The holiday season in San Antonio is marked by an old Texas tradition as the time to prepare and eat tamales. For years, our family’s Christmas Eve was celebrated with a dinner of chili and tamales.

Florentine Codex, Book 2, which shows ‘The Eating of Tamales Stuffed with Amaranth Greens.”

From book 2 of the Florentine Codex which shows the eating of tamales

While one of the most basic of foods, it is also one of the oldest. Tamales date back to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations and are a way that ancient rituals link us to our current holiday traditions. The word tamale is derived from the Aztec word tamalii which means wrapped food. Although no clear origin story for the first tamales can be found, there has been references made to them going back as far as the 1500’s. Images from the Florentine Codex–a 16th-century ethnographic research project in Mesoamerica by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún–show representations of native Mayan people eating tamales.

Different ways to wrap and shape tamales

San Antonio and Los Angeles were obvious early entry points for the tamales to be integrated into local culture. Sold by vendors out of wagons and pushcarts known as ‘chili queens’, they were popularized in part because they travel and re-heat well. Today, you can see the vestigial influence of the cart vendors when you see a homemade shingle posted at a residence or business advertising tamales for sale by the dozen. If you live in San Antonio, take a chance if you see this kind of makeshift pop-up seller, they can be some of the best in the city, but the best are always when you receive the true “gift” of homemade tamales shared by friends.

history_san_antonio_market_square-300x336

Chili queens in Military Plaza and a portrait of a tamale vendor

The tradition also caught on in the Mississippi Delta where it is suspected that it was introduced by migrant laborers in the early part of the twentieth century. Famed blues man Robert Johnson sung about them in the 1936 song “They’re Red Hot”.

Have-some-Robert-Johnson-with-your-tamales-at-Abes-BBQ-at-the-Crossroads-in-Clarksdale-Mississippi-photo-by-Sheila-Scarborough

Picture of Robert Johnson and tamales at Abe’s BBQ at the crossroads in Clarksdale MI (photo by Sheila Scarborough)

Another factor in this important tradition is that a social event–a tamalada–is held to prepare them. As Rhett Rushing said in an interview for NPR, “By the time the day was over and the tamales were made, the family would be caught up, the arguments resolved, differences aired, it wasn’t just about the masa and the meat. It was the love and the tears.” Traditionally multiple generations of women in a family took part in these celebrations, but now it is routinely a mix of men and woman, multiple generations, and non-family friends. Even in school, my daughters have grown up with the “classroom tamalada” as part of their yearly holiday traditions. Because many families developed their own coveted recipes that have been passed down for generations, there is a lot of varieties of holiday tamales from the traditional to the spicy and the sweet.

La Tamalada

We asked around our office for some recommendations –

Today in the office we are all enjoying Michael’s favorite tamales from Adelita Tamales & Tortilla Factory (www.adelitatamales.com).

Marissa shares that her family and friends from the “valley” in South Texas favorite place is Delias (www.deliastamales.com).

Viviana recently brought the office bags of wonderful tamales from Delicious Tamales (they ship in Texas, New York, Florida and California: http://www.deliastamales.com).

Many friends also recommended another long time San Antonio favorite – Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa (210) 433-1367).

So enjoy a few tamales this Holiday Season, share with us any of your favorites and Merry Christmas Y’all!!

Categories: About Michael

Colonial Architecture of Oaxaca – Part II

Ginger Ayala

Posted on December 7, 2018

Mojigangas dance across the Calle Macedonio Alcala in front of Templo de Santo Domingo, Anna Bruce / | © Culture Trip.

La Guelaguestza, pronounced “gay-luh-gets-uh,” is held every year on the last two Mondays of July—“Mondays on the Hill,” in the center of Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico. The festival celebrates Mexico’s indigenous cultures through dance, traditional attire, and native food. It originates from pre-colonial traditions when indigenous communities would gather in mid-July to celebrate Chicomecoatl the maize goddess and ask her, for a fruitful harvest. After Spanish colonialization, Catholic missionaries discouraged pagan rituals, changing indigenous festivals to reflect the beliefs of Christianity.

Illustration of Chicomecoatl or Xilonen “seven snakes” goddess of agriculture.

