Gordon Drake Records 2012.-15

Andrew D. Manuel
Arrangement and description of this collection was funded by a grant from the Joan Draper Endowment, Depart of Architecture, College of Environmental Design, U.C. Berkeley.
University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives
December 2013
230 Bauer Wurster Hall #1820
Berkeley, CA 94720-1820
designarchives@berkeley.edu


Contributing Institution: University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives
Title: Gordon Drake Records
Creator: Drake, Gordon
Identifier/Call Number: 2012.-15
Physical Description: 11 Linear Feet: 4 Boxes, 1 Tall Box, 36 Flat File Folders
Date (inclusive): 1946-1952
Abstract: The collection contains biographical material, correspondence, and publicity files, as well as notes, specifications, sketches, and drawings for both client driven projects and designs for houses, furniture, screens and arbors. Projects include primarily residences in southern California, Drake's various offices, and projects commissioned for publications such as Sunset Magazine, and Better Homes and Gardens, and Women's Home Journal.
Language of Material: English .

Access Statement

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the Curator.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Gordon Drake Records, Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Biographical Note

Gordon Drake (1917-1952)
Gordon Drake was born March 19, 1917 in Childress, Texas to Pearl and G. Drake. Less than a year after his birth, due to his father serving overseas during World War I, his mother moved to Fresno, CA and later to San Diego with Gordon and his older brother Max. After graduating from high school, Drake spent a year in Hawaii, living and working with his brother who was now married and serving in the Navy. While helping his brother build a home, he received his first look into the world of design and construction. A year later, in 1937, Drake enrolled in the architecture program at the University of Southern California, where he was known for being a dedicated athlete and serious student, who did not do outstanding work. In order to overcome this impression Drake worked closely with his good friend Edward Killingsworth, who, at the time, had the highest academic record in their class. Both graduated from USC in early 1941. While at USC, Drake was influenced by Harwell Hamilton Harris and Carl Birger Troedsson, first as a student and later as a draftsman. Troedsoon instilled in him an unconditional commitment to the socially oriented tenets of modern architecture and Harris provided him with insight into construction and building materials, best suited for California-style indoor-outdoor living.
In late 1941, Drake married Joanne Richards and a few months later left San Diego as a Marine combat leader for the South Pacific beachheads. While away at war, Drake dreamed of returning to California where he would work to relieve the housing crisis. Before he could do so he received his first professional request for architectural work, a theatre for service men on the island of Maui. Although construction was at a standstill it needed to be completed within a short-time. Drake was asked to take over the job, and three weeks later the Haleakala Theatre was open. In 1946, he was released from the Marine Corps and returned to California where he joined fellow marine and engineer, Louis Soltanofff, and several other friends to put some of their housing ideas to the test. Within four months, the group had purchased a plot of land in Los Angeles and designed, and constructed a house for only $4,500. This basic house for veterans included built-in furniture, and for an extra $300, standing chairs, tables, a bed, and paintings. For their efforts they won the Progressive Architecture First Annual Award. While in Los Angeles, Drake worked to further his design ideas. Now with recognition and exposure for his environmental consciousness, Drake became a visiting critic at USC and also began to produce a plethora of designs for clients. Drake's designs reflected his interest in climate control, materials carefully selected sites, indoor-outdoor living spaces, and structural assemblies.
Drake's firms had a number of names including Gordon Drake Designs and MADAC Design Associates (Modern Architecture Design and Construction). In 1948 Drake relocated from Los Angeles to Monterey Bay and in 1949 to San Francisco where he opened a small office on Washington Street. Drake credited his success to media exposure and considered it his most effective tool to promote his work. He regularly submitted drawings and sketches of designs for housing and furniture to Sunset Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. In 1951 he began to work for Architect Ernest J. Krump of San Francisco, but kept his small office on Washington for evening and weekend work.
Gordon Drake died at the age of 34 in a skiing accident at the Sierra Resort in northern California on January 15, 1952. Maggie and Douglas Baylis, friends and fellow designers wrote the "California Houses of Gordon Drake", in 1956, which was reprinted in 2011.
Source: Parry, Joan and Douglas Drake. "California Houses of Gordon Drake." Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 1956

System of Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 3 Series: Personal Papers, Office Records, and Project Records.

