J.R. Davidson: Stothart House (Santa Monica, Calif.)
Photographs of the exterior of the Stothart House; one of the driveway entrance and one of the side patio. The design emphasis on horizontal and flat forms, along with uniform windows and parapets echoed the International Style.
Julius Ralph Davidson papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
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J.R. Davidson: Gretna Green apartments (Brentwood, Calif.)
Photographs of the exterior of the apartments. The plans reflected the Bauhaus concept of utilizing limited space. Each of the four apartments has an exterior space such as a patio or sundeck to provide private outside access- a luxury usually only available to single-family homes.
J.R. Davidson, architect Julius Shulman, photographer
© J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.
J.R. Davidson: Foster Project (Bishop Calif.)
Built in the single-story"ranch style", the Walter Foster House project was one of Davidson's new designs bearing a departure from the International Style in favor of Soft Modernism. The house's plan incorporated local building styles and materials, a hallmark of the related concept of Regionalism. Sadly, it was never built.
J.R. Davidson: Feingold and Harris medical building (Los Angeles, Calif.)
These photographs document the narrow medical building that housed the practices of Dr. B.F. Feingold and and Dr. J.M. Harris. The spaces were designed to be modern and expansive, with scattered lighting and noise insulation.
J.R. Davidson: California Sport Magazine cover
Davidson's design for the cover of California Sport Magazine.
J.R. Davidson: Vigeveno #1 (Ojai, Calif.)
Exterior photograph of the Vigeveno #1 House, a ranch-style vacation home for art dealer James Vigeveno and his family. Another design was made for Vigeveno alongside the first, although this second house featured a completely different architectural style.
J.R Davidson: Rabinowitz House (Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the interior and a floor plan of the Rabinowitz House. The design featured a panoramic view of Bel Air from its secluded position on a hill.
J. R. Davidson, architect Martin Rand, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Hi-Hat Restaurant (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the interior of the Hi-Hat restaurant. The owner originally requested an English style tavern, to which Davidson created a design that reflected his wishes but through a modernist's sensibilities.
J.R. Davidson, architect Willard, Morgan, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Office (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photos and plan of the entrance to Davidson's office in Los Angeles. The facade echoes the stylistic influences of Rudolph Schindler and Frank Lloyd Wright.
A portrait of J.R. Davidson in his later years.
J.R. Davidson: Bilicke-Satyr Books (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the exterior and interior of the Bilicke-Satyr Bookstore, featuring special strip lights. Many of Davidson's early commercial projects incorporate Art Deco elements, calculating geometric shapes, sleek forms, and straight lines.
J.R. Davidson, architect Willard Morgan, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Schilling's Flower Store (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photograph of the interior and front entrance of the Schilling's Flower Store. It was later replaced by Bachelor's Haberdashery Shop.
J.R. Davidson: Bachelor's Haberdashery Shop (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the entrance and interior of the Haberdashery (a men's clothing store). This business replaced the earlier Schilling's Flowers.
J.R. Davidson: Drive-in Curb Market (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Renderings and floor plan of the Drive-in Curb Market. Designs like this clearly anticipated the increasing importance of automobiles in the modern age.
J.R. Davidson: Hotel Knickerbocker Bar and Tavern (Chicago, Illinois)
Photographs of the remodeled bar and tavern of the Hotel Knickerbocker. The resulting shape of the space results from the combination of "several existing odd rooms".
J.R. Davidson, architect Kaufman-Fabry, photographer
J. R. Davidson: The Golden Lion Inn, Sheridan Plaza Hotel (Chicago, Illinois)
Photographs of the exterior entrance, bar, and lunch counter of the Golden Lion Inn. The facade echoed tavern aesthetics, yet the inside was incredibly spacious and well lit.
J.R. Davidson, architect Hedrich-Blessing Studio, photographer
Schematics of lamp designs. Davidson was inspired by Bauhaus furniture, which were streamlined, stainless steel constructions.
J.R. Davidson: Blake G. Smith House (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
Sketches of the vacation house designed for Blake g Smith. The house was situated on the top of the cliffs, with a staircase leading down to a "natural sea pool".
J.R. Davidson: View of Klopstockstrase (Berlin)
Watercolor sketch of Davidson's hometown of Berlin.
J.R. Davidson: Sketches of Objects in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs (Paris, France)
An early sketchbook of Davidson's studies of furniture and other objects from a decorative arts and design museum in Paris. Note the attention to detail and pattern.
J.R. Davidson: Church Steeple (Posen, Poland)
Watercolor sketch of a church steeple when Davidson probably still lived in Posen, Poland.
J.R. Davidson: Sketch of Sommer im Schutzengraben
Watercolor sketch from one of Davidson's sketchbooks.
