Herbert Pratt Estate Collection

Webb Institute - Livingston Library

[Front Entrance of Stevenson Taylor Hall. Webb Institute of Naval Architecture.] - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

Dates of Original:

c. 1940-1997

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Historical Context

Herbert Lee Pratt (November 21, 1871 – February 3, 1945) was an American businessman and a leading figure in the United States oil industry; from 1923 he was head of Standard Oil - his father Charles Pratt was a founder of Astral Oil Works which later became part of Standard Oil. He lived and worked in New York City, as well as having a country estate, The Braes, in Glen Cove, Long Island, and a hunting preserve and estate, Good Hope Plantation in Ridgeland, South Carolina. He was an art collector and philanthropist.

Scope of Collection

The Herbert L. Pratt Collection features pictures and architectural drawings by James Brite, Architect, of the “Braes,” the former summer residence of Herbert L. Pratt and family. The “Braes” became the home of Webb Institute of Naval Architecture in 1947. Dating from roughly the 1940s - 1980s, these materials and document the internal and external features of the "Braes," the construction of the Robinson Model Basin, and other buildings owned by the Webb Institute. Assorted newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and ephemera relating to the Webb Institute are also included in the collection.