Finding aid for the Haralamb H. Georgescu papers, 1907-1992
Finding aid prepared by Mitchell Erzinger
Descriptive Summary
Title: Haralamb H. Georgescu papers
Date (inclusive): 1907-1992, bulk 1931-1977
Number: 2008.M.35
Creator/Collector:
Georgescu, Haralamb H., 1908-1977
Physical Description:
7.8 linear feet
(6 boxes, 2 flatfile folders)
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, California, 90049-1688
(310) 440-7390
Abstract: The collection documents the professional career of Romanian-born architect Haralamb H. Georgescu. While incomplete, these
papers shed light on the prevalence of modernism and its European sources while further broadening the understanding of twentieth-century
California modernism.
Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
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Language: Collection material is in
English with some
Romanian.
Biographical/Historical Note
Born in Piteşti, Romania in 1908, Haralamb H. Georgescu became a well-known modernist architect in his native country. He
graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of the University of Bucharest in 1933 and returned as professor from 1940 until
his immigration to America in 1947. His work, especially the buildings designed with Horia Creangă, is cited in the standard
works on twentieth-century architecture in Romania. Among his best known projects are the ARO Motion Picture Theater (Bucharest,
1934), the ARO Palace Hotel (Braşov, 1938), and the Pescăruş Restaurant (Bucharest, 1939). Georgescu also built several projects
for King Michael of Romania, including his residence in Eforie Nord.
In September of 1947, Georgescu fled to the United States, due to conflicts with Romania's Communist regime. After a short
stay in New York, he was hired in 1948 by the School of Architecture of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln to teach drawing
and urban planning. Wanting to return to architectural practice, Georgescu (who Americanized his name to Harlan Georgesco)
moved to Los Angeles in 1951, where he worked for a series of architects and designers including, Paul László, McAllister
and Wagner, and Kenneth Lind. In 1957, Georgescu was able to start a firm in partnership with James Larson, and then in 1959
began working with Howard Lapham on projects in Palm Springs. Georgescu received his California architect license in 1964
and established his own practice in Century City, which he continued until his premature death in 1977.
Georgescu's best-known work in the United States is the house he designed in Beverly Hills for UCLA professor Pier Maria Pasinetti
(1958). In addition to the Pasinetti House, he built many houses in Palm Springs, and designed several convalescent hospitals
in the Los Angeles area. He also developed a visionary plan for 640 feet high towers consisting of vertical streets and suspended
houselots termed Skylots (1965) - an integrated, sustaining environment intended to solve the congestion problem in Los Angeles.
Though never realized, and it remains ahead of its time in terms of ecological and environmental concerns.
Administrative Information
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers, with the exception of un-reformatted microfilm.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Haralamb H. Georgescu papers, 1907-1992, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 2008.M.35
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2008m35
Acquisition Information
Gift of Christopher Georgesco. Acquired in 2008.
Processing History
Initial processing conducted by Vladimira Stefura in 2008. In 2012 Mitchell Erzinger conducted final processing, arrangement,
and description of the collection. Descriptive notes were derived from curatorial sources.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Haralamb H. Georgescu papers document the career of this architect who had prominent careers in both Romania and the United
States. Trained in Bucharest, Georgescu contributed substantially to Romanian modernism before immigrating to America, where
he began a new career and continued to expand his Modernist vocabulary, particularly in the Los Angeles area. Most of the
papers relate to Georgescu's American projects, but there are also photographic prints and negatives, in addition to some
drawings and publications that show the highly modernist work he did in Romania in collaboration with Horia Creangă prior
to his immigration to America.
Series I contains materials relating to Georgescu's architectural projects, in both Romania and America, consisting primarily
of photographic prints and negatives while also including some original drawings and reproductions, documentation, articles,
and microfilm. Also included are photographic prints of projects executed by Horia Creangă prior to, or without, the collaborative
relationship with Georgescu.
Series II includes other materials relating to Georgescu's professional career, in addition to personal materials. Included
are immigration files consisting of correspondence and original Romanian documentation, correspondence relating to Georgescu's
teaching career, personal histories, publicity including both Romanian and American articles, and some personal photographs.
Bulk dates represent the majority of the materials in the collection, with inclusive dates representing early family photographs
and later extant publications referencing Georgescu's work.
Arrangement
Arranged in two series:
;
.Series I. Project records, 1934-1977
Series II. Other professional and personal papers, 1907-1992
Indexing Terms
Subjects - Names
Creangă, Horia, 1892-1943
Georgescu, Haralamb H., 1908-1977
Subjects - Topics
Architects--California--Los Angeles--20th Century
Architects--Romania--20th century
Architecture, Modern--20th century--California, Southern
Architecture, Modern--20th century--Romania
Architecture--California--Los Angeles--20th century
Architecture--Romania
Modern movement (Architecture)--California
Modern movement (Architecture)--Romania
Subjects - Places
Bucharest (Romania)--Buildings, structures, etc.--20th century
Los Angeles (Calif.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--20th century
Genres and Forms of Material
Architectural drawings (visual works)
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Microfilm
Negatives
Photographic prints--20th century
Contributors
Creangă, Horia, 1892-1943
Series I.
Project records,
1931-1975, undated
Physical Description:
7.4 linear feet
(5 boxes, 2 flatfile folders)
Scope and Content Note
Black-and-white photographic prints documenting Georgescu's projects comprise the bulk of Series I. Also included are original
drawings and reproductions, microfilm, and documentation such as correspondence and specifications. Drawing reproductions
include photostats, photocopies, prints and line negatives of plans and renderings.
