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Architectural
Treasures |
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Some of
the East Bay's special places |
| | The Buildings Of Berkeley | Bernhardi, Robert
Berkeley CA
720.97946 B457b | | |
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| | The Arts & Crafts Home In Berkeley | Archibald, Robert
Berkeley CA
720.97946 Ar79 | | |
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| | Residential Work In Berkeley Of Bernard Maybeck | Bruce, Anthony
Berkeley CA
720.973 M451 | | |
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| | Walking Tours Of Berkeley |
Berkeley CA
720.97946 B455t | | |
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| | Trachtenberg Architects | 2421 Fourth Street
Berkeley CA
510-649-1414 x12 | David has done some excellent designs.. including the new Clock Tower Building going up at Solano and Colusa | |
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| | Arlington Fountain | Arlington & Marin
Berkeley CA
| The little bears around fountain get decked out in decorative wreaths during the holidays. They have charming little bellies. We call them buddah bears. For decades this was just a grassy circle, and it’s wonderful that the fountain was recreated. | |
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| | Hume Castle | 2900 Buena Vista Way
Berkeley CA
| I’d heard about this building for months when I’d first come to Berkeley, but I never knew where it was. Then I rented an apartment on Buena Vista Way... and discovered, to my delight, that I was smack dab between the Hume Castle and Temple Of The Wings (Isadora Duncan's hangout).. and just up the street from Maybeck Twin Drive. The home was built by the Boynton family, who were friends with Isadora Duncan I loved living there with the pleasant eucalyptus fragrance. From time to time I’d awake to find a sea of fog below me. It was magical! You'll love it living in the hills too. | |
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| | Kennedy House | Euclid & Buena Vista Way
Berkeley CA
| Right on the corner, this is actually two buildings - a home and a performance studio. The colors are wonderful and the home has a graceful feel to it. | |
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| | Lawson House | 1515 La Loma Avenue
Berkeley CA
| I believe that Lawson was a geologist or structural expert, so Bernard Maybeck designed this Pompeiian villa to withstand earthquakes. It’s still there, so I guess his design worked. | |
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| | Mathewson "Studio" House | 2704 Buena Vista Way
Berkeley CA
| Right on the corner of La Loma and Buena Vista Way, this starts Maybeck Country. He lived across the street, and designed several homes in the area for friends and family. I rented an apartment just up the street and loved living in the hills | |
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| | Maybeck "Sack" House | 2711 Buena Vista Way
Berkeley CA
| Experimental Architecture - I recall that Maybeck dipped burlap sacks in concrete or stucco... then used them as architectural elements. | |
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| | Wallen Maybeck House | 2751 Buena Vista Way
Berkeley CA
| Maybeck built this for his son and daughter in law, Jacomena. I met Jacomena when I lived on Buena Vista Way. I think they originally lived in the wonderful home on Purdue in Kensington. | |
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| | Temple Of The Wings-Boynton House | 2800 Buena Vista Way
Berkeley CA
| Oh boy - one of Berkeley’s most amazing architectural gems. The original building didn’t have walls. I believe that Isadora Duncan once danced here. | |
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| | Rose Walk | Euclid by Codornices Park
Berkeley CA
| Pleasant path just south of the Rose Garden - several very attractive homes on it | |
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| | Normandy Village | 1837 Spruce Street
Berkeley CA
| I was wowed the first time I saw this wonderful complex! Normandy Village in Berkeley. Take a stroll around the property and you’ll be charmed. I recall that the architect (Yelland?) wanted to recreate the Normandy Villages he'd seen in France - It’s a bit like Portmeiron in Wales (site of the “Prisoner” series) | |
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| | Northside: Historic Survey Of A North Berkeley Neighborhood Before And After The 1923 Wildfire | Cerny, Susan
Berkeley CA
720.97946 C335n | | |
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| | BAHA - Northbrae : A Residence Park At Berkeley | Bruce, Anthony
Berkeley CA
720.97946 N813 | BAHA - Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association has an excellent series of tours and books on Berkeley's extraordinary architecture. | |
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| | Berkeley Library North Branch | 1170 The Alameda