J.R. Davidson: Converted Apartment (Berlin, Germany)
Photographs of the former servants' quarters that Davidson retrofitted into his five-bedroom apartment in Berlin.
J.R. Davidson: Davidson House (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Floor plan and photographs of the residence Davidson designed for himself and his wife on South Barrington Avenue in Los Angeles.
J.R. Davidson, architect Robert Cleveland, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Cocoanut Grove, Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the interior of the coconut grove courtyard and lamp details. Davidson emphasized unique lighting designs, with the lamps here incorporating vegetal or "oriental" star elements.
J.R. Davidson, architect Mott Studios, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Sardi's Restaurant (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Davidson was commissioned to refurbish Sardi's Restaurant, which originally had interior design work done by Rudolph Schindler. Davidson reorganized the inside and added new features, opening up the space by cleverly incorporating partitions and changing the color scheme.
J.R. Davidson: Tierney and Co. Restaurant and Cafe-Bar (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Concept for the Tierney and Co. Restaurant. Note the bold Art Deco inspired interior.
J.R. Davidson: Bransten House (San Francisco, Calif.)
Davidson was asked to design a family home for Richard Bransten, son of a wealthy coffee manufacturer from San Francisco. The window design reflects De-Stijl sensibilities, focusing on large geometric shapes. The three story residence was built on a slope to provide abundant opportunities for sunshine, outside terracing, and views of the city. The multiple levels also provided more locations for social and family interaction.
J.R. Davidson: Maitland Residence (Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Davidson retrofitted this Georgian home to better house the owner's modern art collection. He replaced wall space with larger windows and a glass enclosed porch to allow more light in and open up the space.
J.R. Davidson: Cellarette on Wheels (Chicago, Illinois)
Davidson's furniture and restaurant supply designs expressed both Art Deco and modernist sensibilities. His "cellarette" concept for a pullout bar on wheels echoes the same simple, functional design of his patent for an easy open cigarette container.
J.R. Davidson: Berlin Armchair Design (Berlin, Germany)
Originally designed in Berlin, Davidson brought this drawing with him to America. The slightly curved armrests are reminiscent of Bruno Paul's own armchair designs.
J.R. Davidson: Crosby House (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The plan of the Floyd D. Crosby Residence is actually the same floor plan Davidson used for the design of his own home, though the interior design choices of the homes differed widely.
J.R. Davidson: Taylor House (Los Angeles, Calif.)
This house was designed not unlike the Crosby residence and Davidson's own home, although in the Taylor house the kitchen plan is more open and a glass vitrine provides views into the living room.
J.R. Davidson: Joseph Kingsley House (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Calif.)
After supposedly being turned down by Richard Neutra to design their home, clients Joseph and Lore Kingsley commissioned Davidson to design a unique home to fit their needs. This design was then mirrored next door in the house built for Joseph Kingsley's mother. Both houses provided southern exposure to a lemon grove and beyond, the ocean.
J.R. Davidson: Rattan and Bamboo Furniture
Davidson designed a whole line of outdoor furniture crafted from rattan and bamboo materials, which are flexible and durable enough to withstand the elements. He was inspired by Asian modes of craft-making, classic wooden furniture, and the designs of Paul T. Frankl, an industrial artist.
This presentation drawing is similar to other Byers drawings-- with a Spanish Colonial Revival house set amongst lush landscaping. The house features a loggia running the length of the front of the house, with a second story balcony, and all under a classic red tile roof.
John Byers papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
The McLaughlin house, though its location is unknown, is very similar to many of the adobe and Monterey Revival houses Byers designed in the Santa Monica area. With an exterior staircase leading to a second floor balcony, red tile roof, and colorful landscaping, the house is a good example of the Byers style. The design of the house allowed for it to be sited either on a suburban or rural property.
John Byers papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
John Byers: Unitarian Church (Santa Monica, Calf.)
The two very different renderings of the Unitarian Church of Santa Monica highlight the range of styles that John Byers was capable of designing. The first image, a more Spanish Colonial style, was the ultimate choice of the building, which is shown in the third image, a photograph taken after construction. The second image shows a much more traditional church, with high pointed steeple, instead of the smaller tower with bell.
John Byers: Frederick Laue Restaurant (Santa Monica, Calif.)
The rendering for the Frederick Laue restaurant is an example of Byers' commercial work. While known specifically for residences, he did design a few commercial and civic buildings. A Laue Restaurant was located near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean Avenue from 1927 until 1936. This rendering, circa 1932, might have been a possible expansion in another location, or an unbuilt project rendering. The street view poses a facade very close to the sidewalk and street, while the back view highlights a patio with grassy area, and a two story massing.
