Julia Morgan, Architect

by Sara Holmes Boutelle, Richard Barnes (Photographs)

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.

Genres: Architecture, Biography, History, Nonfiction, Design, Art

272 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1988

Reviews

[Laura Bang · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have heard of Julia Morgan, it is most likely for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. I grew up just a bit down the coast from San Simeon, so visits to Hearst Castle and the nearby town of Cambria were frequent parts of my childhood. I was curious to get to know more about Morgan, who was one of the earliest female professional architects, among the first women to go through the engineering school at UC Berkeley, and the first woman accepted to the architecture program at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This book leans more toward Morgan's architecture than towards her as a person, but I still found it quite interesting, even as a non-architect. There are plenty of photographs to accompany the textual descriptions of Morgan's designs, and I found myself dreaming about living in quite a few of them. Morgan had a real eye for detail and an admiration for true craftsmanship, making for some lovely places and spaces. Her life has a sad ending, though, as she retired and died believing that no one would ever appreciate her work again since the Arts & Crafts style that was her specialty had gone out of fashion. I love visiting Hearst Castle and now that I know about more of Morgan's work, I am definitely going to have to track down some of her remaining buildings when I'm in California again.

[Kev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately this biography is deeply moving and tragic.

Toward of the end of her life she thought her practice a failure. When she closed her office she burned her entire corpus. She'd seen the rise of an American Design Style and the International School's Modernist Style and thought her Beaux-Arts Neo-Classicism as passe and anachronistic.

Boutelle did an amazing thing. She collected the copies of Morgan's work that her clients retained. This way we now are benefitted by Julia's work.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! I knew the name Julia Morgan from her association with San Simeon, a place I've never visited, but would like to, and had read a lot about. This richly illustrated, very comprehensive books details a life that was so much more than San Simeon. A female architect in a time when the field was almost completely male, she was a true trail-blazer as well as being very talented.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The five stars are as much for Julia Morgan as they are for the book itself. Ms Morgan lived a life of hard work that brought much beauty into our world. To this day, her Asilomar and Hearst Castle are the most popular and profitable of all the California state parks.

As I mentioned in one of my progress updates, it is so, so sad how she spent her final chapter lonely and without recognition.

[Sfahrney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photography; interesting biography. Sometimes too detailed but then my interest in architecture is vocational, not professional. She was a glass ceiling breaker in her profession however, not much is given about her personal life which was also unique.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I slightly prefer the newer Kastner biography, but this is a good one too. If this is the one your library has, go for it!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been fascinated with the work of Julia Morgan since I first visited Hearst Castle in 1979 and heard her name. I've browsed through the photos and pictures in this book several times but this is the first time I've read it cover to cover. I admire both Morgan's work and her character. You know that game you play with friends where you each choose five or so people, living or dead, that you'd like to invite to a dinner party? Miss Morgan would be one of mine.

The only thing remaining on my bucket list is to walk the grounds of Wyntoon, and I'm afraid that is not possible. Maybe in the next life.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book. it’s a worthy biography about Julia Morgan, the architect, and contains beautiful photos and some original drawings.

[Nancy Loe · Rating 4 out of 5]

First biography of influential California architect Julia Morgan is marred by inaccuracies but it's still the best biography available. Beautifully illustrated.

[Vicky Dornbush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. One of the few written about Julie Morgan. They detail and pictures are amazing.

[Belle Meade School]

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