William M. Clarke Architectural Negative Collection, approximately 1920-1950

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Summary

Creators:
Clarke, William M.
Abstract:
This collection consists of glass and film negatives and copy prints chiefly of architectural scenes in Southern California taken by architectural photographer William M. Clarke (1872-1953). The bulk of the collection focuses on residential and business projects in Los Angeles for Architectural Digest magazine from about 1920 through the 1930s. Among the architecture represented in the collection are buildings and landscapes created by some of Los Angeles' most distinguished architects and designers, including Myron Hunt, Reginald Johnson, Gordon Kaufmann, Roland Coate, Wallace Neff, John & Donald Parkinson, George Washington Smith, and Paul Williams.
Extent:
4,482 photographs in 129 boxes: glass plate and film negatives + 11 boxes of copy prints
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains mostly architectural scenes in southern California taken by architectural photographer William M. Clarke between circa 1920 and 1950. The bulk of the collection focuses on residential and business projects in Los Angeles for Architectural Digest magazine from about 1920 through the 1930s.

Among the architecture represented in the collection are buildings and landscapes created by some of Los Angeles' most distinguished architects and designers, including Myron Hunt, Reginald Johnson, Gordon Kaufmann, Roland Coate, Wallace Neff, John & Donald Parkinson, George Washington Smith, and Paul Williams. The landscape designs of A. E. Hanson, Lucille Council & Florence Yoch, Katherine Bashford and Paul Thiene are well represented in the collection also. Some of the buildings represented are the Atheneaum at Caltech, USC Hall of Philosophy, La Quinta Resort, Hope Ranch, W. K. Kellogg Ranch, Scripps College, Royal Laundry, the Arthur Bourne house, the Harold Lloyd Estate and the Catalina Island Casino. Includes many homes in the Pasadena area, as well as Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Montecito. Other points of interest are Bertram Goodhue's California Building for the 1915 Pan-California Exposition in Balboa Park, and several I. Magnin department stores in California. There are several unidentified residences and unidentified buildings scattered throughout the collection.

The original 4 x 5 inch glass plate and film negatives are housed in 129 boxes; corresponding copy prints have been made for all images and are available for research.

Biographical / historical:

William Mycajah Clarke was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 4, 1872, and died at his home on North Beachwood Drive in Los Angeles on March 6, 1953. He was married to Maude E. Clarke and resided at 1371 San Pasqual Avenue in Pasadena in a house built by George B. Brigham, Jr. (Architectural Digest, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 88-93) from 1932-1943, and possibly beyond. He was granted a certificate to practice architecture by written exam on December 15-18, 1919, and was also an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects. Clarke is given credit as the architect for the T.A. Tooey house in a 1924 volume of Architectural Digest, but not much else is known about his architecture practice.

In the early 1920s, Clarke toured Europe extensively as a representative for the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company. Pacific Coast Architect magazine published his accounts along with the photographs he made documenting the architecture in the towns he visited. Clarke was also affiliated with the Camera Pictorialists of Los Angeles and exhibited his work in the "Fifth Annual Western Salon of Pictorial Photography," December 15-30, 1926, which was organized by the Southern California Camera Club at the Southwest Museum and the Los Angeles Public Library. A number of his works were included when the club was invited to exhibit at the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain in 1933. He stopped showing at the Camera Pictorialists' annual salon in 1930, but continued as a member through 1940. Clarke also served as acting photographer on an archaeological expedition to Arizona led by the Southwest Museum from February-June 1927. His photographs were printed in Southwest Museum Papers No. 2: "Excavations at Casa Grandes, Arizona Feb. 12 to May 1, 1927," by Harold S. Gladwin. He was also the Librarian for the Library of Architecture and Allied Arts at 453 S. Spring Street in Los Angeles for 16 years.

Clarke photographed for Architectural Digest magazine from the early 1920s through the 1930s, but not much is known about his tenure there. His photographs have also appeared in other major architectural periodicals of the day, such as Architectural Record and Architect and Engineer.

Acquisition information:
Glass and film negatives, gift of the Architects Library of Los Angeles, 1955-1956.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in two series according to format:

  • Copy prints
  • Negatives

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Note:

Finding aid last updated on December 15, 2015.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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