John Byers: John Byers house (Santa Monica, Calif,)
These images are for the first and second floor plans for an early house for Mrs. John Byers. The plans are not dated, and there is no address listed anywhere on the sheets. The thick-lined walls for the living room and first floor bedroom indicate this house might have been partially constructed from adobe. The second floor bedrooms open onto a balcony, which would have assisted with cross-breezes and done away with the need for a sleeping porch.
Lockwood de Forest: William Nelson landscape (Montecito, Calif.)
As with many of Lockwood de Forest's commissions, the houses were designed by some of the top architects in Southern California, and de Forest's landscaping was a harmonious compliment to their work. The formality of the house lent itself to the grounds as well, as seen in this geometric fan-shaped garden for William P. Nelson.
Lockwood de Forest, landscape architect Carleton Winslow, Sr., architect
Lockwood de Forest, Jr. landscape drawings, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Lockwood de Forest: Stanley McCormick estate (Montecito, Calif.)
The 84 acre "Riven Rock" estate belonged to the McCormick family, the inventors of the grain reaper and founders of the International Harvester company. The original house was constructed in 1898 (demolished after the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake), and was home to Stanley McCormick. The estate also contained many other guest houses, servants quarters, a nine hole golf course, orchards, a dairy, and many exotic plants. Stanley McCormick struggled with mental illness, and his wife Katherine (one of the first female graduates of MIT) fought with his family over access to Stanley and the estate. After Stanley's death in 1947, the estate was subdivided and sold to create many smaller land holdings.
Lockwood de Forest: Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
The plaza at the corner of State Street and Anapamu in downtown Santa Barbara was designed by Lockwood de Forest and architect Lutah Maria Riggs. The seating area with trees and benches allows for a brief respite prior to or just after visiting the museum. The Museum was established in 1941 in the old United States Post Office building; the facade was altered by Chicago-based architect David Adler, and financial support was given by many prominent people, including Wright Ludington and Stanley and Katherine McCormick (all were clients of de Forest).
Lockwood de Forest, landscape architect Lutah Maria Riggs, architect
Lockwood de Forest: Chalifoux garden (Montecito, Calif.)
This extremely colorful and detailed design for a garden was for Elizabeth and Harold Chalifoux, who were well-known orchid growers in the Santa Barbara area. The Chalifoux were from Boston, and Elizabeth Chalifoux was the daughter of Albert Burrage, the well-respected horticulturist.
Lockwood de Forest: Bothin tea garden (Montecito, Calif.)
San Francisco industrialist Henry Bothin and his wife Ellen Chabot Bothin purchased 350 acres of mountain and foothill land above Montecito in 1916. The property was named Mar Y Cel, but was commonly referred to as the Tea Garden; it was adjacent to the property which included their house, Piranhurst. Lockwood de Forest was commissioned in 1932 to add to the landscaping around the tea house, amphitheater, aqueducts, and gardens. After Ellen Bothin's death in 1965, the property fell into disrepair, and the Tea House was the starting point for the 2008 Tea Fire, which destroyed a large number of residences in Montecito.
Montecito, Calif.; Santa Barbara, Calif.
In the John Byers collection, many items are unidentified. Some of the drawings have dates or locations, however the vast majority do not. This pair of images shows the front of an adobe-style house in the first image, and the back of the house in the second. Both drawings bear the hallmarks of the Byers style-- red tile roofs, lush landscaping, and an exterior staircase leading to a second floor balcony.
Lockwood de Forest: de Forest garden (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Lockwood de Forest was not just a landscape architect, but also designed and built houses, including his own on Todos Santos Lane in Santa Barbara. The house and landscaping were oriented towards a view of the Santa Ynez Mountains and included many native plants, which were drought-tolerant for the dry Santa Barbara climate.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Central Block (Minot, ND)
Robert Stacy-Judd worked for the railroad in England, then moved to the United States and worked for the Great Northern Railroad in North Dakota. After a couple of years, he started his own practice in Minot. The Central Block was originally designed as a six-story building, with shops on the first floor, and apartments above. The client was Dr. H.L. Kermott, a well-known physician. The buildings Stacy-Judd designed in North Dakota, and later in Alberta, Canada were in the local vernacular-- brick, two or three story, and limited ornamentation.
Robert Stacy-Judd papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Robert Stacy-Judd: Philosophical Research Society (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The founder of the Philosophical Research Society, Manely P. Hall, had commissioned buildings by Stacy-Judd previously, due to their shared interest in Mayan design. The Library in the Philosophical Research Society was designed to hold the many rare and unique books in the Hall collection.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Soboba Hot Springs Hotel (San Jacinto, Calif.)
