have grown significantly, and while the structure of this window has not changed, we found that we could not photograph it from the original angle without making a photographer stand in the bushes. The Art Library has slightly better security for books now, but the circulation desk is still in the same spot, giving Art Library student workers over the years a view out the large window onto the front steps of Jewett and the quad.

Upper level seating in the Jewett Auditorium is largely unchanged. Although not perfect, these seats are as a whole in slightly better condition than seats in the lower level; nowadays typically only used for events and not for regular class meetings, they have been subject to less wear and tear over the years.

Lighting controls were available in a booth at the very back and top of the Jewett Auditorium. Most lighting control in the Auditorium today is done at the stage-level podium or (for more detailed control) on control boards in front of the balcony seating. But staff can still access the original control booth if needed. Note that the original speaker remains in place.

When the Music department first moved into Jewett, a significant percentage of their library collection was dedicated to records. As technologies to store and play music evolved, the Music Library evolved along with them. There are far fewer records in the collection today, but some are still available.

In this photo from 1983 you can see Shakespeare House at the end of Jewett Road, the rise in elevation from the road level to the quad, and members of the Wellesley campus community enjoying the picnic tables in front of Jewett: all things that remain the same today. But you can also see changes in the landscaping of this area, along with 40+ years of moss, lichen, and weathering on the lip of the wall and an equal amount of growth for the trees.

Maisie Boren '26

Megan Cascella

Beatrice Geissinger Cutchins '27

Brooke Henderson

Sophia Jones '25

Zoe Mitchell '23

Andy Mowbray

Maple Mowbray

Meghan Murray

David Teng Olsen

Maria Ordal '25

Autumn Porter

Mana Sakamoto '26

Nicole Zhu '26