Finding Aid for the A. E. Hanson papers, circa 1924-circa 1986
0000139
Finding aid prepared by Jillian O'Connor and Chris Marino
The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered
through the Council on Library and Information Resources “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.
Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Arts Building Room 1434
University of California
Santa Barbara, California, 93106-7130
805-893-2724
adc@museum.ucsb.edu
Title: A. E. Hanson papers
Identifier/Call Number: 0000139
Contributing Institution:
Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
8.0 Linear feet
(5 record storage boxes, 1 oversize flat box, and 1 flat file drawer)
Date (inclusive): circa 1924-circa 1986
Location note: Boxes 1-5/ADC - regular, Box 6*/ADC - *oversize) 1 Flat File Drawer/ADC - flat files
creator:
Dapprich, Frederick R., 1880-1965
creator:
Hanson, A. E., 1893-1986
creator:
Kaufmann, Gordon B.
creator:
Neff, Edwin Wallace
creator:
Smith, George Washington, 1876-1930
Access
Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.
Preferred Citation note
A. E. Hanson papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa
Barbara.
Biographical/Historical note
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.
Scope and Content note
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.
Related Archival Materials note
Lutah Maria Riggs papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California,
Santa Barbara. Collection no. 169
George Washington Smith papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California,
Santa Barbara. Collection no. 176
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Hanson, A. E., 1893-1986
Landscape architects -- California
Landscape architecture drawings
Negatives
Photographic prints
Presentation drawings (proposals)
Professional Papers I.
1935-1981
Physical Description:
1.0 Linear feet
Scope and Contents note
This series contains materials related to Hanson's involvement in the early development of Rolling Hills, Calif. It also includes
drafts of his manuscript
Yesterday's Gardens, an unpublished book on his work on the Harold Lloyd Estate.
Box 1, Folder 1
Articles on Rolling Hills and Rancho Palos Verdes
1935, 1936, 1938
Scope and Contents note
This series contains materials related to Hanson's involvement in the early development of Rolling Hills, Calif. It also includes
drafts of his manuscript
Yesterday's Gardens, an unpublished book on his work on the Harold Lloyd Estate.
Box 1, Folder 2
Palos Verdes Library District interview with A.E. Hanson
1976, 1980, 1981
Box 1, Folder 3
"Harold Lloyd Gardens" brochure
1977
Box 1, Folder 4
The Story of Rolling Hills: February 1930 through December 7, 1941
undated
Box 1, Folder 5
Yesterday's Gardens Volume I annotated draft
1979
Box 1, Folder 6
Yesterday's Gardens Volume II, Part 2 annotated draft
circa 1977
Box 1, Folder 7
Yesterday's Gardens manuscript draft unused
1978
Box 1, Folder 8
Yesterday's Gardens draft
undated
Box 1, Folder 9
Yesterday's Gardens draft
1977
Photographs II.
1922-1982
Physical Description:
3.0 Linear feet
Scope and Contents note
This series contains photographs (some annotated with captions) pertaining to Hanson's various commissioned landscaping projects.
It includes photographs of landscaping, as well as photographs of landscape plans.
Box 4, Folder 1
A.E. Hanson Landscapes: The Harold Lloyd Estate
1979
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript form of photographs with captions for book.
Box 2, Folder 1
Calendar, Harry landscaping (Windsor Square, Calif.)
1922
creator:
Martin, Frederick
Box 2, Folder 2
Calendar, Harry landscaping (Bel Air, Calif.)
1923
Box 2, Folder 3
Cochran, George landscaping (Los Angeles, Calif.)
1928
Box 2, Folder 17
Doheny, E.L. landscaping (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
1928
Box 2, Folder 4
Douglas landscaping (Montecito, Calif.)
1928-1929
creator:
Dapprich, Frederick R., 1880-1965
creator:
Smith, George Washington, 1876-1930
Box 2, Folder 5
Hanson, A.E. portraits
undated
Box 5, Folder 7, Box 2, Folder 6-7
Johnson, Kirk landscaping (Montecito, Calif.)
1928-1929
creator:
Dapprich, Frederick R., 1880-1965
creator:
Smith, George Washington, 1876-1930
Box 5, Folder 3, Box 2, Folder 8
Hanson, A.E. landscaping 31755 Bainbrook Ct. (Westlake Village, Calif.)
circa 1982
Box 2, Folder 18
Kaufmann, Gordon landscape plan (Holmby Hills, Calif.)
1928-1929
Box 2, Folder 9
Kern, Henry landscaping (Holmby Hills, Calif.)
1925
Box 2, Folder 10, Box 5, Folder 8
Lake Casitas Corporation mobile home park (Lake Casitas, Calif.)
undated
Box 3, Box 5, Folder 10, Box 6, Folder 3
Lloyd, Harold landscaping (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
1925-1929
creator:
Spaulding, Sumner, 1892/3-1952
Box 5, Folder 9, Box 2, Folder 15
Lockhart landscaping (Los Angeles, Calif.)