Prior to 1920, Guelaguestza was a celebration honoring Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In 1920 an earthquake struck Oaxaca damaging significant amounts of the city. The community was in despair and the city’s morale was at a low, so the state government devised a plan to re-organize La Guelaguetza into “reciprocal exchanges of gifts and services” to involve statewide communities and showcase their unique cultures. Keeping true to the importance of sharing, reciprocity, and extended community to the indigenous cultures, the festival was redefined to better connect the people of Mexico.

The festival goes beyond the two days of celebration, extending across the city into plazas, parks, and the surrounding villages. Processions of dancers fill the streets and plazas—interacting with the audience, handing out shots of mezcal, and pulling people to dance with them. Oaxaca in July is full of celebration at every turn.

Café Volador, Oaxaca Mexico.

While in Oaxaca I found myself relaxing at Volador—my favorite local coffee shop, located down the street from Santo Domingo de Guzman on Calle de Xolotl a pedestrian zone.

I would sit in the window seal of Volador watching scenes pass by—listening to the children practice their instruments at the music school, Arsnova Academia de Musica, and fill the air with classical Mexico songs, dogs in the adjacent houses barking to the tune; the smell of traditional cooking from El Quinque, located at the corner of the plaza, coating the air and enticing everyone too eat their delicious entrees. During Guelaguestza the plaza is full of different events.

Women dancing the traditional Flor de Pina at Guelaguestza Photo credit Instituto Cultural Oaxaca.

Women dancing the traditional dance at Guelaguestza Photo credit Vanessa Teran.

Adults and children dance Torito’s dance along with a variety of other traditional dances. People are dressed in different attires, ranging from jauguar mixteco to the traditional wear of Istmo de Tehuantepec. At nightfall the plaza clears and the youth take over—using the walls as goal post for their late night futbol games, drinking caguamas, and socializing prior to dancing the night away. In Oaxaca de Juarez, there are nearly one hundred plazas woven throughout the city—each different from the other.

Santo Domingo Church at sunset photo credit by Christian Heeb.

The Plaza of Santo Domingo de Guzman is located down the street from Volador, and nearby Calle Alcala and A Gurrion are, both pedestrian only streets. The plaza is full of vendors, restaurants, and artisanal shops. Across from the plaza, Instituto de Artes, founded by Francisco Toledo, houses some of Latin America’s most important graphic arts. Also a cultural center with an open Library, it host frequent events and activities.

Luce art of ‘Lapiztola’ on walls of Instituto de Artes.

Kids studying at the interior courtyard of Instituto de Artes.

Santo Domingo Plaza is constantly full of people either lounging along the retaining walls in front of the church, passing by on their way to work, or shopping for local products. During the season of Guelaguestza is becomes the main thoroughfare for the dancing processions.

Oaxaca has the largest indigenous population 50 percent—of any state, and they comprise 20 percent of Mexico’s overall indigenous population. They have a significant impact on Oaxaca, Mexico that is felt across the entire country and impacts traditional festivals like La Guelaguestza.

Photo of Oaxaquenos in traditional wear in front of Santo Domingo.

After working in Oaxaca for six months, I learned about much more than just architecture. I learned about the culture and values of Mexico and the joy of this beautiful place and culture will forever be imprinted on my memory. I now find myself on a new adventure—this time in my hometown of San Antonio—working for Michael G. Imber Architects, and exploring the history and culture of Texas and the whole United States. Let’s see where the road leads me.

Categories: About Michael

Tagged: architecture, culture, festival, mexico, tradition

Colonial Architecture of Oaxaca – Part I

Ginger Ayala

Posted on November 30, 2018

Santo Domingo, Dome, painted and gilded stucco, genealogical tree of Don Felix De Guzman.

I boarded a plane to Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico, in the summer of 2016 to work for an architecture firm, Broot Studios. Joao Boto Caeiro, the principle architect of the firm, had given a lecture at my school, Texas Tech University, a year prior, and after I approached him about the idea of working at his firm.

Oidho Association II, Colonia Florestal, Santa Maria Atzompa, Oaxaca de Juarez, 2016, Broot Studio.

