The Christopher Tunnard Papers contain correspondence, topical files, writings, teaching files, and printed and pictorial material which document Tunnard's career as a landscape designer, city planning consultant, author, and professor of city planning. The papers were donated by Tunnard's son Christopher Tunnard in 1983. Layouts for the Inwood Planning Study were transferred from the Yale Art and Architecture Library to Manuscripts and Archives in 1979.
Series I, CORRESPONDENCE AND TOPICAL FILES, contains material which documents aspects of Tunnard's professional career. Material of a personal nature within the series consists of biographical sketches and curriculum vitae, fragmentary family correspondence, clippings, memorabilia, and legal and financial documents.
The bulk of the material dates from 1952 to 1975 and includes correspondence relating to his teaching activities at Harvard (predominately after 1945), Yale, and other universities; correspondence with university faculty members and city planning professionals who guest lectured at Yale; and materials relating to Tunnard's administrative activities within the Yale City Planning Department. The series also includes correspondence with publishers of his books and articles; correspondence, printed material, and reports relating to the consulting work Tunnard performed for various city and citizen interest groups; and materials relating to his international research and consulting projects. Correspondents include Henry Hope Reed, Joseph Hudnut, John Pearce, C. McKim Norton, Boris Pushkarev, Richardson Wood, and Coleman Woodbury.
Tunnard's active membership in professional associations is documented by correspondence, newsletters, and reports relating to conferences, local and regional meetings, and special projects. Associations represented in the papers include the American Institute of Architects, the American Institute of Planners, the History of Planning Group, the International Council of Monuments and Sites, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Society of Architectural Historians. New Haven organizations represented in the series include the New Haven City Plan Commission and the New Haven Preservation Trust. These files contain correspondence with New Haven city officials and fellow members of the organizations, and printed material.
Series II, WRITINGS, consists of outlines, notes, drafts, typescripts, galleys, and published copies of Tunnard's books, articles, reviews, speeches, and lectures.
Series III, TEACHING FILES, includes course files which contain syllabi, notes, and lectures from courses taught at Harvard, Yale, and other academic institutions. Because Tunnard interfiled teaching materials he used for similiar courses at various academic institutions, these files have been arranged by generic course titles rather than by specific course numbers and titles. The topic files contain notes and printed matter that complement the materials within the course files. Files of student papers include master's theses, class papers, and projects. Folders containing copies of examination questions and fragmentary notes follow the course and topic files.
Series IV, PICTORIAL MATERIAL, consists of photographs, prints, and drawings used to illustrate A World With a View; materials used to conduct preliminary research and to document UNESCO cultural missions; personal photographs; and miscellaneous illustrative materials relating to Tunnard's professional interests.