Browse Items (856 total)

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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),…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

Concept for the Tierney and Co. Restaurant. Note the bold Art Deco inspired interior.

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…

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.

Floor plan and photographs of the residence Davidson designed for himself and his wife on South Barrington Avenue in Los Angeles.

Photographs of the former servants' quarters that Davidson retrofitted into his five-bedroom apartment in Berlin.

Watercolor sketch from one of Davidson's sketchbooks.

Watercolor sketch of a church steeple when Davidson probably still lived in Posen, Poland.

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.

Watercolor sketch of Davidson's hometown of Berlin.

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".

Schematics of lamp designs. Davidson was inspired by Bauhaus furniture, which were streamlined, stainless steel constructions.

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.

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".

Renderings and floor plan of the Drive-in Curb Market. Designs like this clearly anticipated the increasing importance of automobiles in the modern age.

Photographs of the entrance and interior of the Haberdashery (a men's clothing store). This business replaced the earlier Schilling's Flowers.

Photograph of the interior and front entrance of the Schilling's Flower Store. It was later replaced by Bachelor's Haberdashery Shop.

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.

A portrait of J.R. Davidson in his later years.

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.

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.

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.

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…

Davidson's design for the cover of California Sport Magazine.

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.

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,…

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…

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.

Real estate investor Jacob Stern commissioned this house from Coate in 1928. The over 9000 square foot estate was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style, on a 2.2 acre parcel of land. The 30 room mansion was sited on the crown of a hill,…

Irene Mayer and David C. Selznick, a well-known movie producer, commissioned this house from Coate at the height of the great depression. The house was a Georgian Revival on a large lot in the center of Beverly Hills, surrounded by other movie…

This large house, on a prominent hill overlooking the Bel Air Country Club was commissioned by petroleum executive David C. and Irene Norcross. The house features many Monterey Revival influences, as well as some intricate ironwork on a double-height…

The John E. Barber house is an early example of Coate's Monterey Revival style-- a second story balcony, center hall, with the majority of rooms opening onto outside space. Grayson C. and John Edwin Barber were a well-to-do and prominent Pasadena…

The owners of a successful furniture business, Frank and Ruth Wilmot Cowlishaw commissioned Coate to design a large ranch house and stables for their 640 acre working ranch in Arizona. The house was L shaped and centered around a pool in the back of…

This house, an interpretation of a Monterey style house, was one of Coate's earliest commissions as a solo architect, after the dissolution of the Johnson, Kaufmann, and Coate partnership. Stafford W. Bixby was a descendant of early California…

This house is a departure from Coate's Spanish and Monterey Revival style. Built for industrialist Ira L. Bryner and his wife Margaret, the house was sited on an irregular hillside lot and bore the hallmarks of a Georgian Revival, with some Colonial…

This house was built for Eva J.K. Fudger, daughter of a citrus rancher and wife of a Toronto businessman. Fudger had been living across the street when she commissioned Coate to build this house with a view towards the adjacent Wilshire Country Club.…

Katherine Tremaine commissioned Paul Soderburg to design a house for her after her divorce from Warren Tremaine. The house was built in the hills of Montecito in 1972, and extensively remodeled by Soderburg for Tremaine in 1977.

This ranch house was designed by California architect Cliff May, with a local architect from Ireland, Donal O'Neill Flanagan. The architects collaborated to design a house for Warren and Katherine Tremaine and their manager of the Loughtown stud farm…

The Serena Beach Club was to be built on property adjacent to the Burton and Emily Tremaine house that was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Neither project was realized.

These are two designs for an un-built beach house in the Sandyland Cove beach community of Carpenteria, Calif. for Burton and Emily Tremaine. The designs by Riggs and Shaw are for two very different stylistic conceptions.

Burton and Emily Tremaine commissioned Riggs and Shaw to design a ranch house on the Tremaine family ranch near Winslow, Arizona. The circular shape was reminiscent of the nearby Meteor Crater Natural landmark.

Lutah Maria Riggs worked with interior designer Paul T. Frankl to furnish the Von Romberg house. Photographs were taken by both George Hurrell and Stuart O'Brien.

The three exterior photographs were taken by George Hurrell.

The renderings of the exterior, details, and sections of the Von Romberg house also show how the exterior changed as Riggs and Emily Von Romberg worked together to create a house that would suit all involved.

The drawings of the Von Romberg house were commissioned for Baron Maximilian Edmund Hugo Wilhelm Von Romberg and his wife Emily Hall Von Romberg. The floor plans show how the design for the house changed over time.