While there, I learned about the vernacular architecture of Oaxaca, but I also discovered much more about the language, history, culture, traditions, and the people of Mexico.

Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico, is located along the southwest coast of the Pacific Ocean between Puebla and Veracruz to the north, Chiapas to the east, and Guerrero to the west. Situated between two plate tectonics, the Cocos Plate and the North American Plate, it is the most earthquake prone state in Mexico. The terrain of Oaxaca is rugged and mountainous with a vast array of different climates in the inland areas, along the coast, and in the valleys.

Oaxaca Regional Map.

Indigenous cultures settled between the mountains, resulting in 16 unique cultures—each with their own language and traditions. Dating back to 2000 B.C., the Zapotecs—“The True People”—and the Mixtecs—“Place of the Cloud-People”—were the two most prominent cultures in Oaxaca. The Aztecs inhabited Oaxaca in the 15^th century, but their rule was short lived. In 1521, the Spaniards conquered Mexico. The Spanish peninsula itself had only become fully Christian thirty years prior. The Reconquista, which ended in 1491, marked the end of Moorish rule and the beginning of a new era of Spanish exploration and colonization.

The Capitulation of Granada, by Francisco Pradilla Ortiz.

The Spanish occupation of Mexico, introduced a new language, culture, and religion to the region. They built churches across Mexico and converted the indigenous people to Catholicism. In Oaxaca alone, 1,250 churches were built. The architecture blended medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque elements, with Mesoamerican motifs and symbolism. A new and distinct Mexican architecture—combining European and Moorish influences from Spain with local Mesoamerican forms—emerged.

Santo Domingo de Guzman, Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico.

In the center of Oaxaca de Juárez sits the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The plan was drawn by a little-known Dominican architect named Fray Francisco Marín in 1547. Construction of the cathedral then began in 1575. The initial years of Santo Domingo were tumultuous. An earthquake destroyed the cathedral in 1603, but the church reopened in 1610 and would be completely finished 50 years later. The architecture is distinguished by Italian Renaissance elements combined with Hispano-Moorish and Oaxacan Baroque ornamentation on the interior.

Santo Domingo Floor Plan.

The façade is tripartite with “fluted Corinthian columns in the classical tradition [that] divide the four main tiers, and Renaissance inspired friezes of cherubs and acanthus foliage [that] enliven the cornices.” Two bell towers with ornamental pilasters, pointed merlons, and high tiled domes frame the entry portal.

Santo Domingo, Entry Portal.

Santo Domingo, façade relief, St. Dominic and St. Hippolytus holding up the Church.

Santo Domingo, two niches with sculptures of Dominican saints, St. Peter and St. Paul.

Santo Domingo, faced relief, three theological virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Santo Domingo Bell Tower, Pilasters terminate in points and the dome with patterned tiles.

The Rosary Chapel lies to the south of the cathedral. There above the entry portal, a stepped frame surrounds a relief sculpture of the Virgin Mary handing a rosary to St. Dominic, the patron saint of the church. Interior columns divide the single nave church into six rectangular bays and form six chapels on each side for smaller celebrations of the mass.

Santo Domingo, Rosary Chapel. Entry Portal.

Santo Domingo, Rosary Chapel, faced relief, Virgin and Child on a cloud throne

The cross vaulting in the entry portal is ornamented with stucco multi-branch vines that trace the lineage of the founder of the Dominican order. The remaining walls, vaults, domes, and niches are encrusted with unique Oaxacan Baroque ornamentation. The altarpiece is divided into tiers of rectangular compartments and framed by gilded spiral Solomonic columns carved with intricate open-work vines, paintings of religious figures, and statues in shell niches.

Santo Domingo, detail, painted and gilded stucco, genealogical tree of Don Felix De Guzman.

Santo Domingo, side Chapel, painted and gilded stucco, genealogical tree of Don Felix De Guzman.

Santo Domingo, Dome, painted and gilded stucco, genealogical tree of Don Felix De Guzman.

Santo Domingo, Altar Piece, Sunday Church Mass.

Colonial architecture in Mexico during the 300-year Spanish occupation fused the local indigenous cultures and their symbolism with the typical forms of Spanish architecture. Across Mexico, indigenous imagery appeared in relief sculptures and ornament in plaza and cathedrals—in rare occasions they can be found in the sanctuary itself. The architecture and heritage of the region is a blend of civilizations and influences, and this forms what we know today as Mexico.

