Synopsis:
William Randolph Hearst's dazzling "castle" at San Simeon, California, is famous world round, yet only the aficionado can name Julia Morgan as the architect who built it. For more than thirty years she worked with Hearst in a rare collaboration, creating not only his art-filled hilltop palace but also a fairytale Bavarian "village" known as Wyntoon and many other commercial and domestic structures. Yet the Hearst commissions, notable as they are, are not Morgan's only claim to fame.
Given the sweep of Morgan's accomplishments, it is astonishing that this is the first substantial book ever devoted to her career. Painstakingly researched for more than a decade by Sarah Holmes Boutelle, founder of the Julia Morgan Association, this handsome volume lovingly document's Morgan's life and work. This is a remarkable book celebrating the achievements of a remarkable woman.
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
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