Esoteric Survey

Mrs. Clinton Walker House (1951), Carmel Point in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Della Brooks Walker (1902-1984) wasn't just any Walker. She was married to Clinton Walker (1875-1944), who was the son of  T. B. Walker, founder of The Walker Art Center .  In 1945, Mrs. Walker wrote Frank Lloyd  Wright asking him to design a house for a property she owned in Carmel by the Sea.  It took 5 years to design and build.  Although it was enlarged in 1956, Initially, it was 1,000 square feet with three bedrooms, three baths, a kitchen and a 400 square foot living area. "That is the kind of house I promised my client. This "cabin on the rocks" is not a family house but a haven at the seaside for a single individual living in specific comfort of her own choosing." - Frank Lloyd Wright Source: House+Home, 1954 Thomas Church was the Landscape Architect The 3,000 square foot roof is two and a half times the size of the 1,200 sq. ft. house and carport. The triangular tables ...

Cool Outside – California’s Mid-Century Landscape The Studio at Marin Art and Garden Center presents, “Cool Outside” – an exhibition of the work of Robert Royston and other visionary designers. It was curated by JC Miller .  The exhibition includes many original examples of furniture designed by Robert Royston, which are extremely hard to find. The Royston-designed table was executed recently. Such a simple and great design. Royston planters The wall displays include some great ephemera.  A Lobachi wheeled deluxe model by Warren Musser (inventor and manufacturer). Royston lounge and Luther Conover stools/tables. Muriel Coleman table and Luther Conover lounge. It's hard to talk about midcentury landscape without mentioning Architectural Pottery. Kimball Fiberglass bowl and planter. Donnell Garden in Sonoma, designed by l andscape architect Thomas Church, with Lawrence Halprin and architect George Rockrise. This was perhaps one of the first biomorphic pools in the US. And Sta...

Stuart Pharmaceutical Company (1958) by Edward Durell Stone, with landscape design by Thomas Church. Pasadena entrepreneur Arthur Hanisch hired Stone and Church to design a factory on the nine acre site.  The building was selected by The American Institute of Architects as one of the five best designs for 1958. The hanging discs are planters, although none of them are planted.   The employee recreation area, including patio furniture from Brown Jordan (they were based in Pasadena at the time).  Source: Julius Shulman via  Pasadena Digital History Collaboration Photo: Julius Shulman,  Getty Research Institute Photo: Julius Shulman,  Getty Research Institute 1958 Photo: Julius Shulman,  Getty Research Institute The site in 1990.  Source:  Pasadena Digital History Collaboratio n Stuart Ph armaceutical Company was acquired by  Merck/Johns...