Berkeley CA
510-644-6850 | Berkeley has a great library system. The main library is an Art Deco Jewel in downtown Berkeley. This is one of the four branch libraries (Elmwood/Claremont, South, West & North Berkeley) | |
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| | Robert Nebolon, Architect | 801 Camelia Street
Berkeley CA
510-525-2725 | | |
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| | Julia Morgan Theater | 2640 College Avenue
Berkeley CA
510-845-8542 | Once St. John’s Church, now a lovely performance space. The first time we sponsored Sedge Thomson’s “West Coast Live” (91.7 FM Saturday 10 AM-Noon), the show was at the Julia Morgan. Check out the building during a performance - it's a treat. | |
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| | Claremont Creekside | Cerny, Susan
720.97946 C561 | | |
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| | The Craftsman Home | 3048 Claremont Avenue
Berkeley CA
510-655-6503 | Berkeley has several small shopping districts (Hopkins at Monterey, Gilman at Santa Fe, and Claremont at The Uplands). This craftsman (craftspeople?) furniture store is in the Clarmemont shopping district. Stop by Semifreddi’s for terrific breads, or Afikomen for Judaica when you’re in the neighborhood | |
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| | Greene & Greene - Thorsen House | 2307 Piedmont Avenue
Berkeley CA
| One of the few (only?) Greene & Greene craftsman (craftspeople?) homes in Berkeley. Now a fraternity house. They give tours from time to time | |
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| | Christian Science Church | Dwight Way/Bowditch
Berkeley CA
| Bernard Maybeck designed this church. Visit inside - it’s a treat! | |
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| | Landmark Heritage Foundation | 2315 Durant Avenue #306
Berkeley CA
510-883-9710 | | |
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| | Berkeley High School | 2223 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley CA
510-644-6121 | Berkeley High School has a set of Art Deco murals on Martin Luther King... I only wish they did a two tone or three tone paint job on it! | |
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| | United Artists Berkeley | 2274 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley CA
510-843-1487 | One of the Art Deco buildings on the Main Berkeley Library block | |
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| | Metropole Restaurant-Bar | 2271 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley CA
510-848-3080 | A charming little building | |
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| | Berkeley Library Main Branch | 2090 Kittredge Street
Berkeley CA
510-981-6100 | It’s a wonderful resource (and right near the downtown YMCA). The library has an excellent selection of design and architecture books, music, as well as DVD and videos in numerous languages (including English). When you visit the main ilbrary site, be sure to check out the commercial building just to the south (on Shattuck) and the United Artists mural above the UA theater down the street. If you're on an Art Deco tour, check out the murals on the Martin Luther King side of Berkeley High School. It's Mayan Art Deco Designed in 1930 by James Plachek | |
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| | Berkeley Historical Society Museum | 1931 Center Street
Berkeley CA
510-848-0181 | Small Berkeley History Museum definitely worth a visit when you’re in the area. Limited hours - check the web site to make sure they’ll be open when you visit. | |
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| | Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association | 2318 Durant Avenue
Berkeley CA
510-841-2242 | Interested in Berkeley Architecture? Join! | |
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| | Tupper & Reed Building - Becketts Irish Pub | 2271 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley CA
| An Architectural Treasure by WR Yelland.... now Beckett's Pub | |
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| | Spiro Building | 2277 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley CA
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| | Morse Block | 2276 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley CA
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| | Post Office | 2000 Allston Way
Berkeley CA
800-275-8777 | This is one of the most handsome buildings in Berkeley, and I have the pleasure of seeing it several days a week when I work out at the Berkeley YMCA. It’s worth a visit. Murals inside. | |
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| | Farm Credit Building | 2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley CA
| Now Berkeley City Hall | |
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| | Golden Sheaf Bakery | 2071 Addison Street
Berkeley CA