To be continued…

Categories: About Michael

Tagged: architecture, colonial, heritage, hispanic, historic, mexico, oaxaca, religious

Sir John Soane & a Regard for the Past

Michael Imber

Posted on November 23, 2018

There are many alluring aspects to travel, but the chance to experience places much older than American cities falls near the top of the list. We fly to far-flung locations such as Macchu Picchu, the Acropolis, or the Pyramids, to fill our senses with the sands and stones of history. Often these monuments are the best-preserved records of how people lived millennia ago – speaking eloquently of a civilization’s highest aspirations and cultural identity.

The Erechtheion, Acropolis (by author)

In recent years, Western culture has evinced a strong bias for “the latest and greatest”– and often an object is seen as outdated and irrelevant after a very short time. This attitude has also prevailed in art and architecture since the 20th century, when many emphasized a break with traditional forms and meaning. In contrast, periods like the Renaissance used new ideas and methods to build upon past achievements, striving to emulate or even surpass the great minds of Greece and Rome.

Elgin Marbles on display in the British Museum

18th and 19th-century England was also a time of historical rediscoveries, with the upper class amassing antiquities from far and wide. Many of the most significant artifacts in the British Museum came to England during this time, including the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles. Another area of the Museum displays precious objects from Enlightenment collections, including sculpture, vases, and other decorative arts. Seen at the time as lessons in history and beauty, these collections served to safeguard the past as well as forming the current generation of artists and intellectuals.

2nd C. Roman Vase with Swan neck handles (British Museum); Palm Leaf Column of Ramesses II, ca. 1250 BC (by author)

Of these Enlightenment-era collectors, the story of architect Sir John Soane and his London townhouse (No. 12-14 Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Central London) stands out as a unique and fascinating example. A bricklayer’s son, the young Soane embarked on a Grand Tour through the Mediterranean, visiting and sketching the great monuments of antiquity. He would later go on to become one of the leading architects of Georgian England, with historical precedents strongly influencing his neoclassical designs.

Arch of Constantine, Rome

Sir John Soane’s Pitzhanger Manor (Ealing Council)

Soane’s townhouse (now the Soane Museum) is an architectural masterpiece, and its many collections have remained essentially as he left them at his death in 1837. His regard for the past became evident to me this summer, while on a fellowship at the museum provided by the Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation. Based out of New York, the Foundation gives two generous awards each year, allowing graduate students to pursue research related to Sir John Soane and his work. Working in the museum library, students have access to a vast archive of drawings, paintings, and letters, an amazing collection left intact for posterity.

The Museum’s Picture Room: containing over 80 works of art (Soane Museum)

The Dome Room (by author); urns and architectural fragments in the Dome Room

After my morning commute on the crowded London tube, I’d take in a few minutes of serene and fresh air next to the museum, in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Then, entering the museum at No. 12, the narrow winding stairs leading up (then down) to the research library in No. 14. As I passed carved bas-reliefs, ethereal watercolor renderings, conservators and staff at work, it was as though entering a fantastic human hive of carefully shaped spaces and beautiful objects. But the biggest thrill was sitting down to look at wax-sealed letters addressed to Soane and original drawings by Soane and his illustrator J. M. Gandy. Delineating everything from full-scale details to large perspective renderings, these two-hundred year-old pen and ink strokes captivate and inspire.

Lincoln’s Inn Fields in early evening

Gandy’s unfinished watercolor of the library at Cricket Lodge (Soane Museum)

The Soane Museum was not just his family home: it was a testing ground for his architectural ideas, and an incredible gallery of painting, sculpture, and ornament. With most rooms lit from numerous skylights, it was powerful to explore the Museum at various times of day, in changing light and mood – and once a month, large numbers gather in the evening for a candlelit visit. An added bonus to my trip was visiting Soane’s own private apartments, including his architectural model room – which had just opened after an extensive and detailed restoration.

