Finding Aid for the Rudolf Wolf papers, circa 1926-circa 1989
0000212
Finding aid prepared by Finding aid written by J. Hammerschmidt, 2007; J. Gibbs, 2010; Chris Marino, 2012
Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Arts Building Room 1434
University of California
Santa Barbara, California, 93106-7130
805-893-2724
adc@museum.ucsb.edu
2010
Arranged in 3 series.
Title: Rudolf Wolf papers
Identifier/Call Number: 0000212
Contributing Institution:
Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
9.0 Linear feet
(5 record storage boxes, 1 bagged drawing, and 1 flat file drawer)
Date (inclusive): circa 1926-circa 1989
creator:
Wolf, Rudy, 1909-2005
Access
Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.
Custodial History note
Gift of Wolf Trust, 2008. Additional materials gifted by Wolf's daughter Katherine Page, 1991.
Preferred Citation note
Rudolf Wolf papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa
Barbara.
Biographical/Historical note
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.
Scope and Content note
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Wolf, Rudy, 1909-2005
Architectural drawings
Photographic prints
Reprographic copies
Personal and professional papers I
1926-19xx
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
1.0 Linear feet
(1 record storage box)
Personal papers
19xx-19zz
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear feet
(9 folders)
Scope and Content note
Personal papers date from x - x and include personal documents as well as student papers, essays and research notes, letters,
and photograph.
Box 1, Folder 1-2
Biographical documents
circa 1929-1986
Language of Material:
English
Scope and Content note
Notes of philosophy, research notes, in English.
Scope and Contents note
Personal documents and employment papers.
Box 1, Folder 3
Family photographs
undated
Box 1, Folder 4-5
Notes for studies of building technologies
undated
Box 1, Folder 6
Notes for math and statistics
1930s
Box 1, Folder 7
Student notebooks
undated
Scope and Content note
6 handwritten notebooks + loose pages.
Box 1, Folder 8
Student research files
undated
Scope and Content note
Notes, drawings, printed ephemera.
Box 1, Folder 9
Plans for various buildings
circa 1930s
Scope and Content note
Student work. Materials in German.
Box 1, Folder 10
Take home exam, Frankfurt am Main
1933
Professional records
19xx-19xx
Language of Material:
English
Box 1, Folder 11
Ms: "Judaism and Modernity, Emancipation and Assimilation"
circa 1992
Language of Material:
English
Memoirs
1994
Language of Material:
English
Box 1, Folder 13
Housing design
Language of Material:
English
Scope and Contents note
Clippings, printed ephemera.
Box 1, Folder 14
Konrad Wachsmann
1943-1981
Scope and Contents note
Offprints of articles about Konrad Wachsmann and General Panal. Includes: New Pencil Points (1943), Pencil Points (1946),
Arts and Architecture (1967), LA Architect (1981) and loose clippings.
Box 1, Folder 15
The Packaged House: Dream and Reality, Prof. Gilbert Herbert
1981
Language of Material:
English
Scope and Contents note
Technion Pub. no. 4, published by Israel Institute of Technology.
Box 1, Folder 16
General Panal Corporation of California
ca. 1950
Scope and Contents note
Printed materials, 1 color slide, 1 black-and-white photographic print of people around a table.
Box 1, Folder 17
General Panal Corporation of California Standard, Book I
1950
Box 1, Folder 18
Employment badges
circa 1950s
Scope and Contents note
Two personal badges for Rudolph Wolfe: one from the General Panal Corporation, the other from Savory Equipment Inc., Newark,
N.J..
Clippings and research III
19xx-19xx
Scope and Contents
Most of the files relate to plants and landscaping. Others include articles on art, architecture, books, and wine.
Architecture books II
1920-1991
Physical Description:
1.0 Linear feet
(1 record storage box)
Scope and Contents
Series holds 17 books and 7 issues of Das Neue Frankfurt, 1926-1931. The books are technical, dealing with building and construction,
and include one book about Konrad Wachsmann, and one by him. In English and German.
Project records IV
19xx-19xx
Language of Material:
English