For the United States Pavillion at the Universal Exposition of Seville (Expo 92) competition, Myers created a series of buildings connected by courtyards, with theaters, exhibition space, and a water wall, all capped by three 'shade sails' to provide…

With the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJ PAC), Myers created a multi-building center with theaters, conference rooms, and restaurants to connect existing parts of Newark (a Military Park and the Passaic River) with each other and the new venue.…

Myers renovated and expanded the Art Gallery-- renovating the existing 190,000 square feet of museum and adding another 100,000 square feet. The renovations included the re-working of buildings dating back to 1817, and to connect the various new and…

The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts was the initial phase of building for the Cerritos Town Center development. The arts center was a grouping of buildings designed for theater performances, meetings, receptions, and other gatherings. The…

The design competition for the civic center of Phoenix placed the main municipal buildings at the center of the city; the Myers plan incorporates the main arteries into how the architecture works with the surrounding area. The low-rise buildings were…

In 1980, the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency was planning to demolish the Bunker Hill area of the city and organized a competition for a team of architects to design a new urban center. A Grand Avenue proposal was created by developer…

For the Seagram Museum, Myers used the original nineteenth-century barrel warehouse, which had held up to 6000 barrels of whiskey, as part of the exhibition space. He also used wood beams from the warehouse to clad the new structures. At the time of…

The Portland Performing Arts Center was designed in association with BOOR/A and ELS Design Group. Myers designed two theaters, the 900-seat Newmark Theatre and the 360-seat Dolores Winningstad Theater, as well as offices, ticketing area, and support…

George Washington Smith was commissioned by Alfred Dietrich, an heir to an oil manufacturing fortune who also owned a railroad line, to design servants quarters and a garage for his property on Park Lane. This smaller house was built prior to the…

The Wesley Gallagher house was a Smith commission just prior to his death in 1930. The Smith files contain these sketches and drawings (most done in Riggs' hand) for preliminary elevations for the house. The Riggs files contain the actual working…

The Carpenteria beach house for Albert Keep Isham was a Moorish inspired estate directly on the beach. Smith also constructed a natatorium, which was done in an "Islamic" style and contained a large number of decorative tiles around the swimming pool…

This large Spanish Colonial Revival mansion in the small town of Woodside was built for copper mining magnate Daniel Cowan Jackling and his family. The 17,000 square foot house sat on a 194 acre parcel of land. The property was subdivided and all but…

This house for Robert VanWyck Maverick was one of only two houses Smith built in Texas. It was considered one of the best examples of a courtyard-centered house at the time of its construction. The plan for the house was U-shaped, with a fourth wall…

The Del Ray Hotel / Apartments / Shopping center complex in San Diego, was one of Killingsworth's first multi-family dwelling projects. It was designed to provide for all of the necessities in one location. With a large outdoor pool area, landscaped…

The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii was designed to be one of the top luxury resort hotels in the world. The 345 room hotel also contained separate bungalows designed by the firm, which were each 4000 square feet in size and were…

The Halekulani Hotel's name means "House Befitting Heaven" in the native Hawaiian language of the people of the Waikiki beach area. The location for the hotel had been the site of various guest accommodations and hotels since the early 1900s. The 453…

The firm Killingsworth, Stricker, Lindgren, Wilson & Associates designed and built many high-end luxury hotels throughout the world during the 1980s. This Marriott was built close to their home office in Long Beach. It was also conveniently located…

The Princess Reforma hotel was an unbuilt design that reached the stage of having a scale model built and photographed by renown architectural photographer Julius Shulman. The hotel was to feature a tall, thin tower to house the majority of the hotel…

The Phoenician Resort, at the base of Camelback Mountain just outside of Phoenix, was designed as a very high end luxury hotel and spa. It initially had 604 rooms, 132 casitas, 9 Steinway grand pianos, and exterior tropical landscaping designed by…

The Boca Beach Club was a luxury resort in Boca Raton, Florida, perched on a piece of land surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal waterway. The hotel featured 212 rooms, 147 oceanfront cabanas, 5 lounges, and two restaurants on site.

The Jakarta Hilton was built using indigenous craftspeople to add traditional cultural elements to the design of the hotel. The 14 story hotel included 406 rooms, with long-term rental cottages also available on the 32 acre hotel property. The hotel…

The Kahala Hilton was one of Killingsworth's first luxury hotels. With 300 rooms and suites, all air conditioned, surrounded on three sides by golf courses and direct beach access, the hotel featured state of the art luxury amenities. The ten story…

In one of his earliest projects for the Hilton Hotel chain, this airport hotel in El Paso utilized many of the hallmarks of Killingsworth's style. The six interconnected low-slung, two story buildings had walls of glass in the lobby, with a wide…

The Art Building complex at California State University, Fullerton is actually a grouping of four buildings connected by courtyards, loggias, and water features. The classrooms in the Art building were designed to be wide and long, to permit many…

In addition to private homes, Abell also designed schools, stores, and other commercial buildings such as this bank on Larchmont in Los Angeles. The clean and simple facade, overhanging roof, and ample off-street parking have survived the 40+ years…

This house for L.B. Adelman is sited on a portion of the former Charlie Chaplin estate in Beverly Hills (the tennis court on the property is the original Chaplin Estate court). The post and beam design was designed by Abell and O'Neil Ford, a…

The steel magnate Gustav Rich commissioned this house from Abell in 1966. The steel frame with stucco also contained long walls of glass and interior walls of walnut.
The house was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2006, after…