| Wonderful brick facade, recently renovated by Avi Nevo as part of Berkeley's Art District. It's one of the most interesting buildings in Berkeley | |
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| | S.H Kress Building | 2036 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley CA
| Terra Cotta, with hints of Art Deco. The Kress building has been reborn as an arts center/office space | |
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| | Discovering West Berkeley : A Self-Guided Tour | Roha, Catherine
Berkeley CA
720.97946 D631 | | |
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| | Berkeley Bungalow | 2508 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley CA
510-981-9520 | Arts & Crafts, Furniture, Decorative Arts, Handcrafted Items | |
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| | Santa Fe Railroad Depot (Historical) | 1310 University Avenue
Berkeley CA
| Berkeley’s Santa Fe Railroad Station once was the Santa Fe Bar & Grill. The restaurant's now closed, and I believe the building will be "repurposed" (what an awful word) to a school. When I first moved to Berkeley in 1974, the Santa Fe trains still ran across University Avenue. I miss those days. There no longer was passenger trains, but it was kind of nice (except when I was in a hurry) to see railroad cars in Berkeley. | |
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| | Gilman Salvage | Gilman Street
Berkeley CA
510-524-5500 | A wonderful place to browse for salvage items. | |
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| | Maybeck Home | 135 Purdue
Kensington CA
| Carol and I saw this home during an architectural tour... and I spent the next 5 years trying to find it again. One day I was driving north on Purdue Avenue, and realized I’d rediscovered it. The home is almost monastic in its simplicity - lovely living room, small bedrooms along a walkway, and is sited at the crest of the hill... with lovely natural vegation all around. We could see ourselves living here very nicely! | |
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| | Mountain View Cemetery & Columbarium | 5000 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland CA
510-658-2588 | This is one of the more remarkable sites in the East Bay, with some of the most interesting architecture around. Visit the final resting place of Crocker, Ghiradelli, Borax Smith, and many other. Call the Cemetary to find out when they have tours scheduled. The Columbarium is a peaceful Julia Morgan building. Feel free to stroll around the meditative site. When I go, I plan to be interred in a bronze copy of my book “How To Buy A House In California" | |
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| | Chapel of the Chimes | 4499 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland CA
510-654-0123 | This is one of the Bay Area's most lovely spaces... and it's a Columbarium (for ashes of cremated people) next to Oakland's Mountain View Cemeterery. The main building was designed byJulia Morgan (who also did Hearst Castle!) and is simply a delightful, serene, space. I think when It's time for me to go, I may have a bronze made of my book "How To Buy A House In California" and be interred there! Martin Snapp wrote of it "In many ways, the Chapel of the Chimes was her masterpiece. It's a magical maze of gardens,cloisters, alcoves, stairwells, fountains, and chapels, all rising into vaulted Gothic ceilings" I couldn't have said it better! Hot Tip - Martin wrote that on the Summer Solstice, they often have a "Garden of Memory" concert in the Chapel of The Chimes. I plan to go the next time! | |
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| | Several Storefronts | Lakeshore Avenue
Oakland CA
800-808-2220 | Attractive Art Deco storefronts on Lakeshore Avenue | |
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| | Alameda County Courthouse | 1225 Fallon
Oakland CA
| Art Deco structure next to Lake Merritt. The tile murals inside the south entrance of the building are delightful! | |
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| | Breuner's Building | 2201 Broadway
Oakland CA
| Be sure to look at the terra cotta mural above the front door. Breuner’s was a long time furniture store, and I’m delighted they created this Art Deco building. | |
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| | I Magnin | 2001 Broadway
Oakland CA
| Another of downtown Oakland’s Art Deco jewels. The green terra cotta is similar to the Bruener’s building . The URL above refers you to the Friends of Terra Cotta database, which includes the exterior of Oakland's I. Magnin building. | |
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| | Oakland Floral Depot | 1900 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland CA
| WOW - Silver and indigo - a small jewel of an Art Deco building in downtown Oakland. I highly recommend taking an Art Deco tour from the Oakland | |
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| | Paramount Theater | 2025 Broadway