As travel by personal car became more feasible during the 1920s, the mountains surrounding Los Angeles on the east became weekend getaways for residents. The use of hot springs for relaxation and to cure various ailments was a popular attraction. The Soboba Hot Springs Hotel filled both of those requirements for Los Angeles residents. Stacy-Judd combined his vast interest in Native American, Mexican, and Central American cultures with an Americanized version of different types of dwelling units. The cultural appropriation of native housing styles created a 'village' of native peoples who did not inhabit the same locations. While the hotel was popular for many years, it was eventually demolished and a hotel run by the local Native American tribe now bears its name.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Atwater bungalows (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The pair of bungalows for Dr. H. Gale Atwater were part of a larger swath of land owned by Atwater along Avon Park Terrace, adjacent to Elysian Park. Atwater had previously built another "Hopi-style" house on the property, and commissioned Stacy-Judd to build two bungalows in the same style. Now referred to as Pueblo-style, the rough-hewn stucco on the exterior is punctuated by protruding downspouts and wooden rafter ends. Spindly balconies and rustic ladders complete the unique properties.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Carey house (Hollywood, Calif.)
The Carey house is a fascinating study of architectural vision versus reality. The rendering of the house is in the "Mayan" style, reminiscent of Stacy-Judd's Aztec Hotel. The photographs of the completed house show a much more subdued and modest Pueblo style stucco-covered abode.
Robert Stacy-Judd, architect R.H. Stone, photographer
Robert Stacy-Judd: First Baptist Church (Ventura, Calif.)
This church building is widely regarded as one of the premier examples of Mayan Revival style architecture. It was declared a city landmark in 1975, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The exterior steeple is stepped up with Stacy-Judd's signature triangle shaped accents and windows, which create a sense of verticality to the structure. The architect noted on the bottom of the photograph, "First ecclesiastic example utilizing Ancient Mayan Art Motifs." Stacy-Judd was very much a showman, and was married in the church in 1931.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Krotona Institute of Theosophy (Ojai, Calif.)
Theosophy was a religion that began in the United States in the late 1800s as a mix of esoteric Spiritualism, occult influences, and adaptation various Asian religions. The Krotona Institute started in the Beechwood Canyon area of Los Angeles in 1912, and included structures designed by Mead and Requa, and Arthur and Alfred Heinemen. By 1924, the Los Angeles area had become too crowded, and the Krotona Institute moved to Ojai, a small town about 75 miles northwest. Robert Stacy-Judd was commissioned to build a large number of buildings including an administration building, library, lecture hall, and bungalows for the members. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style with white stucco walls and red tile roofs, the buildings blended in with the overarching style of the town of Ojai.
Robert Stacy-Judd: La Jolla Beach and Yacht Club (La Jolla, Calif.)
The La Jolla Beach and Yacht Club was a large-scale commission for Stacy-Judd after his success with the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia. For the Club, he created a more subdued theme, with triangular shaped window openings, adobe-style exterior walls, and arched doorways. The main Club building was 200 feet long, with a covered promenade stretching the length of the building, and a 1000 foot sea wall protected the building from high tide. The interior of the building featured exposed wood beams, arched doorways leading into lounges, a dining room, kitchen, Club offices, and dressing rooms for Club members.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Merrick & Ruddick housing project (San Fernando Valley, Calif.)
As the population of the Los Angeles region grew in the early 1920s, developers purchased land that was formerly ranches to turn into housing developments. Merrick & Ruddick developed the San Fernando Valley area, and asked Stacy-Judd to design and build houses for speculation and for their clients. Most of the houses in the Hollywood Foothill subdivision near Ventura Boulevard were in the Spanish Revival or traditional styles. But some were designed in the Pueblo Revival style that Stacy-Judd made famous.
Robert Stacy-Judd, architect Johnson, photographer
Robert Stacy-Judd: Monroe house (Lake Sherwood, Calif,.)
The small community of Lake Sherwood is situated in the mountains of Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles. The man-made lake and surrounding forest land was used in the 1922 filming of Robin Hood, and as the setting for many subsequent movies. The house designed by Stacy-Judd for Neal Monroe contains many of his signature "Mayan" influences. With triangular windows, ornamental landscaping, and ornate interior details, this is one of Stacy-Judds' larger and most expensive private home commissions.
Robert Stacy-Judd, architect Donald Biddle Keyes, photographer
Carleton Winslow: Panama-California Exposition (San Diego, Calif.)