Scope and Contents

Personal Papers are limited and include biographical material and correspondence. Office Records primarily consist of correspondence, publicity files, and non-specific building details. Project Records contain notes, specifications, sketches, and correspondence for specific projects as well as designs for houses, furniture, screens and arbors as prototypes. Projects include residences in southern California, Drakes various offices, and projects commissioned for Women's Home Journal, Sunset Magazine, and Better Homes and Gardens.

Custodial History

The records were collected and held by Maggie and Douglas Baylis and given to William Stout to use for a new edition of California Houses of Gordon Drake. The monograph with an introduction by Pierluigi Serriano was published by William Stout Publishers in 2011, after which the collection was donated to the Environmental Design Archives.

 

PERSONAL PAPERS SERIES I. 1917-1956

Physical Description: .5 Linear Feet:Box 1

Scope and Contents

Letters and notes written after the death of Gordon from various friends and family members to Maggie and Doug Baylis concerning the book California Houses of Gordon Drake and subsequent essays written about Drake.
 

Biographical Information A.

box 1, Folder 1

Portrait

box 1, Folder 1

Written Note Found on Drake at Time of Death

box 1, Folder 1

Address Book

box 1, folder 2-3

Biographical Essays

 

Correspondence B.

box 1, Folder 4

Correspondence

 

OFFICE RECORDS SERIES II. 1946-1950

Physical Description: 1 Linear Feet:Box 1, 5

Arrangement

Arranged by office location.

Scope and Contents

Magazine articles and clippings related to various Drake designs and projects (cabins, fireplaces, arbors and screens, Scribner house, Vacation house, Mesa house, Basic House, second house, Presley house, Spillman house).
 

Correspondence A.

box 1, Folder 1

Correspondence 1947

 

Publicity Files B.

box 1, Folder 2

Arbors & Screens

box 1, Folder 3

Cabins 1950

box 1, Folder 4

Design: Basic House 1946

box 1, Folder 5

Gordon's Second House

box 1, Folder 6

Fireplaces, Sunset Mag

box 1, Folder 7

Mesa Residence 1948

box 1, Folder 8

Misc. Magazines and Newspaper Mentionings

box 1, Folder 9

Preseley House, David 1946

box 1, Folder 10

Unit House (Scribner House) 1950

box 1, Folder 11

Spillman Residence, George 1947

box 1, Folder 12

Vacation House 1948

 

Specifications C.

Scope and Contents

Non-specific building details grouped and organized by various Drake office locations.
box 2, Folder 13

Madac: Office Specifications

box 2, Folder 14

Misc. Specifications

box 5, Folder 15

Washington St (San Francisco): Office Specifications

box 5, Folder 16

Sunset Boulevard (Los Angeles); Office Specifications

box 5, Folder 17

Carmel: Office Specifications

 

PROJECT RECORDS SERIES III. 1945-1956

Physical Description: 5 Linear Feet:Boxes 2-5, Flat Files

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by project.
 

Barr, James Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 1

Drawings

 

Baylis, Doug & Maggie 1951-56

Box 3, Folder 28

Photographs

 

Bedford, Lee Long Beach CA 1945

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 2

Drawings

box 2, Folder 1

Project files

 

Berns, Robert Malibu CA 1950

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 3

Drawings

box 2, Folder 2

Project files

Box 3, Folder 29

Photographs

 

Byam, Wallace Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 4

Drawings

box 2, Folder 3

Project files

 

Cook, Emery Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 5

Drawings

box 2, Folder 4

Project files

 

Dammann, Thomas Beverly Hills CA 1947

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 6

Drawings

box 2, Folder 5

Project files

Box 3, Folder 30, box 5, Folder 31

Photographs

 

Da Roza-Ribal inc Monterey CA 1948

 