J.M.W. Turner’s Kirkstall Abbey, which hangs in the private apartments (Soane Museum); Soane’s Model Room, used to illustrate his Royal Academy lectures (Soane Museum)

In looking at the work and collections of Sir John Soane, a quote by his near-contemporary G.K. Chesterton comes to mind: “Tradition means giving a vote to the most obscure of classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.”

Today, there is a growing trend that recognizes and seeks out the value of tradition. The reasons may vary – a sense of artistry and human touch less common in today’s world, the beauty of a weathered patina evoking natural imperfection, or the reassuring character of things made slowly and perfected over generations. These forms of old are precious reminders of our humanity, with power to root us in the achievements of our ancestors and add meaning to places in which we live.

To find more information or read other memories from the Soane Traveling Fellowship program, visit www.SoaneFoundation.com/fellowship.html

Categories: Sketches, Travels

Tagged: British Museum, J. M. Gandy, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Pitzhanger Manor, Sir John Soane, Soane Museum

Quality in Quantity: The Sears Mail-Order Home

Ginger Ayala

Posted on November 16, 2018

An earlier image of the 3318C Sears, Roebuck & Co. home.

I live in a house in San Antonio, Texas, that was built in 1928 by two brothers who were mechanics. They had little to no knowledge of construction, but they did know how to put things together. They ordered a home from the Sears catalog, The Crafton Floor Plan 3318C, with two bedrooms, one bath, and a porch facing south.

A cover for the Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans, Sears, Roebuck & Co.

The floor plan for my home, the 3318C.

At this time in, Highland Park, the neighborhood where my home is located, was considered the suburbs. This pastureland for dairy farmers became a new development in 1909 thanks to L.P. Peck, Benno Kayton, W.C. Rigsby, Ben Hammond, and A.M. Avant. These five developers built a streetcar line which transported material to this once-rural pastureland, and then connected the residents to the city center. Land in Highland Park sold quickly.

An original real estate advertisement for Highland Park.

Pocket-sized English cottages were a Sears staple in the 1930s. Like many, the Bellewood (1931) was rendered in wood. (Photo: James C. Massey).

This early Sears house in Williamsburg, Virginia, not only predates the catalog name system, but also still carries many attributes of the Victorian era, from bay windows to “horseshoe” gable ornament. (Photo: James C. Massey).

Soon enough, every lot was full with homes ranging from Craftsman and Tudor to Spanish Revival and even Colonial in style. They were all built by local builders and owners.

The 1909 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Fall Consumer’s Guide.

In 1908, Sears began selling mail-order homes. Due to an excess of products and low sales, Frank W. Kushel, manager of Sears china department, was asked to close the division. Instead, Kushel proposed the idea of the packaged home — a shipment that contained exactly what the homeowner needed to build their “Dream Home.” Sears, Roebuck, and Co. was not the only company selling catalog homes at the time. During the 1910s and 1920s, kit homes were at their most popular. The railroad made it possible for companies like Aladdin ReadiCuts or Montgomery Ward to transport boxcars of materials to a homeowner’s desired city, Sears dominated the market.

Sears revolutionized the housing industry by adapting their homes to modern conveniences like central heating, indoor plumbing, and electricity.

The Sears program for Modern Home No. 181

An illustration of how the Sears home was packed into a rail car.

By 1908, one fifth of Americans were subscribers, and more than 100,000 homes were sold between 1908 and 1940. The American dream home had become accessible to all.

A Sears home advertisement targeting newly weds and young couples.

Sears Roebuck Catalog Houses: 1920’s The Key to Thrifty Building.

Ordering was relatively simple: The future homeowner could choose from a selection of homes with the option to customize certain parts. Sears’ first catalog of kit homes offered over 40 models, and as time progressed it would grow to include 447 unique designs. Homes were categorized by model number and ranged in price from $548 to $2,900. Each design changed over the years. In the 1920s, names related to each house’s specific style were added.

The Magnolia floor plan and rendering.

For example, The Magnolia, a Colonial style house with Georgian influences, was simple in design with graceful lines and attractive ornamental features. The front door opened to a vestibule with French doors leading to the grand stairway and bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor. The downstairs was for entertaining —the service area was in the back of house while guests could lounge in the living room or adjacent sun parlor.

A built Magnolia home, customized to the owner’s preference of porch and a second addition.

