Julia Morgan: Architect - Hardcover

Boutelle, Sara Holmes

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 089659792X ISBN 13: 9780896597921

Publisher: Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S., 1988

Synopsis

Dust Jacket in Very Good condition. Slight eraser damage to top right corner of ffep.

About this title

Review

"A balanced, thoughtful, well-written, sumptuously produced, critical biography of the most significant and successful woman architect in the history of the profession." —Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Anyone interested in Morgan owes a debt to Sara Boutelle... She has produced an informative and handsome book, filled with myriad new insights into the architects life and practice... The books high-quality layout and production should help set a new standard for architecture monographs." —Historic Preservation

"The most well-regarded source on Morgans work" —El Cerrito Journal (CA)

"Morgan (1872-1957) was William Randolph Hearst's favorite architect, and the theatrical Hearst Castle perched on a hilltop in San Simeon, Calif., might be considered a monument to her client's pretensions and her own pliabiity. Fortunately, this reclusive woman, who shunned publicity, left behind 700 other buildings in a medley of styles. In cottages, schools, churches, houses and civic projects, she swung eclectically between Arts and Crafts, California Mission, Bavarian, medieval and Mediterranean styles. Her work became unfashionable as modernism took hold, yet today it has attracted renewed interest. Her experimental use of color and decoration, her concern for indoor/outdoor living and for the relationship of structure to site all these make her buildings relevant to contemporary designers. In this biographical-critical study, Boutelle, an architectural historian, considers each building on its own terms. One-third of the 368 illustrations are in color; plans, sketches and photographs help us to appreciate many original touches." —Publishers Weekly

"San Simeon, William Randolph Hearst's fanciful estate on the California coast, is famous worldwide, yet only a few know of its architect, Julia Morgan. Boutelle's book happily should correct that fault. Drawing from letters, photographs, sketches, blueprints, and reminiscences, Boutelle provides a fascinating look at Morgan's life and career. With degrees from Berkeley and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, plus good social connections, Morgan had no problems garnering commissions; her engineering expertise, eye for detail, and ability to work in a variety of styles rightfully made her one of California's most prolific architects. This handsome volume, with its breathtaking color photographs, is long overdue but well worth the wait. Highly recommended." —Library Journal

About the Author

From her first reluctant visit to San Simeon in 1972, Sara Holmes Boutelle has been captivated by the diverse architecture and groundbreaking career of Julia Morgan. A graduate of Mount Holyoke, the Sorbonne, and Hamburg University, Ms. Boutelle taught art and architectural history for many years at the Brearley School in New York. A member of the Historic Preservation Commission in Santa Cruz, California, she has devoted almost fourteen years to researching, writing, and lecturing on Julia Morgan.

Edition details

• Publisher: Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S.
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 089659792X
• ISBN 13: 9780896597921
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288