The A. E. Hanson papers span 8 linear feet and date from circa 1924 to circa 1986. The collection consists primarily of black-and-white photographs of Hanson’s landscape designs, organized by project; and Hanson’s travel photographs, organized by location, loose in folders and in four leather bound scrapbooks labeled Spain, Italy, France, and Rome.The collection also contains transcripts of A. E. Hanson’s oral history done by the Palos Verde Library District, an annotated draft of Yesterday’s Garden (the story behind the planning and execution of the Harold Lloyd garden), and Hanson’s presentation drawings showing his garden designs for about 20 projects, organized by client name. A few of the designs are unidentified.

A. E. Hanson landscape architect and land developer was born in Chino, California on December 20, 1893. After two years of high school, Hansen left to assist his family monetarily, and begun working for landscape architect Theodore Payne and then in 1915 for landscape architect Paul Howard in Los Angeles. Despite his lack of formal training, Hansen started his own firm in 1916 and by the end of the 1920’s he was designing and constructing many of the largest private gardens in Southern California. During the 1930s he developed Rolling Hills in Rancho Palos Verde, California as well as Hidden Hills, California in the San Fernando Valley. In 1932, Hansen became the general manager of the Palos Verdes Corporation and held this position until 1944. His more notable projects include the Harold Lloyd estate in Beverly Hills, the Kirk Johnson residence, and the Spanish Andalusian garden of A. B. Young in Pasadena. Archibald E. Hanson died on February 21, 1986 in Los Angeles, at the age of 93.

8.0 Linear feet (5 record storage boxes, 1 oversize flat box, and 1 flat file drawer)

Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.