Interesting news has reached Eye on the whereabouts of original architectural designs for the West China Union University in Chengdu so badly damaged in the recent earthquake (27 June) The campus was designed by Frederick Rowntree and British Friends had been among those founding the university.
Patrick Wood, a Quaker in China who sent dramatic dispatches to the Friend during the earthquake, wondered whether we could locate original drawings which might help the repair work. We drew a blank with the ancestors of the original company of architects but we have now heard from Richenda George, great-granddaughter of Fred Rowntree.
'We have a number of plans, drawings, photographs and other archive material stored here at home in Wiltshire', she writes. In addition to published material, Richenda has plans and elevations of the library block, education building, normal school (including the original competition drawing which won Rowntree the tender), biology building, the president's official residence, the main entrance and clock tower, the medical block and the medical dental college. Later on, Richenda will seek a suitable permanent home for these treasures. In the meantime we will alert Patrick Wood to their existence.

• Can any of our erudite readers tell us which one is correct: Chengdu, Chengtu or Chendu? We have seen all three now in various dispatches.

Labels: Chengdu, china, earthquake, Fredrick Rowntree