Finding aid for the Carl Maston papers 4002

Marissa Chavez and Sarah Jardini for History Associates Incorporated

USC Libraries Special Collections

2022 April

Doheny Memorial Library 206

3550 Trousdale Parkway

Los Angeles, California 90089-0189

specol@usc.edu

URL: http://libraries.usc.edu/locations/special-collections

Contributing Institution: USC Libraries Special Collections

Title: Carl Maston papers

Creator: Maston, Carl

Identifier/Call Number: 4002

Identifier/Call Number: /repositories/3/resources/1537

Physical Description: 28.42 Linear Feet 22 boxes

Date (inclusive): 1946-1989

Abstract: This collection documents the professional career of southern California architect Carl Maston. The collection covers a variety of public and private commissions including commercial buildings, university buildings, and residential structures. The majority of the archive consists of project notes as well as the black-and-white architectural photography by Julius Shulman. The collection also includes slides and negatives, architectural drawings, correspondence, and published articles about Maston's projects.

Language of Material: English .

Biographical Note

Carl Maston (1915-1992) was an influential mid-century modern architect based in Los Angeles. Known for his stark modern style and inventive use of concrete structural solutions, his 100+ works can be seen throughout Southern California. Born Carl Mastopietro in Jacksonville, Illinois, he first studied music before settling on architecture while at USC. Upon graduating in 1937, he went to work for several local architectural offices before setting off on his own in 1946.

For the next 40 years, Maston and his office completed projects such as commercial buildings, shopping centers, institutional buildings, private homes, residential buildings, and military housing units locally and nationally. His first of several design awards was for Maston (or Marmont) House in West Hollywood, a late Craftsman-style home. In 1946, he was commissioned to build the Pandora Apartments -- the first of his experiments with the garden apartment design. Along with Ray Kappe, Maston went on to contribute to the quintessential California apartment complex, particularly with the National Boulevard Apartments. Other notable completed projects include Hillside House, the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design, the Chiat House in South Pasadena, Valley Ice Skating Center in Tarzana, and the Creative Arts Building at Cal State San Bernardino. In addition, he helped create the Los Angeles Community Design Center and served on the Los Angeles Planning Commission for five years.

Maston was the 1989 recipient of the USC Distinguished Alumni Award for excellence in design and innovative leadership in public service. Semi-retired but still teaching courses at USC and accepting architectural commissions, Carl Maston was 77 when he died of colon cancer in Los Angeles.

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the professional career of southern California architect Carl Maston. The collection covers a variety of public and private commissions including commercial buildings, university buildings, and residential structures. The majority of the archive consists of project notes as well as the black-and-white architectural photography by Julius Shulman. The collection also includes slides and negatives, architectural drawings, correspondence, and published articles about Maston's projects.

Project files and photographs form the bulk of the collection. This includes notes, brochures, correspondence, as well as 8"x10" photographs and proofs, and rolls of large architectural drawings include finished and unfinished projects. The rolls are organized thematically according to type of structure described. Miscellaneous includes prints, negatives, and loose-leaf materials that have yet to be identified. Presentation boards include finished and unfinished project renderings mounted to a firm support.

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Collections at specol@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Acquisition Note

The collection was donated to USC Helen Topping Architecture and Fine Arts Library in 1998 by Los Angeles realtor Crosby Doe.

Preferred Citation

[Box/folder no. or item name], Carl Maston papers, Collection no. 4002, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Processing Information

This collection is not fully processed.

The USC Libraries Architecture & Fine Arts Library transferred custody of the Carl Maston papers to the USC Libraries Special Collections unit on April 15, 2024. The collection's box labels still list the Architecture & Fine Arts Library as the holding repository.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Specifications

Architecture, Modern -- 20th century -- Archival resources

Slides (photographs)

Architectural drawings (visual works)

Architecture -- California -- Los Angeles -- History -- Archival resources

Maston, Carl -- Archives

Shulman, Julius -- Archives

Project Files /repositories/3/archival_objects/249510

Language of Material: English.

315 Virgil Avenue /repositories/3/archival_objects/249511

Box 7, Folder 8

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249512

920 La Cienaga Boulevard /repositories/3/archival_objects/249513

Box 1, Folder 1

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249514

Abichandane Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249515

Box 1, Folder 2

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249516

Addison Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249517

Box 1, Folder 3

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249518

Apartments /repositories/3/archival_objects/249519

Box 1, Folder 5

916 New Hampshire Apartments /repositories/3/archival_objects/249520

Box 1, Folder 5

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249521

Box 1, Folder 4

National Boulevard Apartments /repositories/3/archival_objects/249522

Box 1, Folder 4

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249523

Bank of America, Diamond Bar /repositories/3/archival_objects/249524

Box 1, Folder 6

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249525

Bath Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249526

Box 1, Folder 7

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249527

Bauer House /repositories/3/archival_objects/249528

Box 1, Folder 8

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249529

Brochures /repositories/3/archival_objects/249530

Box 8

Notes and invoices /repositories/3/archival_objects/249531

California Polytechnic Pomona, Environmental Design Building /repositories/3/archival_objects/249532