The Panama-California Exposition opened in 1915 in Balboa Park, San Diego, as a celebration of the opening and of the Panama Canal a few years prior. The Expo originally picked architect John Galen Howard to design the site, but due to his unavailability, Bertram Goodhue was chosen, along with local architect Irving Gill. Carleton Winslow was working in the Goodhue office in New York, and was called out to replace Gill in 1911. The Spanish Colonial Revival and Churrigueresque style buildings designed by Goodhue and Winslow set the architectural style for the exposition. While some of the structures built for the Expo were designed to be temporary, others were to be permanent and are still in use today in Balboa Park.
Carleton Winslow, architect Bertram Goodhue, architect Harold Taylor, photographer
Carleton Monroe Winslow Sr. papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Carleton Winslow: Bliss house (Montecito, Calif.)
The Bliss house was one of Winslow's largest private commissions. The 80 room mansion for William and Anna Dorinda Bliss, at the corner of Olive Mill and Hot Springs Roads in Montecito, was to be their summer residence. The 45 acre estate, named Casa Dorinda, contained the main house, servant's quarters, garages, various outbuildings, and extensive gardens. The Bliss' were quite wealthy and they hosted many large parties, including for European royalty. After Anna Bliss died in 1935, her daughter inherited the property and allowed the Navy to use it as a hospital during World War Two. It subsequently became a boarding school, then in the 1970s, a retirement communnity.
Carleton Winslow: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History was designed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style and built along the banks of Mission Creek, just a few blocks from the Santa Barbara Mission. Winslow designed a series of buildings interconnected with covered walkways, courtyards, decorative fountains, and red tile roofs.
Carleton Winslow: Chapman Park Hotel (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Winslow altered the Chapman Park Hotel and Bungalows, which were located on Wilshire Boulevard, in 1936. The hotel had been in business since the early 1900s, and Winslow added details to make the walled garden with bungalow cottages feel more like a Mexican village with white stucco walls and red tile roofs. The Hotel was located along the rapidly expanding Wilshire Boulevard, near the Ambassador Hotel, Bullocks Wilshire department store, and the Brown Derby restaurant. The hotel was demolished in the 1960s to make way for an office building.
Carleton Winslow, architect Mott Studios, photographer Loomis and Fisher, photographer
Carleton Winslow: Valley Club (Montecito, Calif.)
The Valley Club is a golf course originally designed by renown course designers Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter and the American Golf Course Construction Company. The main club building featured a main dining room, men's and women's lounges, as well as locker rooms, and support facilities for the kitchen and staff. It is still used today as a premier golf and country club.
Carleton Winslow: Los Angeles Central Library (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The Los Angeles Central Library was one of Bertram Goodhue's final projects, which he was working on when he died in 1924. Winslow took over and finished the project in 1926. The early Art Deco building featured Egyptian friezes and inscriptions on the exterior, as well as large murals and metalwork on the interior. The building was threatened with demolition in the 1960s, but a large public outcry saved the building. It was expanded in 1983, and is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark, and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Carleton Winslow, architect Bertram Goodhue, architect Mott Studios, photographer Lee Lawrie, sculptor
Rudolph Schindler: Neighborhood Center (Chicago, Ill.)
In 1914, the Chicago Architectural Club held a competition to design a neighborhood civic complex. This was Schindler's entry, featuring a very clean lines and a rectilinear plan.
R. M. Schindler papers, Architecture & Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture & Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Rudolph Schindler: Bennati Cabin (Lake Arrowhead, Calif.)
The distinctive A-frame shape of the Gisela Bennati cabin is possibly one of the earliest uses of the style as a residence in the United States. The steeply pitched roof is a very good choice for the Lake Arrowhead region, since the lake is at a high elevation which receives many inches of heavy, wet snow each winter. The shape helps to shed snow while providing walls of windows to look out on the view.
Rudolph Schindler: Gould and Bandini Workmen''s Colony housing development (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The housing development for Gould and Bandini was a series of small houses for single workers or small families. This project was never built.
This rendering of Harriman's Colony is a birds-eye view of a planned community, possibly in San Gabriel. The client, Job Harriman was a lawyer and ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 1911 as a socialist. After his failed mayoral bid, Harriman started a utopian socialist community called Llano del Rio, just outside of Palmdale, California. The short lived (1915-1917) community was self-sufficient, growing their own food, creating building materials, and living a communal lifestyle. Schindler had an interest in alternative lifestyles, so it is not surprising that Harriman would commission Schindler to design a colony.
Rudolph Schindler: Korsen bungalow court (Los Angeles, Calif.)
In the 1920s the 'bungalow court' was a common form of affordable housing in the Los Angeles region. With small units lining the sides of a city lot, perpendicular to the street, a courtyard is formed between the units. This style allowed each unit to have a bit of open space, and to fill in a lot with small individual units. Many of the bungalow courts in the city of Los Angeles were built by contractors, with no architect input, in a Spanish Revival or more traditional style. This unbuilt project for Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Korsen was designed by Schindler in a much more modern style.