1928
Box 5, Folder 18, Box 5, Folder 14, Box 5, Folder 11-12
Miscellaneous Garden Photographs
undated
Box 6, Folder 4, Box 2, Folder 11, Box 6, Folder 4
Murphy, Dan landscaping (Los Angeles, Calif.)
1930
creator:
Dapprich, Frederick R., 1880-1965
Box 2, Folder 19
Neff, Wallace landscape plan (San Marino, Calif.)
1929
Box 2, Folder 20
Petitlies, E.L. landscape plan Windsor Square (Los Angeles, Calif.)
1928
Box 4, Folder 2
Photo Album- disbound
circa 1971
Scope and Contents note
Dis-bound photo album with photographs and captions for projects-- Lloyd estate, Calendar estate, and Lockhart estate.
Box 4
Photograph scrapbooks- Europe
undated
Scope and Contents note
Four small bound scrapbooks with photographs of European cities and landscapes, with handwritten locations.
Box 5, Folder 22
Rancho Santa Barbara
undated
Box 5, Folder 23
Rolling Hills, Calif.
circa 1976
Box 2, Folder 12
Rolling Hills Estates (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.)
1935
creator:
Dick Whittington Studio.
Box 5, Folder 24
Santa Barbara, Calif.
undated
Box 2, Folder 21
Slocum, M.S. landscape plan (Pasadena, Calif.)
1928
Box 2, Folder 13, Box 5, Folder 27
Sycamore Hills (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.)
undated
creator:
Williams, Paul R., 1894-1980
Box 2, Folder 16
Unidentified Photographs
undated
Box 5, Folder 31, Box 2, Folder 14
Young, Archibald landscaping (Pasadena, Calif.)
circa 1929
Travel Photographs A.
circa 1969- circa 1979
Physical Description:
1.0 Linear feet
Box 5, Folder 4
Canwood Mounson?
circa 1974
Box 5, Folder 6
Glendale and Daly
undated
Box 5, Folder 15
Monterey, California
undated
Box 5, Folder 16-17
Mt. Vernon, Virginia
undated
Box 5, Folder 19
1000 Oaks Mall
circa 1979
Box 5, Folder 28-30
Williamsburg, Virginia
undated
Projects III.
1925-1982
Physical Description:
3.0 Linear feet
Scope and Contents note
This series contains landscape plans and presentation drawings, many on presentation boards, some on paper. There are originals
as well as reprographic copies.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 1
Brownsteyn garden
undated
Scope and Contents note
One garden plan, colored pencil on presentation board.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 2
Cochran, George garden (Los Angeles, Calif.)
1928
Scope and Contents note
3 colored pencil presentation boards, 2 copies of landscape plans.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 3
Doheny, E.L. garden (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
1928
Scope and Contents note
One colored pencil rendering of garden on presentation board.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 4
Hanson, A.E. landscaping (Westlake, Calif.)
1982
Scope and Contents note
2 copies of plot plan of rear garden.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 5
Holmes, W.B. garden
undated
Scope and Contents note
One colored pencil rendering of garden on presentation board.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 6, Drawer 262, FlatFile 7
Johnson, Kirk garden (Montecito, Calif.)
1928
Scope and Contents note
2 colored pencil landscape plans on presentation boards, one copy of landscape plan on board. One full size presentation board,
watercolor of landscape plan.
Box 6, Folder 1
Kaufmann, Gordon landscape plan (Holmby Hills, Calif.)
1928
Scope and Contents note
One drawing on board of landscape plan
Drawer 262, FlatFile 8
Leisure Hills site plan (Ojai, Calif.)
undated
Scope and Contents note
Preliminary study
Drawer 262, FlatFile 9
Lloyd, Harold garden (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
1925-1929
Scope and Contents note
One colored pencil on board, one ink on presentation board.
Box 6, Folder 2
Lockhart playhouse (Los Angeles, Calif.)
1928
Scope and Contents note
2 renderings of playhouse and one drawing of plot plan
Box 6, Folder 5
Neff, Wallace landscape plan (San Marino, Calif.)
1929
Scope and Contents note
One drawing of landscape plan on board
Box 6, Folder 6
Petitlies, E.L. landscape plan (Los Angeles, Calif.)
1929
Scope and Contents note
One drawing of landscape plan
Drawer 262, FlatFile 10
Ryerson, Joseph landscape plan
1940
Scope and Contents note
Plan for small garden on presentation board.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 11
Slocum, M.S. landscaping (Pasadena, Calif.)
1928
Scope and Contents note
Landscape plan on presentation board.
Drawer 262, FlatFile 12, Box 6, Folder 7
Unidentified Garden Design
undated
Scope and Contents note
One colored pencil on presentation board garden design. 3 unidentified plans and renderings of gardens and fountains
Drawer 262, FlatFile 13
Young, Archibald landscaping (Pasadena, Calif.)
1929
Scope and Contents note
One copy of landscape plan.