Sears offered options of grand to modest types of homes depending on the needs of the homeowner. Another popular design was the Osborn. Introduced in 1930, it was priced at $2,792 (equivalent to $42,204 in today’s market). The Osborn was a stucco, shingle-sided bungalow in the Spanish Mission style. It was designed to appeal to nature lovers with porches on the back, side, and front of the house. A one-story home, it had two bedrooms, generous common rooms, and the option to add an extra room in the future.

Sears homes were pre-cut and fitted, all that was left for the owner was to follow instructions accordingly.

An advertisement image of the Osborn home.

Sears gave their customers the ability to choose their dream—anything could be customized and personal.

The Sears home was easy for a young family or newlyweds to afford. No matter your social standing or background, homeownership was only a mail order and a few weeks of assembly away. The dream home away from the city was now attainable, and it became even easier to own a home when they added the option to finance the house with a low interest rate.

Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago Illinois advertisement.

The “Strikingly Handsome” Sherburne model.

The homes originally cost between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars, equivalent to $35,000 to $50,000 in today’s market.

Sears also raised the level of design and quality, and created a competitive market for kit homes. Other companies like Sterling Kit Homes and Pacific Ready Cut Homes had to meet the same high standards to stay in competition.

Most homes built between 1908 and 1940 are likely kit homes from one of these companies. Sears shut down their Modern Homes department in 1940 after the Great Depression and the years of financial recovery and challenges that followed. It was not until after World War II ended that the country experienced another housing boom and the rise of the suburbs.

Originally, Sears operated entirely off of mail orders only and was willing to pray the cost of freight for returning unsatisfactory goods.

After 125 years of supplying Americans with not only home supplies but entire homes, Sears will close their doors permanently in the coming year. If your house was built before 1940, it could be one of the 100,000 Sears kit homes built in the early 1900s. The company has not only provided jobs and supplies for our families, but it has left a mark on the American landscape.

A full parking lot outside of a Sears Roebuck & Co. promoting the purchase of U.S. War Bonds and Stamps.

Today, Amazon and the other online companies dominate the retail market, and even those in the most remote areas are able to receive almost anything in 1-2 business days. Day-to-day life in America is more convenient than it has ever been, but we encounter products and buildings that are well-crafted and well-designed less and less. Sears’ experiment in selling easy-to-build and reasonably priced homes proved that mass-produced and affordable products could be beautiful, lasting, and well-made.

A recently renovated Sears home in North Dakota.

A modern-day Sears 303, next to its 1910 catalog image. The 303 is one of the rarest Sears kit homes. (Images: Rachel Shoemaker/Oklahoma Houses By Mail; Rebecca Hunter/Sears Modern Homes).

Categories: About Michael

Tagged: architecture, building, catalog, craftsmanship, home, sears, searsroebuckandco, vintage, woodworking

An Intensive at a Glance

Andrew Gander

Posted on November 9, 2018

The Greystone Mansion Courtyard.

I enjoy the crisp evening air while standing on the south patio of the Greystone Mansion which overlooks a sweeping vista from the LA skyline to Santa Monica Bay. The sun has now set and twinkling lights in the distance silhouette the night sky. It has been another long yet inspiring day studying fundamentals of Classical Architecture. This aptly named “Intensive” program is facilitated by the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA).

Studio Setup in the Greystone Mansion.

Over the duration of the week we studied proportioning systems and fundamentals related to the Classical Orders. With a compass, straight edge, and lead-holder in hand, we subdivided lines, constructed polygons, and geometrically established the “mean and extreme’ ratio, more commonly known as the “golden ratio.” We constructed each of the primary canonical Orders and compared their proportioning systems derived from the base diameter of each column (D). In todays industry dominated by CAD and other digital programs, it is easy to draw lines, but also hard to appreciate geometric complexity and architectural scale.

Layout of the Ionic Column.

We used the Greystone Mansion venue as another resource of the classical language. This beautiful building has many textbook examples of well executed details. In the main hall fluted ionic pilasters are supported by pedestals and set between roman arches. Ornamental plaster strapping and florets decorate the ceiling and a checkered marble floor reflects light below. Wandering through each room, we appreciate the beauty and thoughtfulness that went into crafting the space.