R. M. Schindler papers, Architecture & Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Architecture & Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Rudolph Schindler: Falk apartments (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The apartment complex for Ted Falk at the corner of Lucile and Carnation avenues in Los Angeles, is one of the more complex designs for a Schindler apartment building. The four apartments are set on an irregular-shaped lot, on a steeply sloping hill. Schindler placed the two one-bedroom apartments and the two two-bedroom apartments above and set back from the streets to give each apartment a private outdoor space and a view of the city.
Jock Peters: L.P. Hollander store (New York, NY)
Jock Peters worked with Eleanor LeMaire on the interiors of the women's clothing store. The architectural firm who designed the building was Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, and it is located on East 57th Street in Manhattan. The store was laid out 'boutique style' with many different areas or shops for the customer to browse. LeMaire was a New York based interior designer, and had worked with Peters on the Bullocks Wilshire store
Jock Peters, designer Eleanor LeMaire, designer
Jock Peters papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Jock Peters: Shepard house (San Marino, Calif.)
This house for L.E. Shepard in the Los Angeles suburb of San Marino is one of the few houses designed by Peters. The style is a Streamline Moderne, with some hints of International Style and Art Deco. The images highlight the indoor-outdoor living, with patios, decks, and sliding doors.
Jock Peters: Gilks house (Los Angeles, Calif.)
This two-story modern house for the cinematographer Alfred Gilks is in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, just a short distance from Griffith Park. The house features multiple decks, an outdoor fireplace on the patio, and a mural in one of the bedrooms by Buckley MacGurrin.
Jock Peters: Peters house project (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The renderings for a proposed Jock Peters residence along College View Avenue in the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles show a very modern house, sited on a hill, with a studio and garage at street level. As with his other residential works, this house was to have multiple outside decks, patios, and balconies, as well as ample entertaining space, and a view of the city.
After working for the movie industry for a few years, in 1927 Peters began working with his brother George as Peters by Jock, Brothers Modern American Design Office. They designed furniture and other interior pieces.
After working with an architect in Germany, Peters emigrated to the United States in 1922 and settled in Los Angeles. By 1924 he was working with Famous Players- Lasky Corporation, one of the largest silent film production companies in the city. Peters worked on set designs until 1927 when he opened a design company with his brother George.
Jock Peters: Bullocks Wilshire store (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The Bullocks Wilshire department store was one of the first to cater to customers in automobiles. The large Art Deco edifice was easily recognizable, and customers were able to drive up, have a valet securely park their car at the rear of the building, then shop or dine inside the 230,000 square foot building. The building was designed by father and son architecture firm Parkinson and Parkinson. Jock Peters and Eleanor Lemaire worked for the Fiel & Paradise Company as interior designers and were responsible for the first few floors of the store. Each of the departments was designed to be a luxurious retreat, where live mannequins and low display cases featured items for sale, not racks of clothes, which would obscure the architecture and interior details of the room. Bullocks department store was eventually bought out by Macy's, which rebranded the location as an I Magnin store. By the early 1990s, the chain had folded and the building was purchased by the Southwestern Law School.
Jock Peters, designer Eleanor Lemaire, designer Parkinson and Parkinson, architects Mott Studios, photographer
Albert Frey: Aluminaire house (Syosset, NY)
The architect A. Lawrence Kocher was asked to design a house for the Architectural League of New York City and the Allied Arts of Industries bi-annual exhibition. Kocher hired Frey to help design a house that used new materials, like steel and glass as a low cost construction alternative. After the exhibition, the house was purchased by architect Wallace Harrison, who moved the house to his property in Syosset, on Long Island in New York. The house remains on the property until 1987, when a new owner decided to demolish the house and build a subdivision. The New York Institute of Technology agreed to dismantle the house and reconstruct it on their campus. Teams of architecture students spend the next six years carefully dismantling the house and re-assembling it at the School of Architecture on the Central Islip campus. In 2012, the campus was closed, the house was transferred to a group called the Aluminaire House Foundation, which dismantled the structure and stored it in a shipping container. In 2015, the container was shipped to Palm Springs and is currently awaiting re-assembly.
Albert Frey, architect A. Lawrence Kocher, architect
Albert Frey papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Albert Frey: Tramway Gas Station (Palm Springs, Calif.)
