Collection Guide
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Arthur H. Levin papers, 1946-1997
0000356
0000356
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Table of contents
Title: Arthur H. Levin papers
Identifier/Call Number: 0000356
Contributing Institution:
Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
60.0 Linear feet
(14 boxes, including 2 ledgers, 58 rolls)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1960-1989
Date (inclusive): 1946-1997
Location note: ADC regular, box 1: ledgers; Mosher, box 2-14; Mosher, 68+ rolls and box-tubes of drawings
creator:
Becket, Welton David, 1902-1969
creator:
Buff and Hensman, Architects.
creator:
Levin, Arthur H., 1917-2016
creator:
Neutra, Richard Joseph, 1892-1970
The Arthur H. Levin papers comprise circa 80 linear feet of drawings, calculations and notes related to his work as a civil
engineer and sometimes contractor and architect in Los Angeles, between circa 1946 and circa 1989. The papers document the
structural design of commercial, industrial, and especially hillside dwellings in the Los Angeles area. Client ledgers provide
an index to the bulk of the drawings and papers, which are arranged by client name, and chronologically.
Arthur H. Levin was a registered civil engineer, licensed contractor, and became a registered architect in 1986. He was born
December 12, 1917 in Chicago, and received an engineering degree from Purdue University in 1939. According to the Purdue alumni
news, Levin "wrote the book on engineering for hillside houses." That book was
Hillside Building: Design and Construction, 1991.
Levin's professional career was in Los Angeles, California, where he began working for the City of Los Angeles Building and
Safety department in 1946. He started his own firm, A. Levin, Inc. in 1956 and worked, as engineer, contractor and architect,
until he retired in 1988-1989.
If you've ever seen a building hanging off a hillside in Southern California, chances are Arthur Levin designed the structural
engineering. He designed the structures for stores, apartment buildings, small offices, industrial buildings, and about 2,000
hillside dwellings. Among the many architects he worked with are these: Welton Beckett, John Blanton, Buff & Hensman, Benno
Fisher, Gene Fong, Ron Goldman, Ray Kappe, A. C. Marton, and Richard Neutra.
Arthur Levin died in Los Angeles, October 26, 2016.
Arranged in three series: Administrative files, calculations, and drawings.
Conditions Governing Access note
Partially processed collection; open for use to qualified researchers.
Arthur H. Levin papers. Art, Design & Architecture Museum. University of California, Santa Barbara
Copyright has been transferred to the UC Regents.
Papers were donated by the Arthur Levin family, shortly after his death.
Some rolls contain 1 project; most of the box-tubes contain multiple projects which are arranged and grouped together by date
(year and month), which is marked on the ends of the tubes.