Gordon Drake Records 2012-15
Andrew D. Manuel
Arrangement and description of this collection was funded by a grant from the Joan Draper Endowment, Department of Architecture,
College of Environmental Design, U.C. Berkeley.
University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives
230 Wurster Hall #1820
Berkeley, CA 94720-1820
(510) 642-5124
designarchives@berkeley.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives.
Title: Gordon Drake Records
Identifier/Call Number: 2012-15
Physical Description:
24 Cubic Feet:
4 Boxes, 1 Tall Box, 36 Flat File Folders
Date (inclusive): 1946-1952
Abstract: The collection contains biographical material, correspondence, and publicity files, as well as notes, specifications, sketches,
and drawings for both client driven projects and designs for houses, furniture, screens and arbors. Projects include primarily
residences in southern California, Drake’s various offices, and projects commissioned for publications such as Sunset Magazine,
and Better Homes and Gardens, and Women’s Home Journal.
Access Statement
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the
Curator.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], Gordon Drake Records, Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley.
Biographical Note
Gordon Drake (1917-1952)
Gordon Drake was born March 19, 1917 in Childress, Texas to Pearl and Alonzo Henry Drake. Less than a year after his birth,
due to his father serving overseas during World War I, his mother moved to Fresno, CA and later to San Diego with Gordon and
his older brother Max. After graduating from high school, Drake spent a year in Hawaii, living and working with his brother
who was now married and serving in the Navy. While helping his brother build a home, he received his first look into the world
of design and construction. A year later, in 1937, Drake enrolled in the architecture program at the University of Southern
California, where he was known for being a dedicated athlete and serious student, who did not do outstanding work. In order
to overcome this impression Drake worked closely with his good friend Edward Killingsworth, who, at the time, had the highest
academic record in their class. Both graduated from USC in early 1941. While at USC, Drake was influenced by Harwell Hamilton
Harris and Carl Birger Troedsson, first as a student and later as a draftsman. Troedsoon instilled in him an unconditional
commitment to the socially oriented tenets of modern architecture and Harris provided him with insight into construction and
building materials, best suited for California-style indoor-outdoor living.
In late 1941, Drake married Joanne Richards and a few months later left San Diego as a Marine combat leader for the South
Pacific beachheads. While away at war, Drake dreamed of returning to California where he would work to relieve the housing
crisis. Before he could do so he received his first professional request for architectural work, a theatre for service men
on the island of Maui. Although construction was at a standstill it needed to be completed within a short-time. Drake was
asked to take over the job, and three weeks later the Haleakala Theatre was open. In 1946, he was released from the Marine
Corps and returned to California where he joined fellow marine and engineer, Louis Soltanofff, and several other friends to
put some of their housing ideas to the test. Within four months, the group had purchased a plot of land in Los Angeles and
designed, and constructed a house for only $4,500. This basic house for veterans included built-in furniture, and for an extra
$300, standing chairs, tables, a bed, and paintings. For their efforts they won the Progressive Architecture First Annual
Award. While in Los Angeles, Drake worked to further his design ideas. Now with recognition and exposure for his environmental
consciousness, Drake became a visiting critic at USC and also began to produce a plethora of designs for clients. Drake’s
designs reflected his interest in climate control, materials carefully selected sites, indoor-outdoor living spaces, and structural
assemblies.
Drake’s firms had a number of names including Gordon Drake Designs and MADAC Design Associates (Modern Architecture Design
and Construction). In 1948 Drake relocated from Los Angeles to Monterey Bay and in 1949 to San Francisco where he opened a
small office on Washington Street. Drake credited his success to media exposure and considered it his most effective tool
to promote his work. He regularly submitted drawings and sketches of designs for housing and furniture to Sunset Magazine
and Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. In 1951 he began to work for Architect Ernest J. Krump of San Francisco, but kept his
small office on Washington for evening and weekend work.
Gordon Drake died at the age of 34 in a skiing accident at Echo Lake, near the chalet, on January 14, 1952. Maggie and Douglas
Baylis, friends and fellow designers wrote the “California Houses of Gordon Drake”, in 1956, which was reprinted in 2011.
Sources:
Parry, Joan and Douglas Drake. “California Houses of Gordon Drake.” Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 1956.
System of Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 3 Series: Personal Papers, Office Records, and Project Records.
Scope and Contents
Personal Papers are limited and include biographical material and correspondence. Office Records primarily consist of correspondence,
publicity files, and non-specific building details. Project Records contain notes, specifications, sketches, and correspondence
for specific projects as well as designs for houses, furniture, screens and arbors as prototypes. Projects include residences
in southern California, Drakes various offices, and projects commissioned for Women’s Home Journal, Sunset Magazine, and Better
Homes and Gardens.
Custodial History
The records were collected and held by Maggie and Douglas Baylis and given to William Stout to use for a new edition of California
Houses of Gordon Drake. The monograph with an introduction by Pierluigi Serriano was published by William Stout Publishers
in 2011, after which the collection was donated to the Environmental Design Archives.
