Carl Maston papers, 1946-1989

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Summary

Creators:
Maston, Carl
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.
Extent:
28.42 Linear Feet 22 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

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

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

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

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

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.

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

Preferred citation:

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

Location of this collection:
Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library, Room 209
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189, US
Contact:
(213) 740-5900
specol@usc.edu
Website