Oakland CA
510-465-6400 | Timothy Phleuger (I’m not sure of the spelling) designed this extraordinary theater, and it is the Jewel Of The Crown of East Bay Art Deco Architecture. The best way to see the building is by attending a performance, or taking one of the guided tours. Don’t miss: the exterior mural details, green and yellow entryway (look above for the oval and fountain.... symbols of???), and murals in the bathrooms. | |
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| | Fox Theater | 1815 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland CA
| Undergoing restoration - Hindu Temple Deco Revival near the Floral Depot | |
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| | The Oakland Paramount | Stone, Susannah Harri
725.8 St72o | | |
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| | The Oakland Museum: A Gift Of Architecture | Tanke, Gene
720.97946 Oa4 | | |
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| | Friends of the Oakland Fox Theatre | 1970 Broadway #1200
Oakland CA
510-869-3519 | An architectural jewel of the East Bay. I've never been inside it, and look forward to the day when it's restored as beautifully as the nearby Paramount Theater. | |
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| | Preservation Park | 1300 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Oakland CA
510-874-7580 | Oakland moved some wonderful victorian homes to a "Preservation Park"... with a pretty fountain. Just a few steps from Downtown Oakland. | |
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| | Old Oakland | 810 Clay & Washington Streets
Oakland CA
| This beautifully restored historic area is a delight to wander through, and stop by the restaurants, cafes, and shops. The Storek Brothers did a magnificent job bringing the buildings back to life. On Fridays there's a farmer's market (when I was on a jury, the judge told us about it!) | |
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| | Ford Assembly Building | End of Harbour Drive
Richmond CA
| Ford built this large assembly plant along the waterfront... and ships brought in supplies and took away automobiles. Ford Model A #1 is in the Richmond History Museum. Ford didn't have room to expand, and eventually moved the plant to Fremont (which is now the Great Mall of The Bay Area. Appropriately, the plant was used as a site in the movie "Tucker" This handsome building was designed by Albert Kahn, and hopefully will be converted to live/work studios and ferry terminal/business facilities in the future. | |
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| | A Living Legacy : Historic Architecture Of The East Bay | Wilson, Mark A
720.97946 W695L | | |
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| | East Bay Heritage : A Potpourri Of Living History | Wilson, Mark A
720.97946 W675e | | |
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| | | | East Bay's Art Deco Treasures Art Deco has always had tremendous appeal to me - perhaps it started the first time I saw the Empire State Building or Chrysler Building when growing up in New York City. I loved the clean lines and modern contemporary design. There are some wonderful examples of Art Deco in the Bay Area - most of which are in Oakland and San Francisco. Heres are some places you don't want to miss on your tour. The Art Deco Society has an annual meeting and tours. I particularly enjoyed the night time "neon sign" tour, as well as their tours of downtown Oakland and San Francisco, and the Marina District in San Francisco. The tour to the Gladding Mc Bean Terra Cotta Company in Lincoln, California was a special treat. Michael Crowe has written an excellent book "Deco By The Bay: Art Deco Architecture In The San Francisco Bay Area" San Francisco has delightful Art Deco buildings, particularly at 1360 Montgomery. | |
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| | Dan Smith, Architect | 1107 Virginia Street
Berkeley CA
510-526-1935 | Dan Smith was our architect when we remodelled our home... and he did a wonderful job. That was 20 years ago, and I can only imagine what wonderful designs he's come up with since then. | |
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| | Golden Gate Bridge | Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza
San Francisco CA
415-453-2100 | The Golden Gate Bridge is a stunning Art Deco Masterpiece! Walk across it. Take lots of pictures! Marvel at the cable cross section at the south end of the bridge. Strauss received all the credit for the design... but there were others who played a role in it. Delight that the first design for the bridge never was built - it would have been one of the ugliest structures in the world! I walked across the bridge after on the last day that I worked at Chevron Research. It was a wonderful memory. | |
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| | Deco By The Bay: Art Deco Architecture In The San Francisco Bay Area | Crowe, Michael F.