For each project, location and date are provided, when known. The dates listed are project dates derived from various sources,
including catalogues, publications and Georgescu's personal histories, and represent a combination of initial planning and
completion dates. For American projects, locations are in California unless otherwise noted.
Arrangement note
This series is separated into Romanian and American projects, and then arranged in chronological order by project date. Undated
and unidentified projects appear at the end of both respective sections. Romanian projects headed by Horia Creangă are placed
after the primary Georgescu projects.
Projects in Romania,
1931-1939, undated
Box 1, Folder 2B
Apartment building, 16-18 Dr. Lister Street (Bucharest, 1933)
Box 1, Folder 2
ARO motion picture theater (Bucharest, 1934)
Scope and Content Note
Addition to ARO building (1931); collaboration with Horia Creangă, original architect.
Pipe factory, Malaxa Industries (Bucharest, 1935)
Scope and Content Note
Collaboration with Horia Creangă.
Box 1, Folder 2A
Apartment building, 19 Rome Street (Bucharest, 1935)
ARO apartment building, 91-93 Calea Victoriei (Bucharest, 1936)
Concordia engine factory (Ploieşti, 1936)
Obor food market (Bucharest, 1937)
Villa of the Great Voivode Mihai (Eforie Nord, 1937)
Scope and Content Note
Horia Creangă original architect.
ARO hotel (Braşov, 1938)
Scope and Content Note
Collaboration with Horia Creangă.
Pescăruş restaurant (Herăstrău Lake, Bucharest, 1939)
Scope and Content Note
Collaboration with Horia Creangă.
Exhibition buildings (Herăstrău Park, Bucharest, 1939)
Scope and Content Note
Collaboration with Horia Creangă.
Horia Creangă projects,
1931-1937
Scope and Content Note
Projects executed prior to, or without, collaborative relationship with Haralamb H. Georgescu.
Box 1, Folder 10
ARO building (Bucharest, 1931)
Box 1, Folder 11
Anton Davidoglu apartment building, Dacia Boulevard (Bucharest, 1932)
Box 1, Folder 12
Bunescu villa, 12 Alexandru Alley (Bucharest, 1932)
Box 1, Folder 13
Dulfu villa, Bateriilor Street (Bucharest, 1933)
Box 1, Folder 14
Elisabeta Cantacuzino villa, 15 Alexandru Alley (Bucharest, 1934)
Box 1, Folder 15
Burileanu Malaxa apartment building (Bucharest, 1935)
Box 1, Folder 16
Palatul Cultural (Cernăuţi, 1937)
Miscellaneous/unidentified Romanian projects
Projects in the United States,
1956-1975, undated
Box 1, Folder 18
Chi Chi Starlite Room (Palm Springs, 1956)
Box 1, Folder 19
St. George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral (Southfield, MI, 1957)
St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church (Cleveland, OH, 1957)
Box 1, Folder 24
Apartment building, Levering St. (Westwood, 1958)
Pasinetti House (Beverly Hills, 1958)
Flatfile 2**
Crosby House (Palm Springs, 1959)
Scope and Content Note
Design includes warehoused parts from Hearst Castle composed and altered to fit specifications for a room addition.
Georgescu House (Brentwood, 1963)
Box 2, Folder 3
Pauker House (Pacific Palisades, 1965)
Skylots (Los Angeles, 1965)
Box 2, Folder 13
Grossman House (Brentwood, 1968)
Box 2, Folder 5
Lark-Arrow Apartments (Los Angeles, 1968)
Box 2, Folder 13A
Mt. Olympus Competion (Los Angeles, 1969)
Lakeview Hospital (Elsinore, 1970)
Box 2, Folder 6
Photographic prints of drawings
Box 2, Folder 7
Garden Crest Convalescent Hospital (Los Angeles, 1971)
California Home for the Aged (Reseda, 1973)
Box 2, Folder 10
Bucuresti Restaurant (Montrose, 1975)
Scope and Content Note
Original color tissue sketches
Social Sciences and Law School, Washington University (St. Louis, MO)
Box 2, Folder 11
Photographic prints of drawings
Youth House, College of Agriculture, University of Nebraska (Lincoln, NE)
Box 2, Folder 12
Photographic prints of drawings
Miscellaneous/Unidentified American projects
Box 2, Folder 14
Correspondence and documentation
Series II.
Other professional and personal papers,
1907-1992, undated
Physical Description:
0.4 linear feet
(1 box)
Scope and Content Note
Materials relating to Georgescu's professional career and personal life comprise this small series. Included are architectural
certificates and diplomas, immigration files consisting of correspondence and Romanian documents, personal histories, teaching
files, Romanian and American publications, and personal photographs.
Arrangement note
This series is arranged alphabetically by subject, with miscellaneous materials included at the end of the series.
Certificates and diplomas,
1933-1964
Box 5, Folder 11
Georgescu Office, Gateway West Building, Century City
Box 5, Folder 3
General correspondence,
1947-1951
Scope and Content Note
Includes letter from Richard Neutra.
Box 5, Folder 4
Immigration files,
1943-1955, undated
Scope and Content Note
Includes original identification documents, transcripts, and correspondence.
Box 5, Folder 6
Personal histories,
undated
Photography,
1907-1949, undated
Box 5, Folder 12
Other personal photographs
Box 5, Folder 7
Romanian publications,
1938-1943
Box 5, Folder 8
Teaching files,
1947-1951
Box 5, Folder 9-10
Miscellaneous personal material,
1947-1954, undated