Box 1, Folder 11, Box 1, Folder 10, Box 1, Folder 9

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249533

California State University San Bernadino, Creative Arts/ Performing Arts Center /repositories/3/archival_objects/249534

Box 1, Folder 12

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249535

Chiat Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249536

Box 2, Folder 1

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249537

Comerford House /repositories/3/archival_objects/249538

Box 2, Folder 2

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249539

Deleco /repositories/3/archival_objects/249540

Box 2, Folder 3

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249541

DMV, Arleta /repositories/3/archival_objects/249542

Box 2, floppy_disk 5

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249543

Doble Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249544

Box 2, Folder 4

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249545

Dr. Jump Medical Clinic /repositories/3/archival_objects/249546

Box 4, Folder 1

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249547

Dr. Jump Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249548

Box 4, Folder 2

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249549

Dunham Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249550

Box 2, Folder 6

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249551

Dunlap's /repositories/3/archival_objects/249552

Box 2, Folder 7

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249553

Emelita School /repositories/3/archival_objects/249554

Box 2, Folder 8

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249555

Encino Ice Rink /repositories/3/archival_objects/249556

Box 3, Folder 5

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249557

Factory Apron and Towel Supply Company /repositories/3/archival_objects/249558

Box 2, Folder 11

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249559

FedMart City Bank, San Diego /repositories/3/archival_objects/249560

Box 2, Folder 10, Box 2, Folder 9

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249561

First Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Long Beach /repositories/3/archival_objects/249562

Box 2, Folder 12

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249563

Fourth Street Apartment /repositories/3/archival_objects/249564

Box 2, Folder 14

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249565

Fox Market /repositories/3/archival_objects/249566

Box 2, Folder 13

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249567

Goldwater Apartments /repositories/3/archival_objects/249568

Box 3, Folder 2, Box 3, Folder 1

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249569

Hahn's Hide-A-Way /repositories/3/archival_objects/249570

Box 3, Folder 3

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249571

Hellinger Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249572

Box 3, Folder 4

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249573

Interstate Electronics Corporation /repositories/3/archival_objects/249574

Box 3, Folder 7

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249575

Killefer Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249576

Box 4, Folder 3

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249577

Maston Office /repositories/3/archival_objects/249578

Box 4, Folder 5, Box 4, Folder 6, Box 4, Folder 4

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249579

Maston Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249580

Box 4, Folder 7

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249581

Mattei's Tavern /repositories/3/archival_objects/249582

Box 5, Folder 1

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249583

Miscellaneous Project Files /repositories/3/archival_objects/249584

Box 8, Box 9

Unidentified and/or miscellaneous project files /repositories/3/archival_objects/249585

Pepper House, Pasadena /repositories/3/archival_objects/249586

Box 5, Folder 2

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249587

Rigby Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249588

Box 5, Folder 6

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249589

Rodeffer Investment Office /repositories/3/archival_objects/249590

Box 5, Folder 4

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249591

Rodeffer Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249592

Box 5, Folder 3

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249593

Runciman /repositories/3/archival_objects/249594

Box 5, Folder 5

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249595

Simi Valley Library /repositories/3/archival_objects/249596

Box 6, Folder 2

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249597

Smith House /repositories/3/archival_objects/249598

Box 6, Folder 3

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249599

St. Ives Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249600

Box 7, Folder 2, Box 7, Folder 1

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249601

Studio Village Shopping Center /repositories/3/archival_objects/249602

Box 7, Folder 3

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249603

Tarzana Ice Rink /repositories/3/archival_objects/249604

Box 3, Folder 6

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249605

Thies Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249606

Box 7, Folder 4

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249607

Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing /repositories/3/archival_objects/249608

Box 7, Folder 5

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249609

Valencia Apartments /repositories/3/archival_objects/249610

Box 7, Folder 6

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249611

Ventura County Library /repositories/3/archival_objects/249612

Box 7, Folder 7

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249613

Von's Market /repositories/3/archival_objects/249614

Box 7, Folder 9

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249615

Western Home Awards AIA 1967-1968 /repositories/3/archival_objects/249616

Box 7, Folder 10

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249617

Wing Residence /repositories/3/archival_objects/249618

Notes and photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/249619

Box 11, Box 12, Box 13, Box 14, Box 15, Box 16, Box 18, Box 19, Box 20, Box 21

Architectural Drawings /repositories/3/archival_objects/628450

Box 10, Box 17, Box 22

Photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/628451