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Finding Aid for the James Osborne Craig papers, circa 1918-circa 1923 0000121
0000121  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Access
  • Custodial History note
  • Preferred Citation note
  • Biographical/Historical note
  • Scope and Content note
  • Related Archival Materials
  • Arrangement note

  • Title: James Osborne Craig papers
    Identifier/Call Number: 0000121
    Contributing Institution: Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 3.5 Linear feet (1/2 record storage box and 15 flat file folders)
    Date (inclusive): circa 1919-circa 1923, 2007
    Location note: Box 1/ADC - regular 1 Flat File Drawer/ADC -flat files
    creator: Craig, James Osborne, 1888-1922

    Access

    Open for use by qualified researchers.

    Custodial History note

    Gift of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, 1976. Additional material gifted by Bennet Skewes-Cox, 1981. Drawing of cross for Craig's grave, gift of William Mahan, 2010.

    Preferred Citation note

    James Osborne Craig papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara

    Biographical/Historical note

    James Osborne Craig was born in Barrhead (a suburb of Glasgow), Scotland in 1888. After studying architecture briefly at The Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College in Glasgow, he left Scotland for America in 1905 at the age of 16. He worked for a time in Colorado Springs, Colorado, traveled and studied architecture in Europe, and settled in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1914. In 1916 James Osborne Craig moved to Santa Barbara. His most notable works in Santa Barbara include the Bernhard Hoffmann house and guest cottages, as well as El Paseo and the restoration of the Oreña Adobe. James Osborne was married to Mary McLaughlin Craig, a designer, who assisted him throughout their marriage and helped to complete his unfinished commissions after his death. James Osborne Craig died suddenly in Ojai, California of bronchial pneumonia at the age of 33. At the time of his death he was working on numerous projects, including plans for the restoration of de la Guerra Plaza.

    Scope and Content note

    The James Osborne Craig papers span 3.5 linear feet and date from circa 1918 to circa 1923, with one item dating from 2007. The collection is comprised of black-and-white photographic prints and negatives of Craig’s sketches, and drawings for architectural projects; presentation and concept drawings for the design, restoration, and remodeling of buildings in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria, Pasadena, and Palm Springs. Projects include the Bernhard Hoffmann residence and El Paseo, which was an extenstion to the original Case de la Guerra adobe property.

    Related Archival Materials

    Mary McLaughlin Craig papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
    William Mahan architectural drawings, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
    George Washington Smith papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
    Carleton Monroe Winslow, Sr. papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
    James Osborne Craig drawings, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Arrangement note

    The following arrangement scheme for this collection was imposed during processing in the absence of a usable original order. The collection is organized into three series: Photographs and negatives, Specifications, and Architectural drawings. The contents of the personal papers series are arranged alphabetically. The contents of the project files series is arranged into two subseries: specifications and photographs and negatives. Each subseries is then arranged alphabetically by client name. The architectural drawings are organized alphabetically by client last name.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Craig, James Osborne, 1888-1922
    Adobe houses
    Architectural drawings
    Architecture -- California -- 20th century
    Architecture -- California -- Santa Barbara -- 20th century
    Architecture, Spanish Colonial -- California, Southern
    Negatives
    Photographic prints
    Spanish Colonial Revival
    Specifications