California Arts & Architecture - Six Early Issues

Los Angeles. Western States Publishing Company. 1936 - 1939 Bound in pictorial wrappers. Collection is cased in a custom flexible portfolio. Folio. 13" x 10". Illustrated with photographs, detailed plans, period advertiaing, etc. California Arts & Architecture was formed in 1929 by a merger of Pacific Coast Architect, established 1911, and California Southland, established 1918. Architecturally it was devoted to eclectic residential design-Tudor, Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean, Georgian, California amorphous. It preferred classic in larger projects, and now and then Art Deco (the Richfield Building, Bullocks Wilshire, both in Los Angeles) In 1930 it was a substantial magazine. Issues ran from 70 to 80 pages with lots of advertising. The editor was then Harris Allen, AIA, and there were familiar names among its contributors and advisors-Roland Coates, Sumner Spaulding, Ralph Flewelling, Wallace Neff. By 1933 the Great Depression had starved it down to 30 pages and subsequently into bankruptcy where John Entenza found it in 1938. Publication in Arts & Architecture became a portal to national and international recognition many for West coast Architects and a showcase for their cutting edge modernism. The magazine morphed into Arts & architecture in 1944. Arguably its most notable achievement was its Case Study House Program which, for 20 years advocated and influenced each evolutionary advancement in American residential design.A rare gathering of early, pre- A & A issues. All issues present usual sporadic soiling,chipping,light staining and several pencil markings to covers. Usual wear to spines with some minor splitting and chipping but all well attatched. One spine has been earlier strenthened with cello-tape. Several incidences of innocuous pencil annotation to interiors. Issues have a bit of a musty odor typical of old magazines. All in all, a Very Good collection.