Frey and Chambers designed the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway station house (the building at the base of the mountain) in 1963. The Tramway Gas Station, at the corner of Tramway Road and Highway 111, was constructed in 1965 with a distinctive hyperbolic paraboloid roof, which gives the building an instantly recognizable appearance. It was used as a gas station until the 1990s, when it was turned into an art gallery. In 2015, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was converted to the Palm Springs Visitor Center.
Albert Frey, architect Robson Chambers, architect
Albert Frey: Kocher-Samson office and apartment (Palm Springs, Calif.)
In 1934, Frey was sent to Palm Springs to design and build an office building, with an apartment above, for Dr. J.J. Kocher, the brother of A. Lawrence Kocher. The building was designed to take advantage of the climate and featured a courtyard between the two offices on the ground floor, and the apartment had a large terrace on the shady north side of the building. The photographs, taken just after construction, show how the building was the only structure in the area, surrounded by sand and sagebrush. Today, the building still stands along busy Palm Canyon drive, surrounded by other businesses and concrete.
Albert Frey: Kocher weekend house (Northport, NY)
Architects A. Lawrence Kocher and Albert Frey worked together in 1933-1934 to design low-cost structures, like the Aluminaire House. Kocher was the managing editor of Architectural Record, faculty at the University of Virginia and Black Mountain College, and responsible for helping bring Walter Gropius to the United States. With this weekend house on Long Island, Kocher and Frey designed the house with a redwood frame, then stretched Marine canvas over the walls. The canvas was sealed and painted, and lined with aluminum for insulation on the inside. The ground level was parking and a playground, the second level was the main living level (with kitchen and large living room which had curtains to separate the space into bedrooms at night), and the top level was for sun bathing and sleeping areas during warm weather. The house was demolished in the 1950s to make way for a new subdivision.
Albert Frey: Bel Vista tract housing (Palm Springs, Calif.)
The Bel Vista affordable housing tract was built in 1945 as housing for War workers. The subdivision of 15 homes was designed by Albert Frey and John Porter Clark for the developers Sallie Stevens and Culver Nichols. This was the first subdivision in Palm Springs to feature modern-style houses, and the only Frey housing tract.
Albert Frey, architect John Porter Clark, architect
Albert Frey: North Shore Beach and Yacht Club (Salton Sea, Calif.)
The Salton Sea was a formerly dry lake bed located southeast of Palm Springs. The area was flooded as part of an effort to irrigate the surrounding area in the early 1900s, and is one of the largest lakes in California. It is also one of the saltiest and most polluted, due to agricultural run-off. During the 1950s, the North Shore area was a very popular vacation spot, and the marina was one of the largest in the state. The Club was in operation until 1984, when it closed after being damaged in a flood. In 2010, the county of Riverside operated the Salton Sea Museum and community center from the main building. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Albert Frey: Loewy house (Palm Springs, Calif.)
The industrial designer Raymond Loewy commissioned Frey to design a bachelor pad and winter getaway in 1947, in Palm Springs. The small (1100 square feet) house features walls of sliding glass doors opening onto a patio and pool. The outdoor living area contains multiple eating areas, a shaded trellis, and spots for pool-side lounging. As shown in the photos by Julius Shulman, the amoeba-shaped pool even extends under the glass doors and into the living room.
Albert Frey, architect Julius Shulman, photographer
Rudolph Schindler: Sardi's Restaurant (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Schindler designed the interior of the restaurant for Adolph Edward Brandstatter, including the furnishings. The restaurant, on Hollywood Boulevard near Vine, was popular with the Hollywood movie stars. It was originally open 24 hours per day and contained separate bar and restaurant areas. A kitchen fire in 1936 destroyed the building.
Rudolph Schindler, architect and designer
Rudolph Schindler: Wolfe house (Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, Calif.)
The Charles H. and Ethel Wolfe house was a single-family house with views of Avalon Bay, ocean, and natural landscapes. The mezzanine level was the street level and included the garage, small bedroom with full bath, kitchen, terrace, and living room with fireplace. The second floor was one below the mezzanine, and contained an ample guest room, with its own entry, kitchen, dressing room, multi-purpose living area and terrace. The house was torn down in 2002, and a house with a similar street facade was erected in its place.
Rudolph Schindler: El Pueblo Ribera Court (La Jolla, Calif.)
This twelve unit complex of duplexes, built for San Diego dentist W.L. Lloyd, showcased how Schindler was able to incorporate many of his modern plans into a multi-unit complex. Each unit had a ground floor living area, outdoor garden space, and an upper terrace and sleeping area. The units also have a view of Windansea Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Only one of the units is still relatively intact, two others burned, and the rest have been altered in various ways (mostly to inclose the upper floor to make more living space).
Rudolph Schindler: Toole house (Palm Desert, Calif.)
