John Elgin Woolf papers, circa 1929-circa 1983

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Summary

Creators:
Woolf, Robert Koch and Woolf, John Elgin
Extent:
100 Linear Feet (25 1/2 record storage boxes, 2 card boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 3 rolls, and 20 flat file drawers)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

John E. Woolf papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

The John Elgin Woolf papers span 100 linear feet and date from circa 1929 to circa 1983. The collection contains architectural drawings and reprographic copies, receipts concerning design purchases, fabric swatches, correspondence with clients, newspaper and magazine clippings regarding projects, and black-and-white as well as color photographs documenting the exteriors and interiors of the office's designs.

Biographical / historical:

John Elgin Woolf was born January 4, 1908 in Georgia. He received his bachelor's degree in architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1929. After completing school, Woolf moved to Los Angeles, California. In the 1940s Woolf met Robert Koch, an interior designer. The two became partners and together created homes-- designing buildings, interiors, and remodellings--for many wealthy and famous Los Angeles residents. Woolf's style has been called Hollywood Regency and his more notable projects include: the James B. Pendleton Residence; a remodeling of Case Study House 17, originally designed by Rodney Walker; as well as homes for celebrities such as Cary Grant, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, Katharine Hepburn, among others. John Elgin Woolf died on September 24, 1980.

Custodial history:

Gift of Robert Koch Woolf and Gene O. Woolf, 1987. Additional gift from the Florance R. Slinkard Estate, 2011. Additional gift of Horn materials from Henry W. Guy and Deborah Seay, 2021.

Arrangement:

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: personal papers, office files, and architecture and design projects. The contents of the personal papers and office files are each arranged in chronological order. The architecture and design project series is divided into subseries by client/project name, and subsequently arranged by format (for example: architectural drawings, photographs, project files, and slides).

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Preferred citation:

John E. Woolf papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-7130, US
Contact:
(805) 893-2724
adc@museum.ucsb.edu
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