Julia Morgan, architect /

Julia Morgan was the first woman architect trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the most distinguished American woman architect in the first half of this century. The deliberate destruction of most of her drawings and office records before her death was based on her belief that no one other than former clients (with copies of their own) would be interested in her work. At the time she was correct; the rise of the International Style made Morgan's work anachronistic with its focus on historical references and Beaux-Arts planning. Resurgent interest in Morgan has been thwarted by the lack of organized, consolidated records. Boutelle attempts to correct this problem. This first full-length study of Morgan is a survey of her career, dominated by work done for the Hearst family. Famous for the 25-year project at San Simeon, Morgan also designed numerous buildings to support women's activities, in every case combining a Beaux-Arts approach with concern for the building's marriage to the site. More descriptive than analytical, ignoring feminist perspective, Boutelle has nevertheless laid a foundation for further investigation of Morgan's work. Excellent reproductions support the text, although many buildings discussed are not illustrated and the failure to number the images and to cite the owner of drawings in their captions is irritating. A selected bibliography and an invaluable list of all of Morgan's commissions complete this volume. For public, college, and university collections. -S. M. Klos, University of Oregon

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 siteall 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. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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. H. Ward Jandl, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.