Hall of the Greystone Mansion.

Each of the lovely rooms have details that can be studied. On our hands and knees, we examined and analyzed moldings by hand and measured the profiles. Afterward we compared our record drawings with canonical details and discussed any variations discovered. We also each composed analytique drawings which described architectural features that inspired us.

Measured Drawing.

Architectural tours and field sketching were a wonderful compliment to the studio coursework. We spent a day in sunny Pasadena beginning with a discussion on the successful marriage of architecture and urbanism at the civic downtown. I squint up through my glasses and see the sun shining around the fabulous City Hall dome. We next toured the California Institute of Technology campus where we reviewed regional inspired variations on classical forms. Our long day ended at the Huntington Art Museum and Botanical Gardens. This Beaus-Art architecture was a great source of conversation and inspiration, showcasing the features we have been studying throughout the week.

Students of the 2018 ICAA Intensive in front of Pasadena City Hall.

Wash Rendering was another component we tackled during the Intensive. Originating from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this method of representation uses graded values to suggest light and describe three-dimensional form. Showcasing a play of light and shadow, this representation very successfully describes architectural details. Working with an ink wash, we practiced various techniques. Similar to watercolor rendering, the ink wash is a transparent medium, and darker values are achieved by adding multiple successive layers.

Wash Rendering.

The Intensive concluded with an ‘esquisse’ design challenge. Meaning ‘sketch,’ this term also originated from the École des Beaux-Arts. An initial design concept would be established quickly, and further developed afterward in greater detail. For our purposes, we were introduced to an academic exercise for us to each design a tripartite classical garden pavilion located at the Greystone Mansion. Working at our drafting boards, we feverishly rolled out trace paper, pointed our lead, and began designing.

Students Sharing their Concepts.

This design challenge gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our knowledge of Classical syntax. Classical architecture is often described as a language. As an example, in this analogy, one can consider that a moulding is a letter, a column is a word, and Order is a sentence, and a building is a story. This ICAA Intensive presented to us more than a mere list of rules, but a flexible system that allows designers to communicate ideas.

Design Esquisse.

Categories: About Michael

The Greystone Mansion

Robert Dinkins

Posted on October 26, 2018

The Greystone Mansion courtyard.

Last week one of our staff was selected to participate in an eight-day intensive seminar in classical architecture with the Institute for Classical Architecture. The program took place in Los Angeles, California, and the program was taught in the city’s famous Greystone Mansion. The course, as stated on the ICAA website, is meant “to introduce the participants to the ICAA’s core coursework’s in the classical orders, composition, proportion, drafting, observational drawing, and the literature of classical architecture.” Though he can better articulate his experiences—and we hope he will soon—I was intrigued by Greystone mansion and fascinated by what I learned about its history.

“Built of reinforced concrete and clad with grey Indiana Limestone, the mansion has a solid and commanding presence, establishing the “Greystone” namesake.”

“Picturesque massing characterize the architecture.”

At the time of construction, the mansion was the largest private residence in southern California. Architect Gordon Kaufmann subdivided the incredibly large building into distinct wings with an asymmetrical plan. Designed in the English Tudor Revival style, steeply pitched gabled roofs, massive decorated chimneys, projecting window bays, and picturesque massing characterize the architecture. Built of reinforced concrete and clad with grey Indiana Limestone, the mansion has a solid and commanding presence, establishing the “Greystone” namesake.

The house’s descending staircase is one of the most famous sets in Hollywood.

An interior space in the mansion.

Greystone’s famous checkered floors.

A interior column detail.

Leading out of the mansion into the exterior portion of the park.

Gothic details–typical of the English Tudor style–are seen throughout the design. Some of these include pointed arch motifs, intricately carved quatrefoil tracery, large expanses of glass set within stonework, and hammer beam trusses. However, there is an unusual juxtaposition of classical architectural elements woven into the design. Fully expressed classical orders, pedestals, round arch bays, balustrades, and urns are curiously positioned side-by-side with the Gothic features.

The mansion’s private bowling alley was restored for the film There Will Be Blood.

The scoreboard.

The gorgeous historic estate has been transformed into a public park.