Design: Basic House Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 7

Drawings

Box 3, Folder 32, box 5, Folder 33

Photographs

 

Design: Better Homes & Gardens: Arbors, Plants, Containers

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 8

Drawings

box 2, Folder 6

Project files

 

Design: Cabins

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 9

Drawings

 

Design: Misc

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 10

Drawings

Box 3, Folder 34

Photographs

 

Drake Office, Gordon Carmel Woods CA 1948

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 11

Drawings

box 2, Folder 7

Project files

Box 3, Folder 35

Photographs

 

Drake Office, Gordon Los Angeles CA 1946?

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 12

Drawings

box 2, Folder 8

Project files

 

Drake, Gordon & Janie Pacific Palisades CA 1947

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 13

Drawings

 

Fitch, Luther Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 14

Drawings

box 2, Folder 9

Project files

 

Gerber, Ludwig Los Angeles CA 1951

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 15

Drawings

 

Haleakala Theatre Maui HI 1946

Box 4, Folder 36

Photographs

 

Hanna, Bill & Shirley Sherman Oaks CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 16

Drawings

box 2, Folder 10

Project files

 

Harris, Coleman Castellammare CA 1947

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 17

Drawings

box 2, Folder 11

Project files

 

Hodgins, Robert Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 18

Drawings

 

Jenkins House AZ 1946

box 2, Folder 12

Project files

 

Malibu House Malibu CA 1950

Box 4, Folder 37

Photographs

 

Lee, Lyman Gustine CA 1950

flat-file-drawer R 30.1, Flat-File 19

Drawings

 

Lewis, Robert Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 20

Drawings

box 2, Folder 13

Project files

 

Mesa House Carmel CA 1948

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 21

Drawings

Box 4, Folder 38, box 5, Folder 39

Photographs

 

Nathan

box 2, Folder 14

Project files

 

Noble, Charles Ann Arbor MI 1947

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 22

Drawings

box 2, Folder 15

Project files

 

Norman, Ben Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 23

Drawings

 

Pallock, Joseph Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 24

Drawings

 

Poe, James Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 25

Drawings

box 2, Folder 16

Project files

 

Presley, David Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 26

Drawings

box 2, Folder 17

Project files

Box 4, Folder 40

Photographs

 

Professional Group Monterey CA

Box 4, Folder 41

Photographs

 

Reed, Robert Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 27

Drawings

 

Riordan, Emmet Los Angeles CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 28

Drawings

box 2, Folder 18

Project files

 

Rose, Norman Hollywood CA 1946

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 29

Drawings

 

Rucker House Los Angeles CA 1946

box 2, Folder 19

Project files

 

Scribner Garden House Hayward CA 1950

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 30

Drawings

box 2, Folder 20

Project files

box 5, Folder 42

Photographs

 

Smith Thor (Ranch House) Burlingame CA 1951

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 31

Drawings

box 2, Folder 21

Project files

 

Spillman Los Angeles CA 1947

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 32

Drawings

box 2, Folder 22

Project files

Box 4, Folder 43, box 5, Folder 44

Photographs

 

Stubbs, Charles Haiku HI 1945

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 33

Drawings

box 2, Folder 23

Project files

 

Sunset Magazine - furniture/screen design/bbq grill Menlo Park CA 1947-1952

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 34

Drawings

box 2, Folder 24

Project files

 

Sunset Magazine - book cases (1947-1952) Menlo Park CA

box 2, Folder 25

Project files

 

Sunset Magazine - Mountian & Beach Schemes Menlo Park CA

Box 4, Folder 45

Photographs

 

Unit House (see Scribner Residence)

 

Vacation House Carmel CA 1948

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 35

Drawings

box 2, Folder 26

Project files

Box 4, Folder 46, box 5, Folder 47

Photographs

 

Woman's Home Companion New York NY 1949

flat-file-drawer R 30.2, Flat-File 36

Drawings

 

Weiner, Martin Sherman Oaks CA 1946

box 2, Folder 27

Project files