Book of the day and book signing tomorrow (3/11, 4-6!) > Gordon B. Kaufmann (Master Architects of Southern California 1920-1940). Published by Angel City Press. "Master Architects of Southern California 1920-1940 is a new twelve volume series overseen by Marc Appleton, Bret Parsons, and Steve Vaught that showcases the work of the Golden Era’s most important residential architects. Featuring period photographs of the work of legendary names in the region's architecture, these monographs are devoted to the period when oil barons, film industry moguls, bankers, and successful entrepreneurs who were new to Los Angeles sought to hire the most accomplished and talented architects they could find.

The premiere volume showcases Gordon B. Kaufmann, whose design for Greystone - the famed Beverly Hills domicile he created for E.L. Doheny Jr. and Lucy Doheny - catapulted him to the top of his field. Combining elements of English Gothic and Jacobean styles, the fifty-five room manor for the son and daughter-in-law of the then-richest man in the United States became the largest private residence in Southern California.

Though Kaufmann’s name and legacy have since dimmed to all but architectural historians and savvy realtors, his stamp is all over Southern California, and Greystone is hardly his only notable achievement. GORDON B. KAUFMANN includes a detailed career biography that chronicles numerous residential projects he designed, including homes for legendary Los Angeles families with names like Chandler, Janss, Adamson, Getz, and Hampshur-Jones, to name a few. In addition, Kaufmann designed Hoover Dam, the Los Angeles Times Building, Caltech’s Athenaeum, Santa Anita Park, and other important local landmarks.

The period from 1920 to 1940 was an era of incredible homes that utilized the very best building materials available, prior to their being needed for the nation's World War II effort. Notes co-author Bret Parsons “Artisans were still crafting the best details from those remarkable materials; redwood two-by-fours still measured two-inches by four-inches”. These residences defined Los Angeles as a city whose architectural heritage was in the making. “These were the homes that made architectural history, yet few were properly documented.” 

Join us tomorrow (Saturday, 3/11, 4:00-6:00) or purchase a signed copy here.