Hearst Castle: An interpretive history of W. R. Hearst's San Simeon estate

by Nancy E. Loe

Soft Cover.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Carol Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A colorful and fascinating introduction to the famous estate. Architect Julia Morgan and Hearst seemed to work well together since they shared the same stubborn drive and work ethic. There are plenty of entertaining stories about the long, hard process of building a castle on a mountain, from many different people involved. The photographs of the buildings, rooms, and art are wonderful, and many of Morgan's architectural sketches are included.

The author has an eye for fascinating details. I wasn't too surprised to learn that, in Hearst's vast and priceless collections, he owned a Ford's Theater playbill from the night of Lincoln's assasination, but I was impressed that Hearst had acquired an Egyptian papyrus manuscript of The Book of the Dead. And that food was lifted up on cranes for the resident giraffes, because the trees weren't tall enough for them yet, to prevent them from scrounging on the ground and ingesting stones. Delightful.

[Richard Jespers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first visited Hearst Castle in 1978. The tour was conducted more like an informal swirl through a friend’s home. The lighting was dark, and things seemed misarranged. The second time I visited the park, in 1997, it had been taken over by the state of California and a visit divided into four separate tours. My partner and I were so fascinated that we took all four, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. We became so well acquainted with the docent that we later had drinks . . . that is not true . . . I wish, he was a handsome blond man. Anyway, by that time, the entire property had been curated and updated so that it looked more as it would have in its heyday, the 1920s and 1930s.

Loe’s book, which I bought on that latter trip, has remained on my shelf until now, but it is no less interesting. The content is as much about the original owner, W. R. Hearst, newspaper magnate, and his architect partner, the renowned Julia Morgan, as it is about the property itself. In fact, the book seems more about Morgan, an early feminist and a rare woman architect at that time. Hearst may have liked her in part because she was able to create almost feature he wanted, even if it meant destroying a newly built basement wall to widen his bowling alley to three lanes from two—a whimsy that he scarcely used in his lifetime. But he also respected her opinion and taste, because she was usually correct in her judgment. I still find the idea fascinating that a mere mortal could make his every wish come true (except that wish to live forever). What it must do to one’s psyche to get one’s way ninety-nine percent of the time. To some eyes, the castle is a mishmash (or is it now mashup) of every major historical architectural period and every major culture in the world. To others it represents the hubris of the ultrawealthy. To me it represents the creativity of two people rich with ideas and nearly unlimited sources. Late in life, Hearst would have to sell off certain assets in order to take care of his $126 million dollar debt. Now that’s living! And yet he would still hold onto his Casa Grande, as he so fondly called it, for a bit longer.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic overview of the place, people, history, art and architecture. It’s slightly dated now and there are numerous errors but this does not detract from the broader picture. A good read before or after visiting this enchanted hilltop.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on the Hearst Castle and its history with William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies.

[Rick Vickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about the construction of W.R. Hearst's San Simeon Estate.

[Steven Monrad]

Necessarily selective - large color graphics.