This desert house for Maryon (also listed as Marian) Toole, is located in Palm Desert, which at the time was an unincorporated area known as Palm Village. It features stone walls with wood framing, large glass walls and clerestory windows to let in light, and a large overhanging roof to keep the hot desert sun from heating up the inside.
Rudolph Schindler, architect Shirley Burden, photographer
Palm Desert, Calif.; Palm Village, Calif.
Rudolph Schindler: Buena Shore Club (Chicago, Ill.)
This very early work of Schindler was done while he was still in the employ of the Chicago architecture firm Otternheim, Stern, and Reichert, just prior to Schindler leaving to work for Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin. Built at Buena Avenue and Lakeshore Drive, the L-shaped clubhouse was part of the Buena Park neighborhood of upscale homes and apartment buildings.
Rudolph Schindler, architect Ottenheim, Stern, and Reichert, architects
Rudolph Schindler: Irving house (Wilmette, Ill.)
The James B. Irving house was a temporary home designed by Schindler while he was employed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Schindler designed the home quickly, after Irving requested a temporary home since his had been destroyed by a tornado. The Irvings lived in this small home until 1928, when they commissioned John Van Bergen (another former associate of Wright) to design a Prairie style home. The Bergen house was on the same parcel of land as the Schindler/Wright temporary house. Both houses were extant until 2014 when the Bergen house was moved to Evanston and the Schindler/Wright house was dismantled and put into storage to make way for a new development.
Rudolph Schindler, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
Lutah Maria Riggs: Riggs house (Montecito, Calif.)
Riggs designed this house on Middle Road in Montecito for herself in the mid-twenties; she lived there until her death in 1984. The house, named Clavelitos or "little carnation," contained two bedrooms, ample outdoor space, and large fireplaces. The Spanish Colonial Revival style was championed by George Washington Smith, who was Riggs' mentor; she worked for Smith up until his death in 1930.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect Frederick Dapprich, photographer Hal Bouchex, photographer
Lutah Maria Riggs papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Lutah Maria Riggs: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden library (Santa Barbara,Calif.)
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden was started in 1926 as a partnership between the Carnegie Institution and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, with land in Mission Canyon donated by Anna Dorinda Bliss. The Garden grew from the initial 13 acres, up to 78 acres today, and is filled with native and regional plants. In 1942, space was needed for the growing library of books on horticulture in the Garden's collection. Riggs was commissioned to design a structure for education and research named the Blaksley Library. The exterior courtyard was a collaboration between Riggs and landscape architect Beatrix Farrand. Additional landscape designs in the garden were created by Lockwood de Forest and Elizabeth de Forest.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect Marvin Rand, photographer Frederick Dapprich, photographer
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Lutah Maria Riggs: Suski building alterations (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
The large, multi-story commercial and retail building on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara had exterior alterations by Riggs. The T.C. Suski Building was a Joseph Magnin department store in the 1960s and is currently retail and offices. The building is adjacent to the Casa de la Guerra, the historic adobe dating from the 1820s, and the El Paseo shopping area.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect Ray Borges, photographer
Lutah Maria Riggs: Baer house (Lompoc, Calif.)
The alterations to the Herman Baer house in rural Lompoc show the modern style of architecture that Riggs was moving towards in the late 1940s. A marked departure from her Spanish Colonial Revival work of the 20s, this house shows her growth as an architect and ability to adapt to changing needs of her clients.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect William Aplin, photographer
Lutah Maria Riggs: Nelson medical offices (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
This medical office building was one of three commissions by dermatologist Lawrence Nelson. It is a typical small medical office building, with parking in the rear of the property, and access from the street. The present occupants of the building are a local architecture firm.
Lutah Maria Riggs: Colville house (Isla Vista, Calif.)
In 1954, the University of California opened a new campus on a former Marine Air Base, about ten miles west of Santa Barbara. This sparsely populated area, called Isla Vista, did not have the housing or infrastructure to support the influx of students, faculty, and staff. This small ocean-side house for Physical Education department faculty member Francis Colville is a two-bedroom, one bath modern house on Del Playa Drive. It is on the far west side of Isla Vista, since the properties closer to campus were zoned for multiple units to house students.
These two photographs, taken approximately 30 years apart, show Lutah as a student at Berkeley and as a well-established architect at her drafting table.
These undated portraits of Peters highlight his personal style and attitude in line with his interior designs.
These photographs capture Schindler at the construction site for the Walker house and in a more composed setting later in life.
This grouping of portraits shows the serious nature of Winslow.
Robert Stacy-Judd was an architect, archeologist, and tireless promoter of himself and his work. These portraits exhibit how his persona of Mayan explorer informed his architectural explorations.