San Francisco CA
720.97946 C886d | Michael Crowe gives terrific Art Deco Tours in San Francisco and Oakland. He’s a (founding?) member of Art Deco Society of Northern California | |
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| | Treasure Island Museum |
San Francisco CA
415-395-5067 | Another Art Deco Treasure, one of the few buildings left from the 1939 Worlds Fair. It’s an interesting museum, with a spectactular view of San Francisco. | |
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| | Marina District |
San Francisco CA
| The Marina District was built up after the Panama Pacific Exposition, and has some wonderful Art Deco buildings. Chestnut Street is a really pleasant shopping street. | |
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| | The City Club of San Francisco | 155 Sansome Street
San Francisco CA
415-362-2480 | The City Club of San Francisco has monthly tour of the Diego Rivera Mural | |
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| | Orinda Theater | 4 Orinda Theater Square
Orinda CA
510-254-9060 | Extraordinary and unusual marquee visible from I-24, and interesting murals inside! We always enjoy going to movies here. The Orinda Theater expanded into the bank building to the south, and kept the Art Deco feel of the building. It's just short distance from Berkeley, and worth the trip to see the building. It’s spectacular at night. If you're adventuresome, take Grizzley Peak to Fish Ranch Road. | |
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| | Buildings Of The Bay Area; A Guide To The Architecture Of The San Francisco Bay Region | Woodbridge, Sally & John
Bay Area CA
720.97946 W851 | | |
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| | Winchester Mystery House | 525 South Winchester Blvd
San Jose CA
408-247-2101 | Great fun. Sarah Winchester was told that if she moved west and built a house, and kept on building, she would not be plagued by the spirits of the ghosts of people killed by the Winchester Rifle. It’s a remarkable home - beautiful details, staircases that go nowhere, cabinets which are an inch deep, and a maze of rooms and hallways. Go see it! | |
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| | The Guide To Architecture In San Francisco And Northern California | Gebhard, David
720.97946 G941 | | |
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| | A Greene & Greene Guide | Strand, Janann
720.973 G83s | | |
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| | Eames Office Gallery | 2665 Main Street
Santa Monica CA
310-396-5991 | Exhbits from wonderful designers Charles & Ray Eames. We visited their home in Santa Monica.. a delightful "case study" house. http://www.eameschairsandmore.com/ http://www.powersof10.com/ | |
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| | Art Deco Society Of California | 100 Bush Street #511
San Francisco CA
415-982-3326 | We've been on some fascinating Art Deco tours with them... they have annual Art Deco Weekends in San Francisco, and links to other Art Deco sites around the world. | |
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| | Friends of the Gamble House | 4 Westmoreland Place
Pasadena CA
626-793-3334 | The Gamble House is one of the Greene & Greene masterpieces in Pasadena. Inspired by beautiful Japanese woodwork... it's a joy to behold. One of the most interesting rooms is Mr. Gamble's office.. I can imagine the conversation in that family - you can do whatever you want with the house, but I want MY room to look like a Victorian Parlor. | |
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| | Greene & Greene | Makinson, Randell L.
720.973 G83m2 | | |
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| | Ernest Coxhead, Architect : Residential Work In Berkeley | Beach, John
Berkeley CA
720.97946 C839 | | |
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| | John Galen Howard & The Beaux-Arts Tradition |
720.97946 H834 | | |
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| | Julia Morgan | Kett-O'Connor, Pamela
720.973 M822k | | |
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| | Julia Morgan, Architect | Longstreth, Richard W
720.973 M822L | | |
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| | Art Deco Architecture | | Web site for Art Deco Architecture. | |
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| | Architecture and Design | | I've been interested in photography, architecture & design for years... and it still is one of my great loves. I usually carry my digital camera when I travel around Berkeley... you never know when something will catch my eye. When travelling, I bring along the cameras (Nikon 950 Digital & 6006 Film) and Canon Digital Movie... and shoot away. If you have a digital camera, consider carrying extra flash memory cards, and a PCMCIA adapter so you can transfer your photos to your laptop. You'll find a wealth of wonderful architecture in Berkeley, the East Bay, and the San Francisco Bay Area. We're blessed with some of the most remarkable structures in the world. Oakland's Paramount Theater, Berkeley's Temple of The Wings and Unitarian Church, and the Golden Gate Bridge are some of my favorites. Break out your maps and camera... and enjoy! Oh... and my favorite style is Art Deco, which goes along with some of my favorite music - Big Band Sounds. Perhaps I really grew up in the 30's! I still miss KMPX - Big Band Music, which I listened to back in the 70's | |
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| | Art Noveau & Art Deco | | Art Noveau & Art Deco furniture, art, books, pottery, and more. They have several sales during the year. | |
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