Description
The Rudolf Wolf papers spans 9 linear feet and dates from circa 1935 to circa 1990. The collection contains architectural
drawings and reprographic copies of primarily residential designs in the southern Californian area including floor plans and
presentation drawings of prefabricated housing produced by General Panel Corporation. The collection is also composed of Wolf’s
student work in the form of class notes, drawings, and research notes concerning building techniques, math, and science. Other
materials include, photographs of family; construction shots of the prefabricated General Panel Corporation Homes, and the
General Panel staff; invoices regarding construction purchases for various projects; Wolf’s work identification badges for
General Panel; his passports as well as his citizenship and immigration documents; resume; address book; and reference files
composed of newspapers and magazine clippings and lectures on subjects such as gardening, flowers, and plants.
Background
Rudolf (Rudy) Wolf was born in Germany in 1909. He immigrated to the United States and secured employment as a draftsman for
the Murphy Door Bed Co. in New York, before going to work for General Panel Corporation. At General Panel Corporation, Wolf
was the lead draftsman and subsequently its Director of Quality Control in the 1940s. General Panel Corporation developed
and produced the only complete prefabricated building system, which was designed by Wachsmann and Walter Gropius. In 1952,
however, General Panel Corporation had entered bankruptcy and was liquidated. At this time, only about 200 modular homes had
been built in southern California, despite the fact that tens of thousands of General Panel homes had been planned. After
General Panel Corporation’s liquidation, Wolf designed houses and commercial buildings in Los Angeles, including several large
projects for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the late 1960s as well as other medical buildings in the 1980s. Rudolf Wolf died
in 2005.
Extent
9.0 Linear feet
(5 record storage boxes, 1 bagged drawing, and 1 flat file drawer)
Availability
Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.