One of the many garden features of Greystone PArk.

In addition to the English formal gardens, the property also includes a swimming pool, tennis court, fire station, and a man-made waterfall and lake. Dripping with detail, the interiors boast marble floors, hand-carved stone mantels, oak-ornamented banisters, and paneled walls. In addition to lavishly decorated rooms, other interior features include a bowling alley, movie theater, performance stage, and speakeasy.

Frank J. Hogan (left) and Edward L. Doheny (right) 1856-1935 is a photograph by Everett.

The mansion’s patron and original owner was Edward L. Doheny, a wealthy oil and transportation tycoon in southern California. In his youth, Doheny traveled the country to pursue prospecting and mining opportunities in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Arizona, and New Mexico. In Kingston, New Mexico, Edward would meet two influential men who would play major roles in his life: Albert Fall and Charles Canfield.

Edward L. Doheny with family.

Charles Canfield became Doheny’s best friend and close business partner. After enduring several years of financial struggles, Doheny followed Canfield to southern California in 1891. Together, they struck a well containing asphalt, which could be refined into valuable oil. Located at the corner of Patton and West State Streets, their discovery sparked a rush to find oil that would spread throughout the region.

Carrie-Estelle Doheny, courtesy of the Doheny Eye Institute.

While Doheny was financing new wells and pursuing business deals with nearby refineries, his eldest daughter Elleen passed away. His previous financial struggles combined with this tragedy led to his divorce from his first wife, Carrie Louella Wilkin. Doheny won custody of the couple’s six-year-old son, and Carrie committed suicide just a year later.

An oil blowout over a successful well drilling rig.

Doheny’s success grew when he convinced the major railroad companies to switch from coal to oil. This led to an oil boom in California in the early 1900s. At the same time, Doheny also pioneered oil production in Mexico. He drilled the first well in Mexico in 1901. In 1916, his company drilled the world’s largest oil-producing well. By 1919, he had added two oil-drilling companies in Mexico and Atlantic and Gulf Coast empires to his original holdings in California. He held 600,000 acres of land worth $50,000,000 in America and 800,000 acres more in Mexico. He then set his eyes to drilling in Venezuela and Colombia.

By the next year, Pan American was the largest oil company in the United States, and it was larger than its competitors, Sinclair Consolidated Oil Company and the Standard Oil Company of Indiana. Doheny’s Mexican Petroleum Company was the largest in Mexico–the largest oil producer in the world. The rise of the automobile industry only increased the demand for oil.

A 1924 political cartoon shows fallout from the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Oil businessman Edward L. Doheny (at table, second from right) testifying before the Senate committee investigating the Teapot Dome oil leases, 1924.

Overwhelmingly successful, Doheny found himself accused of bribery in what would be known as the Teapot Dome Scandal in 1930. Accused of giving a $100,000 bribe to the Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall to secure federal property in Wyoming, Doheny managed to escape conviction and was acquitted of all charges. Soon after, he sold all of his holdings outside of California to the Standard Oil Company of Indiana. He then sold the Greystone Mansion to his son, Edward “Ned” L. Doheny, Jr., for $10.

Edward L. “Ned” Doheny, Jr. was a USC alumnus, the first president of the USC Alumni Association, and an active member of the university’s board of trustees.

To further add to Doheny’s grief, his son Ned was killed in a murder-suicide. After evidence of a second bribe from Doheny to Fall was discovered, Hugh Plunkett killed Ned and then then turned the gun on himself. Originally hired to be the family’s chauffeur, Plunkett was Ned’s long-time secretary. Strangely, the police were called three hours after their fight was first heard. The details of the incident were never revealed, but Plunkett may have discovered Ned’s plan to have him institutionalized in hopes of excluding his testimony against Doheny, Sr.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Gilmore Girls (2000)

Today, the mansion, once the setting of so much tragedy, is owned by the city of Beverly Hills. It is a familiar backdrop, having appeared in more than 200 films, including The Big Lebowski, Spider-Man, There Will Be Blood, Batman & Robin, The Witches of Eastwick, Indecent Proposal, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Air Force One, All of Me, and many more. The property and its estate is still available for rent.

Categories: About Michael

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