Project Index
The following is a list of architectural projects from the Gordon Drake Records. For more complete information about collection
contents for each project download the complete
Project Index in an Excel spreadsheet format by going to
the Gordon Drake Records page . For instructions on interpreting the Project Index, see
The Guide to the Project Index.
The project list below, derived from the Project Index, is arranged alphabetically by Project/Client Name and contains information,
where available, about the location, date, project type, collaborators, photographers, and formats for each project in the
collection.
Project/Client Name (location, date, project type) Collaborator (role), Photographer [Format - Ms=Manuscripts, Dr=Drawings,
Ph=Photographs]
- Barr, James ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Baylis, Doug & Maggie ( 1951-56 ; residential ) [Ph]
- Bedford, Lee ( Long Beach , CA ; 1945 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Berns, Robert ( Malibu , CA ; 1950 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Byam, Wallace ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Cook, Emery ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Dammann, Thomas ( Beverly Hills , CA ; 1947 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Da Roza-Ribal Inc ( Monterey , CA ; 1948 ; residential ) [*see Mesa House]
- Design: Basic House ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Dr, Ph]
- Design: Better Homes & Gardens: Arbors, Plants, Containers [Ms, Dr]
- Design: Cabins [Dr]
- Design: Misc [Dr, Ph]
- Drake Office, Gordon ( Carmel Woods , CA ; 1948 ; commercial ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Drake Office, Gordon ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946? ; commercial ) [Ms, Dr]
- Drake, Gordon & Janie ( Pacific Palisades , CA ; 1947 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Fitch, Luther ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Gerber, Ludwig ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1951 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Haleakala Theatre ( Maui , HI ; 1946 ; commercial ) [Ph]
- Hanna, Bill & Shirley ( Sherman Oaks , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Harris, Coleman ( Castellammare , CA ; 1947 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Hodgins, Robert ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Jenkins House ( AZ ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms]
- Malibu House ( Malibu , CA ; 1950 ; residential ) [Ph]
- Lee, Lyman ( Gustine , CA ; 1950 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Lewis, Robert ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Mesa House ( Carmel , CA ; 1948 ; residential ) [Dr, Ph]
- Nathan ( residential ) [Ms]
- Noble, Charles ( Ann Arbor , MI ; 1947 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Norman, Ben ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Pallock, Joseph ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Poe, James ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Presley, David ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Professional Group ( Monterey , CA ) [Ph]
- Reed, Robert ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Riordan, Emmet ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Rose, Norman ( Hollywood , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Rucker House ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms]
- Scribner Garden House ( Hayward , CA ; 1950 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Smith Thor (Ranch House) ( Burlingame , CA ; 1951 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Spillman ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1947 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Stubbs, Charles ( Haiku , HI ; 1945 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Sunset Magazine - furniture/screen design/bbq grill ( Menlo Park , CA ; 1947-1952 ; ) [Ms, Dr]
- Sunset Magazine - book cases (1947-1952) ( Menlo Park , CA ; furniture ) Collaborator: Baylis, Douglas [Ms]
- Sunset Magazine - Mountian & Beach Schemes ( Menlo Park , CA ) [Ph]
- Unit House [*see Scribner House]
- Vacation House ( Carmel , CA ; 1948 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Woman's Home Companion ( New York , NY ; 1949 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Weiner, Martin ( Sherman Oaks , CA ; 1946 ; residential ) [Ms]
SERIES I.
PERSONAL PAPERS
1917-1956
Physical Description: .5 Cubic Feet: Box 1
Scope and Contents
Letters and notes written after the death of Gordon from various friends and
family members to Maggie and Doug Baylis concerning the book California Houses
of Gordon Drake and subsequent essays written about
Drake.
A.
Biographical
Information
Box 1, Folder 1
Written Note Found on Drake at Time of
Death
SERIES II.
OFFICE RECORDS
1946-1950
Physical Description: 1 Cubic
Feet: Box 1, 2, 5
Arrangement
Arranged
by office location.
Scope and
Contents
Magazine articles and clippings related to various Drake
designs and projects (cabins, fireplaces, arbors and screens, Scribner house,
Vacation house, Mesa
house, Basic House, second house, Presley house, Spillman house).
Box 1, Folder 8
Misc. Magazines and Newspaper Mentionings
Box 1, Folder 9
Preseley House, David
1946
Box 1, Folder 10
Unit House (Scribner House)
1950
Box 1, Folder 11
Spillman Residence, George
1947
C.
Specifications
Scope and Contents
Non-specific building details grouped and organized by various Drake office
locations.
Box 2, Folder 13
Madac: Office Specifications
Box 5, Folder 15
Washington St (San Francisco): Office Specifications
Box 5, Folder 16
Sunset Boulevard (Los Angeles); Office Specifications
Box 5, Folder 17
Carmel: Office Specifications
SERIES III.
PROJECT RECORDS
1945-1956
Physical Description: 5 Cubic Feet: Boxes 2-5, Flat Files
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by project.
A.
Files
Physical Description: **see Project Records**
B.
Photographs
Physical Description: **see Project Records**
C.
Drawings
Physical Description: **see Project Records**
