Description
The Jack Alen Charney drawings span 9 linear feet and date from circa 1948 to circa 1989, with the bulk dating from the 1950s
and 1960s, though many of the projects are undated. The collection, a partial representation of Charney's design work, consists
of architectural drawings for 52 projects, in the form of original drawings and some reprographic copies. The majority of
the architectural drawings are of apartment complexes in the southern California region (Los Angeles, San Diego, and Long
Beach) but the collection also includes architectural drawings of restaurants, commercial and office buildings, and single
family houses. Some plans in the collection list Alfred March and Jack A. Charney as architects. The collection is not complete;
many drawings, damaged by water and infestation, had to be discarded.
Background
Jack Allen Charney was born in New York on June 26, 1921. He was a licensed general contractor before opening his own architectural
firm in Los Angeles, California in the early 1950s. While practicing as a contractor, Charney attended the Art Center School
where he studied architecture under R. M. Schindler and Richard Neutra.